Although Bethesda Software is mostly known for large-scale open world games such as the Elder Scrolls Series or Fallout series (past the original two games), the company has been embarking on new territory as of late. It will soon be releasing a free-to-play arcade game based on sword-fighting in gladiator arenas as blood splattering all over the walls.
This game is none other than Battlecry. It take place in a third-person perspective and offers a cartooney art style with nice visual flair. The action is quick, intense and will leave players wanting more. PC World's Hayden Dingman recently got his hands on the title and revealed some aspects of gameplay we can come to expect when it hits retail.
"BattleCry is fast, with little time for thought," Dingman says. "It's cartoony. It's pure arcade silliness."
The story behind the game is also interesting and seems to takes cues from Hollywood movies such as Waterworld and The Road Warrior. It is also an alternative take on history. Humanity apparently has outlawed guns in this alternative world due to The Great War taking place. Due to this, humans came up with a deadlier take on medieval weaponry that act both as sword and shield simultaneously.
The game's focus will be multiplayer action and it will remain how its economy or micro transactions will work, since it will be a free-to-play title. It will also be class-based, so players will be able to pick from brawlers such as arrow-shooting Archers, tool-wielding Gadgeteers, Enforcers or other more melee-focused classes. There will also be two sides to pick form and they include the Royal Warrior and Cossack Empire factions.
IGN has also demoed the upcoming game and noted some interesting things we can come to expect such as the ability to salute our comrades or enemies.
"Battlecry's sportsmanship-encouraging mechanics at work, and they are perhaps the game's best idea so far," says IGN's Ryan Mccaffrey. "At the end of each match, you can run in front of friends and foes alike, where you can press a key to salute them or give them a medal (you only get one per match, so these should feel somewhat special)."
There will be a benefit of saluting and accepting a solute in the form of the game's iron (which presumably will be sued as currency for weapon upgrades).
Another interesting aspect of the game will be an adrenaline meter. It will be generated by hitting opponents with well-placed attacks. The adrenaline can be then unleashed in short bursts for more powerful attacks.
Teamwork will also be key as Mccaffrey points out, "If you're outnumbered, odds are you're going to perish." To anyone familiar with modern squad-based games, such as Team Fortress 2, this shouldn't be news. The best teams will have players that have classes that balance each other well and who work together well.
Battlecry is still in an early phase of development and we can expect it sometime in 2015 as PC World explained it is at least still six months away from entering beta.
