14 DAY TRIAL // Late last week there was a rumor going around that Brian Fargo’s InXile development studio could be working to bring another major RPG title to the fans of this genre.
Everything started with a mysterious backer note released by Torment: Tides of Numenera Project Lead Chris Keenan, in which he says bluntly he is already thinking at another game project that has yet to be announced.
Even though many fans have demanded more details on the yet-undisclosed project, Keenan was even more teasing and said that the game in question is “another RPG that has been passionately demanded of us for a while now.”
He also said that work was already in the early stages and that more details would be unveiled by the end of the year. Well, that sparked the imagination of many RPG fans and the final verdict was that InXile could only work on a sequel to The Bard’s Tale or even a new installment in the Baldur’s Gate saga.
Other fans have gone a long way as to mention titles like Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura as the next game for InXile.
But the most obvious choice would definitely be a sequel to the The Bard’s Tale, one of the most beloved RPG titles developed by Brian Fargo’s InXile.
As much as we hate disappointing RPG addicts and especially The Bard’s Tale fans, it looks like InXile has something else in mind. As in there’s a high chance that the studio might not work on any of the titles mentioned earlier.
As per RPG Codex findings, InXile has trademarked the “Meantime” and “Van Buren” names in mid-November. Both applications suggest that these will be games released by InXile at some point.
The applications were filed by a company owned by Brain Fargo, which is the same that trademarked the Torment name back in 2012, so it can’t be a coincidence.
"Meantime" is a canceled project focusing on time traveling in Wasteland's universe
Of the two, Meantime seems to be the RPG title that Keenan was referring to. This is a game that Interplay was working on back in the ‘80s and it should have been a follow-up to Wasteland.
Meantime was set in the same post-apocalyptic universe as Wasteland, but in which players would be able to travel through time and recruit historical figures in the party. Names like Cyrano de Bergerac and Amelia Earhart have been mentioned as recruitable NPCs.
Each of these famous figures would have their own unique skills that would allow players to attune their party to a certain play style. Unfortunately, Brian Fargo halted the development at some point and Meantime never made it to market.
Given the plot and premise of the game, I would very much like to see InXile finally bring Meantime to RPG fans. Wouldn’t you agree?
