Beamdog is a Canadian game developer that has made its name with publishing a bevy of enhanced, longtime favorite role-playing games. You may have heard of the Enhanced Editions of beloved classics like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment. Beamdog published both (not without some issues, however). However, it has dabbled in development. It created the Baldur’s Gate expansion, Siege of Dragonspear, which released in 2016. However, the company is stepping away from the RPG genre with its next in-house created project. MythForce, a game inspired by your dad’s favorite cartoons, has been in the works, and is heading to Early Access next week.
I’m not completely sold on the name, but I do love the premise. As a fan of “old person” cartoons, like the original Thundercats and Masters of the Universe, MythForce speaks to me. The game is embracing the campy, color-saturated cartoons of the 1980s, reworking the themes and art style into that of a dungeon-crawling, roguelike RPG.
MythForce is clearly channeling He-Man and the Masters of the Universe most of all. Sorry, fans of The Centurions. All 12 of you. The various heroes seen in the trailer are certainly inspired by the classic show. The enemies do as well, as one looks like the cousin of Beast Man, while the big bad is akin to a pre-skull-faced Skeletor.
Fighting with the power of fists
MythForce is a first-person dungeon crawler, but you don’t delve into the darkness alone. You can play the game co-op with up to four people in a party. The game comes with four characters, representing your typical RPG classes: Knight, Mage, Rogue, and Hunter.
The Early Access version of MythForce includes its first episode: Bastion of the Beastlord. It’ll give you a chance to check the game out, level up, and try out the perks of each class. You’ll be able to try the game out when it launches into Early Access on the Epic Games Store on April 20. More episodes will go live over time.
“I’m beyond excited to finally show off our team’s original work,” said Trent Oster, CEO of Beamdog. “MythForce is pure, unadulterated fun— right out of the Saturday mornings of my childhood. With a simple yet satisfying game loop, it’s a big departure from the RPG classics we’re known for, but the Beamdog DNA is evident if you know where to look.”
Just after the MythForce announcement, Beamdog revealed it was acquired by Aspyr Media. The Saber Interactive subsidiary is also owned by Embracer Group, which has spent over $8 billion USD on companies like Gearbox Software and THQ Nordic.
Published: Apr 13, 2022 03:30 pm