The Last of Us–Inspired RPG With Witcher-Style Open World Gets Release Date, Now PS5 Exclusive

The upcoming action-adventure game 1348 Ex Voto has locked in a March release date, and with its The Last of Us inspired post-apocalyptic game’s storytelling and The Witcher's open-world exploration, it's definitely a underrated PS5 gem that fans should have on their radar.

Featuring the narrative components of The Last of Us with the open-world exploration of The Witcher, 1348 Ex Voto is an upcoming third-person action-adventure title set in medieval Italy.

Developed by Sedleo, a team consisting of around 15 Italian developers, 1348 Ex Veto will take place in 14th-century Italy, a time plagued with political strife and well, quite literally the plague itself and will follow the story of Aeta, a young noble who is training to become a knight.

However, when her village is attacked by bandits and her beloved Bianca is kidnapped, Aeta must embark on a quest to rescue her.

In a game inspired by chivalric tales, 1348 Ex Veto also turns the genre on its head by featuring a female knight as a protagonist and I’m not sure if Bianca is her partner, but I am definitely all for it if she is.

Not only that but Bianca will be voiced by none other than Jennifer English who is best known for her roles as Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 and more recently, Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, both of which went on to receive a myriad of awards as well as Game of the Year.

Could this mean that 1348 Ex Voto will follow suit?

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Could It Be a Game of the Year Contender?

Nevertheless, 1348 Ex Voto is set to push the boundaries of medieval storytelling, with the developers revealing that they spent extensive time in rural Italy as research.

Additionally, the combat that Aeta masters is based on HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and was even created using motion capture artists who are trained in the style.

As such, Aeta will be able to choose between two combat styles based on one or two-handed weapons and with skill books located around the map.

She will be able to unlock combos in order to customise her swordplay further.

It is clear that 1348 Ex Voto is inspired by the likes of The Last of Us in terms of storytelling but The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and more recently, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in terms of gameplay.

Nevertheless, our very own Kate Harrold was lucky enough to preview 1348 Ex Voto and called it “another potential AA hit”.

“There’s so much about 1348 Ex Voto that I still don’t know,” her preview reads.

“For example, there’s plenty of mystery surrounding Aeta and Bianca’s predicament, including their relationship to one another, and I’d love to see how the game’s enemies intensify as players progress through the story which will take you from small towns to castles and rural mountainsides.

“Already, however, it’s clear to me that Sedleo has the makings of an exciting game. A promising combat system, stellar voice talent, an intriguing story, and a badass female knight all wrapped up within a cinematically presented package?"

“It’s secured my interest.”

Now, we finally know when 1348 Ex Voto will be released: 12 March for PC and PlayStation 5, following the news that its Xbox Series X/S port has been cancelled, just under 2 months from release.