14 DAY TRIAL // Shadow Realms is the major new project in development at BioWare, and the development team for the game says that initial reports that the title will be confined to the PC have been mistaken and that the company is actively considering launching the game on other platforms, although at a later date.
Jeff Hickman, the leader of the entire team working on the new title, tells Eurogamer that “There is nothing that we're doing that would exclude this game from going on console but right now we're focused on the PC - it's the tip of our spear. It will be released on PC first, there's nothing that says it can't come to console later. We're making sure when we're building it that we're not excluding ourselves from that opportunity.”
Shadow Realms has been in development for more than 18 months now, and there are between 80 and 150 people working on it, which underlines how important BioWare believes the new experience to be for its future.
The title was only officially revealed during Gamescom 2014, but the studio says it wants to finish core development on the main features as soon as possible in order to then focus on testing them and on asking for feedback from the community.
Shadow Realms is a four versus one title played from a third-person view, which blends both action and role-playing sequences.
BioWare is aiming to deliver very strong story elements and says that there are a lot of moments when the gamer is alone and will be able to find out more about the world around him and his role in it.
Hickman adds, “We control the story and give you that feeling of 'this is my place, this is my world, this is my story', and that story will often lead you into these Shadowlord four-versus-one moments. And sometimes you'll be on a story that other people will be on, and sometimes you'll be on the story alone - there will just be other people there.”
The combat in Shadow Realms aims to be fast, fluid and based on impressive individual modes, and four gamers will need to work together in order to make sure that they overcome the threats coming from both the environments and the fifth player, who can control traps and monsters.
At the moment, the new BioWare title does not have an official launch window and is only confirmed for the PC.