In the 80’s many of us had the pleasure of playing Ultima IV on the C64, it was arguably one of the best RPG’s ever released which featured a top down playing field with lush landscapes, dungeons to explore, characters to traverse with and many enemies to fight. So now as a complete surprise to us, High North Studios AS together with Raw Fury, have announced the release of Skald: Against the Black Priory: A game in which GOG says “is inspired by roleplaying games of yesteryear, combining modern design and compelling storytelling with authentic 8-bit looks and charms.”
SKALD: Against the Black Priory is a classic, turn-based RPG. It’s set in a dark and gritty fantasy universe: full of tragic heroes, violent deaths and eldritch horror. If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, the game is not only dark and deadly, but it has an immersive plot, inspired by legendary titles such as Ultima and the gold box series, and allows you to control and lead a party of up to six characters on an epic and perilous quest!
And in full here’s the latest from the GOG and Steam Page. “Set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror, in SKALD: Against the Black Priory, choices matter as players explore an engaging storyline mixed with crunchy tactical, turn-based combat and character customization. Inspired by iconic retro RPG titles, in SKALD: Against the Black Priory players explore the thrilling expanse of Freymark and the Outer Isles to uncover the grand schemes of the Gallian Empire. Players will experience an unforgettable story filled with unexpected twists and turns, with a unique mesh of modern storytelling and classic RPG elements, that will seem familiar and yet innovative to RPG fans, old and new.
Players will experience key features including:
Equipping their heroes using a modern inventory system, fulfilling objectives through quest logs, and reading journals to discover hidden secrets.
Unique visuals built from thousands of hand-drawn tiles and images inspired by the legendary Commodore 64 computer, with an optional CRT filter to allow for a true retro gameplay experience.
Fighting their way to Level 20 by choosing a character, selecting their stats and building out a party from a series of diverse allies, each with their own skill-set, agenda and personality. Players will meet and recruit fully fleshed out pre-made characters with unique backstories and handcrafted interactions, as well as have options to fill their party: either with ‘mercenaries,’ blank characters that they can build from the ground up to their exact specifications or mix and match as they go. Players can also decide to travel on their own.
Deciding between a dozen classes and backgrounds, customizing spells and equipment in order to prepare for the journey ahead and uncovering the schemes of the Gallian Empire while exploring the vast expanse of Freymark and the Outer Isles.
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