Last Epoch Adds the Runemaster Class Featured in Gamescom 2023 Trailer
Aug. 25, 2023Last Epoch adds yet another mastery class to its roster, this time one that plays with runes and elements like Dota’s Invoker.
Fans of ARPGs have it quite good recently. Some may herald the times now as a “Golden Age” of the genre, with the release of the excellentDiablo IV, the upcomingPath of Exile 2, and the recent announcement ofTitan Quest 2. But these games are already tried and tested franchises that have tons of fans.
Developer Eleventh Hour Games is one to watch, as they are trying to shake things up with their upcoming entry, Last Epoch.
Last Epoch is an ARPG at its very core – it contains all of the elements that you would expect of the genre. Satisfying combat, customizable classes, tons of enemies, and showers of loot are just some of the things that it has, and it does it well. However, the developers are trying to make this the best product that they can.
For example, each and every skill in Last Epoch actually has its own extensive skill tree. That means that a simple fireball can be changed in so many different ways, such as increasing radius, damage, or reducing mana costs. However, you can also select key nodes that change the spell’s functionality. You can make it so that one cast of fireball will launch a volley instead. Or you can make it so that the fireballs slowly seek out their targets. Even further you can turn the spell into a barrage, greatly increasing the attack speed at the cost of overall range.
What makes creating builds fun is that you can not realistically expect to select all these upgrades due to the limited number of skill points each skill has. Theorycrafters can rejoice, as there are over a hundred different skills divided across each of the game’s 15 classes.
During the Gamescom conference, the CEO of Eleventh Hour Games Judd Cobler took to the stage to promote the game as well as reveal the next Mastery Class being implemented into the game – the Runemaster. Last Epoch has 5 base classes (Mage, Primalist, Acolyte, Rogue, and Sentinel) that can later on “ascend” to one of three mastery classes, giving you access to more skills and passives to invest in.
The Runemaster is a Mastery Class of the Mage Basic Class. Runemasters are unique in the sense that players can theoretically cast 40 different spells with one button press, provided that you know the correct Rune combination. The class plays somewhat similarly to DotA’s Invoker that you need to prepare different Runes to activate into a specific spell.
For example, casting fire spells will grant you fire runes. Ice spells, ice runes, and so forth. When you invoke these runes, a different effect will happen depending on your active rune combination. It may seem very overwhelming at first (Invoker players will know), but the developers will try easing players in by giving them only access to two rune slots at a time.
The 40 different spell effects that can be invoked are also split into the usual offensive, defensive, and utility categories. Mastering the Runemaster looks to be a lot of fun, as it initially seems like a very complex class.
Last Epoch is definitely a game to watch. Be sure to check out our10 Reasons Why to be Excited for Last Epoch, as we talk about the various unique systems in depth here. Some highlights would be the game’s extensive and deterministic crafting system which makes literally all loot useful, fully customizable loot filters that can hide or highlight items of various criteria, as well as the time-traveling feature that isn’t a gimmick in the slightest.
The game is constantly being worked on by some passionate developers (including Cobler, who had no prior game dev experience before founding Eleventh Hour Games). One of this year’s major patches, Convergence,added multiplayerinto the mix. There’s tons more coming, including an in-depth trading system, and more.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
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