Former Piranha Bytes veterans unveil their new dungeon crawler, and it's tripping my Arx Fatalis alarms in all the right ways

Cralon – Announcement Trailer (English) – YouTube
Cralon - Announcement Trailer (English) - YouTube

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Again in July 2024, former Piranha Bytes inventive director Björn Pankratz and his spouse, recreation designer Jennifer Pankratz, launched a brand new indie outfit referred to as Pithead Studio, which they mentioned would allow them to “hold doing what we love.” At the moment we acquired our first take a look at what that’s, and I’m—with all acceptable warning engaged—very excited.

Cralon is “an genuine 3D dungeon crawler with RPG and journey components” a few demon hunter who falls into an previous mine and should discover his approach out—which, in the way in which of these items, means going deeper. Naturally, there’s some unhealthy stuff hiding within the depths of the delve, and you are going to should get that sorted, with some assist from “the creatures of the shaft,” earlier than you make your escape.

At the moment’s announcement trailer gave me a right away and highly effective sense of Arx Fatalis, and certain sufficient, Pithead mentioned its new undertaking is impressed by Arkane’s traditional dungeon crawler, in addition to Ultima Underworld—which is sensible as a result of Arx Fatalis is principally Underworld with out the license. Particulars apart, I’m extraordinarily excited by the prospect as a result of the one videogame I would like greater than a brand new Arx Fatalis is—perhaps—a brand new Ultima Underworld. (No, Underworld Ascendant doesn’t depend.)

My warning relating to the undertaking stems from the truth that it is nonetheless very early within the course of and issues can change, and in addition as a result of Piranha Bytes’ earlier RPGs—Gothic, Risen, Elex—have tended to be just a little, properly, janky. That is not essentially a foul factor—judiciously-applied jank can add actual character to a recreation—and, once more, this isn’t Piranha Bytes, simply a few its former high folks making video games that appear to be the type of factor Piranha Bytes used to make. So, truthful or not, there is no overlooking the connection.

However the upside about every part being in such a preliminary state is that I haven’t got to care about any of that proper now. Pithead is making a recreation that very forcefully journeys my Arx alarms, and I’m 100% on board. I will fear in regards to the particulars later, when there are precise particulars to fret about.

Cralon would not have a launch goal at this level, but it surely’s obtainable for wishlisting now on Steam and the Epic Video games Retailer. Take a look at some early screenshots down beneath.

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