Last week Kalypso teased a mysterious new game that we in our cleverness identified as a sequel to Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms, possibly called "Awakening". Well, we were right on the money, in all ways. Kalypso have now properly announced Shadows: Awakening, the next game in the Heretic Kingdoms series, which they will debut fully at Gamescom. And here's the shocker: it will be free to owners of Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms.
Kalypso is teasing a sequel to Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms, starring Tom Baker!
Divinity: Original Sin II will let you talk to and eat ghosts!
In Shadows Book 2, or Heretic Kingdoms 3, or whatever you want to call it, you play as a demon called the Devourer who has the ability to "absorb the memories and personalities of acquired souls and materialize them as their puppets in the world of mortals", which is the game's rather unique take on the traditional RPG party system. Presumably this is the same Devourer who was the player character in the last game. The action RPG will have real-time combat across two different worlds, and take roughly 40+ hours to complete. It even sounds like it's taken a little from Torment as your character struggles to maintain their own identity.
And as mentioned, anyone who owns Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms on GOG or Steam will get Awakening for free. This is because originally Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms was promised as two "Books", with the second planned to be released later. Well Kalypso and GamesFarm know that gamers have long memories, so they are honouring their promise despite Awakening not coming out until what will be four years after the last game. Everyone else will get both games as a "full and complete experience", which I presume is why Heretic Kingdoms isn't in the title. This isn't the third game in the series as much as it is both complete and improved parts of Heretic Kingdoms 2.
Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms received praise for its gameplay and story but still receives complaints about bugs and crashing, so hopefully Awakening will completely polish everything up on both Books. And most importantly, Tom Baker, fourth and best Doctor Who and voice actor on the likes of Little Britain and Star Wars Rebels, will still be in the game as the narrator.
Here's a list of Shadows: Awakening's features from the press release:
- Extensive Gameplay – 40+ hours for a single playthrough, but with substantial options for replayability.
- Two Worlds – A parallel universe inhabited by ghosts and spirits; seamlessly switch between the Shadow Realm and the mortal plane and witness a gripping storyline in a world full of myths, destinies and legendary creatures.
- Real-Time Tactical Combat – Combine the skills of your various characters to maximize the effects of your devastating skills and spells.
- Unique Party System – multiple characters in one demon, each retaining their own personalities. Internal dialogues, rivalries and communication between the characters enriches the gameplay experience and narrative.
- A plethora of different characters – Choose from 3 heroes, each with their own stories, personal quests and dialogues. Consume the souls of 15 playable characters, each with their own unique skillsets, like Kalig the Bandit King and Evia, Daughter of Fire.
- Synergy System – The complex talent system intuitively combines skills from your characters to create a variety of new gameplay possibilities.
- Challenging Puzzles – Challenging puzzles are scattered throughout the game, from the rustic towns to the deepest dungeons.
- Crafting and Looting System – Expanded crafting and looting system will let you use rewards to configure the ultimate adventurer.
- Fully Voiced – All dialogues are fully narrated, including actors like Tom Baker.
Shadows: Awakening will be revealed fully at Gamescom later this month and will be released in 2018.
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