Popular tabletop RPG Pathfinder has enraptured players for almost a decade, and a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund a video game based on the original has fans clamoring for more.
The fantasy game—a cousin to Dungeons & Dragons—has been a staple of tabletop gamers’ Saturday nights for years, so having a video game based on the world of Pathfinder is thrilling. The trailer promises a rich world full of familiar characters from the original game, and the ability to shape the kingdom based on your play style.
The idea for the “isometric single-player RPG” titled Pathfinder: Kingmaker came to the people at Owlcat Games as they “were frantically playing games like Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale,[and] it became our dream to make a story-driven single-player computer RPG,” according to the studio’s website.
The first CRPG in the Pathfinder universe boasts a companion focused story with the ability to customize your character, build towns and cities and journey across lands roiling with monsters and magic. Each in-game decision made will affect the outcome of the game, an enticing lure for many gamers, particularly those who already enjoy games like Baulder’s Gate or Fallout.
The choice to be a morally upstanding citizen or a malicious villain is enticing, if only for the game’s replayability. It is an alluring draw to offer gameplay that will turn out completely different on your second, third, or even fourth playthrough, all based on the decisions you make in-game.
The game will not feature any multiplayer options, and the creators are focused on a PC release, so no console options will be available. They have noted, however, that they are considering a release on consoles and tablets as a next step for the game.
For now, there is plenty to be excited about—with at least a tiny grain of salt. While lots of games get their start on Kickstarter, there have been a few notorious incidents where developers get in over their heads and fail to deliver on time, or even at all. That being said, Owlcat Games seems like it has a solid plan, and we’re rooting for the studio to have good luck in avoiding development pitfalls.
The Pathfinder: Kingmaker Kickstarter page reached its funding goal on June 23, but as more contributions filter in, the studio is teasing at stretch goals like a new playable character-type. The campaign still has 14 days to go, so a number of these stretch goals have the potential to be reached.
The game is set to be released in the summer of 2018, so we still have some time to wait. Even if you can’t afford to contribute now, this game is worth keeping an eye on. It comes from seasoned developers with a real passion for making a game true to its origin, but completely new.
H/T Kotaku
