Announced during The Game Awards 2022, Immortals of Aveum is the first title from Ascendant Studios under the Electronic Arts Originals label.
Up until this point, it’s been a quiet time in terms of details for Immortals of Aveum, a game described as being a single player Magic FPS. Thankfully we at GAMINGbible were invited to a closed hands-off preview event and we have some spellbinding details to reveal.
What is Immortals of Aveum?
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Immortals of Aveum is a groundbreaking single-player, first-person magic shooter from Ascendant Studios, a new independent studio made up of industry veterans with pedigrees in making richly detailed action games of the highest quality,” reads the press release.
“Set in an original fantasy universe engulfed in magic, rife with conflict, and on the edge of the abyss, you play as Jak – a battlemage that can cast powerful spells against legions of soldiers and deadly magic-wielders in a visceral and cinematic, story-driven campaign experience.
“Immortals of Aveum combines a modern cinematic story with a fantasy setting to deliver unforgettable characters, fast, fluid action and spell-based combat that defies FPS conventions. Summon your power, stop the Everwar, save the realms.”
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What’s the story?
“Having grown up powerless and destitute on the streets of Seren, Jak is what’s known as an Unforeseen – someone who unexpectedly manifests magical abilities later in life. With his newfound potential, Jak is reluctantly thrust into mankind’s endless war for the control of magic.
“Now, after centuries of stalemate between Aveum’s two most powerful kingdoms, Rasharn has pushed Lucium and its allies to the brink. With powerful magic-wielders and legions of soldiers on both sides of the Everwar, Jak and his elite order of Immortals must uncover the mysteries of Aveum's troubled past, if there's any hope for saving its future.”
What did we see during the Immortals of Aveum preview?
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My first instinct was that Immortals of Aveum is a fast-paced, battle-mage first-person shooter, and that describes the game in a basic form. The project is led by Ascendant Studios CEO, and game director, Bret Robins. Previously, Robins had worked on titles such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare during a nine-year stint at Sledgehammer Games.
What’s more, Robins had also helped to bring the likes of the 2003 movie-tie-in, The Lords of the Ring: Return of the King as well as the OG Dead Space to life. Other members of the development team include those that have worked on BioShock and Borderlands series’.
However, with this being a magical shooter, instead of using guns, the player will utilise elemental powers that are not only used to dispatch the enemy but also puzzle-solving. Powers come in three forms: Force (blue), Chaos (red) and Life (green).
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Other magical powers include: “Shatter (Heavy Spell) to destroy an enemy’s shield, followed by Lash (Control) to pull them in close before finishing them off with a blast of Fragfire (Primary Spell).” Players will be rewarded with well-timed chained attacks and counters. In total, Immortals of Aveum features over 25 spells and 80 Talents (skills).
When I saw the gameplay in action, it also gave me gunslinging Destiny, DOOM and Ghostwire: Tokyo vibes with a little bit of J.R.R. Tolkien thrown in for good measure. Moreover, players will also be able to protect themselves with a power shield, instead of a cover system which should aid the fast-paced flow of its gameplay.
Elsewhere in the hands-off preview, we saw some intense boss battles which included a menacing dragon as well as something that looked like The Destroyer from Marvel’s Thor. Upon hearing what the developers had to say about this game, I got the jist that this was very much a passion project and that could be seen in not only the gameplay and visuals, but also its science fantasy-built world.
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Character customisation
Sadly, Immortals of Aveum will not have character creation, but it will embrace character customisation. Players will be able to loot and equip new gear, as well as acquire and improve powers with its in-depth skill-tree system which encourages various play styles for multiple campaign playthroughs.
How long is Immortals of Aveum?
Speaking of the campaign, the developers said that the story of Immortals of Aveum could take up to 25 hours to finish. That being said, depending on the play style and difficulty, don’t be surprised if the campaign can be finished below that estimate.
Will Immortals of Aveum have multiplayer?
The developers at Ascendant Studios were quite tight-lipped on the multiplayer front when I asked. Still, they seemingly teased that they “may” have thought about multiplayer and co-op, but have no plans to reveal anything yet.
Will it have microtransactions and an always-online requirement?
Furthermore, when I asked the developers whether Immortals of Aveum will have microtransactions and/or an always-online requirement, they said “no” on both fronts. Hopefully, Ascendant Studios will remain true to its word.
When is the Immortals of Aveum release date?
Immortals of Aveum will be released on 20 July 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Topics: Preview