A new free RPG thatâs just hit Steam Early Access is giving us major Dark Souls vibes, and I already want to see more.
Considering Dark Souls has become one of the most influential action RPGs in recent years, itâs no wonder that loads of developers, big and small, have been inspired by it to create their own games.
GreenBeamStudioâs Shards of the Banished is one such title, in which the gameâs aesthetic, story, and gameplay appear to take heavy inspiration from the FromSoftware games. Not that thatâs a bad thing, of course, because in fact it looks really damn good.
Shards of the Banished is described as a âsoulslike action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy worldâ, where you play as a âlone warrior cast into a land consumed by glimmering darkness and the ashes of what was once a prosperous realmâ.
The game emphasises a mix of combat and exploration as you survive brutal encounters with enemies and the environment itself, as you attempt to discover the truth behind your banishment.
Similar to Dark Souls, Shards of the Banished utilises a âstamina-based melee combat systemâ, complete with dodge rolls, parries, and powerful finishers. It also has a skill tree and talisman bonuses to help build your character, emphasising different playstyles for repeat playthroughs.
Shards of the Banished also features tough boss fights and an interconnected world, two features that Souls fans will find intimately familiar. So, it sounds like if youâre just fresh off another Dark Souls trilogy marathon, you might want to give this a try.
GreenBeamStudio is a new game developer composed of students from Futuregames, a game dev and tech school located in Sweden and Poland.
The team has been developing Shards of the Banished using the skills they learned at Futuregames, and from the looks of it, the developer might have a bright future ahead of it. With the game launching into Early Access, itâs likely that the design could change over time as a result of feedback gained during this period.
âWe are a team of students seeking early feedback on our product,â writes GreenBeamStudio on Steam. âYour input is very important to us. For some of us, this is the first game weâve ever released. Some features are not yet complete, and we will continue to develop and improve them during Early Access.â
Shards of the Banished is available to play now on Steam via Early Access, and itâs free to play. Even after the game launches into 1.0, GreenBeamStudio is intending to keep the game free.
This sounds exciting! It’s great to see new RPGs drawing inspiration from classics like Dark Souls. I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds in Early Access.
I completely agree! The challenge and atmospheric storytelling in Dark Souls really set a high bar for RPGs. It will be interesting to see how this new game incorporates those elements while adding its own unique twist.
Absolutely! The way this new RPG incorporates intricate level design and subtle lore hints definitely echoes that Dark Souls magic. Itâll be interesting to see how they expand on these elements as they develop further!
I totally agree! The environmental storytelling really adds depth to the experience. Plus, the combat mechanics seem to have that same challenging feel that keeps players engaged and on their toes. Itâs exciting to see how they balance difficulty with exploration!