Avalanche Studios, best known for its work on the Just Cause series, is reportedly working on a new fantasy title called Ravenbound: Tales of Avalt. Although unconfirmed by anyone at Avalanche, the news came via leaks that suggest the game will combine Roguelike elements with the open worlds the studio has become known for.
It had previously been announced at Xbox's June 2021 that Avalanche was working in partnership with Xbox Game Studios on a new open-world co-op game called Contraband. Although not much is known about Contraband, the trailer and announcement confirmed that it will focus on smuggling in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan, and will feature an open world similar to those seen in the studio's other titles, such as Just Cause, Rage, and the Easter egg-filled Mad Max game.
It now appears as if Avalanche has been working on another huge project at the same time: a medieval fantasy open-world title called Ravenbound: Tales of Avalt. The news came from a leak by Shaun Weber (via. Exputer) that stated that Ravenbound had been worked on under the codename Jackdaw and would see players taking control of one of three types of “Vessel of the Raven” tasked with freeing the lands of Avalt from invaders. Weber's leaks also revealed some information about gameplay mechanics, with the "Vessels" able to transform into ravens to scout the lands from above and plan their attacks in the same way players were able to take control of eagles in the recent Assassin's Creed titles.
Much like players would expect from Roguelike games along the lines of Hades, Ravenbound: Tales of Avalt will apparently have permadeath, with players having to start a new game with a new vessel each time they're defeated. Although mechanics like permadeath aren't new in the world of gaming, they have become popular again as of late in games such as Hades for their added challenge, and the sense of accomplishment players get when finally completing the game. Permadeath would make Ravenbound's raven mode scouting essential, as players would have to plan their attack in advance to ensure the greatest chance of survival.
Although Shaun Weber's leaks are currently unconfirmed by Avalanche Studios, they have begun to catch attention. Applying the Roguelike genre of gameplay and storytelling to the massive open worlds the studio is known for could create a challenging yet immersive experience if the rumors surrounding Ravenbound: Tales of Avalt turn out to be true.
Sources: Shaun Weber/Twitter (via. Exputer)
Avalanche Studios, the developer behind Just Cause and Mad Max, could be working on a new fantasy roguelike game according to a new leak.Glenn Bunn