Scalebound: A New Action RPG

Aug. 10, 2015

Scalebound: A New Action RPG

In a departure from Kamiya’s past games, Scalebound’s setting is a fantasy world called Draconis where players play as the character Drew who is accompanied by an AI dragon named Thuban. Thuban is designed to be very independent although the player will be able to issue commands and eventually mount Thuban. Much of the focus on Thuban’s AI has been in making him reactive in interesting and helpful ways that will make him an asset, despite his unpredictable nature. The bond between Drew and Thuban will be prominent: If one dies in combat, so does the other. That tethering of the life meter coupled with the independence of Thuban has the potential to create some powerful emotional moments. Abilities can be customized and there are a variety of melee and ranged weapons at the player’s disposal. In a Dragon’s Dogma like fashion, players will be able to climb on larger creatures to perform more focused attacks. Four player co-op mode is also a notable and exciting inclusion. The world of Draconis is huge and lush with flora and fauna, and seems an ideal environment for multiplayer exploration and questing.

In interview after interview, the developers have stated that the relationship between Drew and Thuban will be paramount, and the game can be looked at as having two lead roles. The relationship between the two characters will deepen over time, with game mechanics reinforcing that. The omnipresence of Thuban at Drew’s side will hopefully encourage the player to develop a connection to the game and make choices consistent with those feelings. There is a lot of ambition here, especially in the realm of theory vs. practice, and regardless of the outcome, the effort is to be commended. Scalebound is definitely a title to keep an eye on. If your interest still isn’t piqued, dine on this awesome trailer:

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Emergence

Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.

I watched the Gamescom video for it and I can’t help but think it’s like Dark Souls for the Beats generation. I’d love to be proved wrong but at the minute, I’m not convinced it’ll rise above a solid “meh”.