The Bard's Tale IV Kickstarter Campaign Launched
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The Kickstarter campaign for The Bard's Tale IV from inXile has just launched, with the expected starting funding goal of $1,250,000. The Kickstarter video includes a little bit of footage of a prototype of the game, built on top of Unreal Engine 4, the engine inXile is planning to use for the title, while the actual Kickstarter page includes some concept art, screenshots and text that elaborates on the core ideas for the game.
Apparently, the game will be using a phase-based party-based combat system, and the bard will be a pivotal member of the party that will influence your outcome in battle with its music. Choices and consequences, and physical interactivity with the environments and items are also promised:
- A single-player, party-based dungeon crawl, rich in exploration and combat
- Dungeons filled not just with dangerous fights but with challenging puzzles and devious riddles
- Dynamic phase-based combat, where the pace of battle is animated and fluid, but still gives you time to think and respond to your enemies
- A game set to beautiful Gaelic music, where the Bard's songs and melodies affect gameplay Co-funded by fans and inXile: if this game hits its $1.25 million goal, inXile will put in at least $1.25 million of its own money to double the initial budget!
- Built using Unreal Engine 4, for PC, Mac and Linux. Available from Steam or DRM-Free from GOG.com
- Available in English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Polish
- Built for and with the help of our fans. Your feedback and input directly impact the design and features of the game during alpha and beta stages
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The eponymous Bard is of course returning. The Bard is an important member of each party, with magical songs empowering the group in combat or providing a helping hand while exploring and solving puzzles. Your band of adventurers will be influenced throughout the game by the Bard's music. By playing the Rhyme of Duotime, your party will regenerate spell points at increased speed. Switching to The Archer's Tune will greatly increase your party's missile damage. Just make sure your bard is well stocked with ale...so his throat doesn't dry out.
We are also bringing back many popular races like humans, elves, dwarves, half-orcs, and including some newly inspired races like the Trow. The races all have their own unique culture and history, integrating your choices more into the game's narrative. The world and citizens of The Bard's Tale IV react to your party's make-up, branching the quest structure and providing a unique experience depending on who is joining you.
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You know us as lovers of reactivity, choice, and consequence in our games, and naturally The Bard's Tale IV is no different. Your actions in and around Skara Brae can change the town forever! As you make choices and complete your quests, other local bards will sing songs of your exploits, which may change the attitude of noblemen, modify the friendliness of merchants, or unlock previously inaccessible buildings. Quests are either offered or revoked based on your influence in the world, so you must choose them wisely.
The sense of discovery and mystery doesn't stop with the environment. Many items hold their own secrets that you'll need to discover by carefully examining them. Similar to the intriguing video game series The Room, by thoroughly studying special objects, you can unlock ways to enhance or modify their properties. After looting a chest, for instance, you might find a dagger with suspicious holes dotting the blade. After examining it closer and rotating two oddly shaped discs on the hilt of your newly found weapon, a small compartment opens revealing a clock-like dial. Twisting this dial properly and locking it into place, you notice a viscous poison dripping from the blade which will add additional damage to each attack.
The backer tiers for the project range from a $27 for a digital copy of the game ($20 for the early bird limited copies) all the way to a $10,000 tier for the most affluent backers, who'll get the chance to have their own faces modeled into the game. Some of the rewards include a guidebook, a strategy guide, novellas, the artbook for the game, the soundtrack for the game, and more or less everything that is customary for this type of Kickstarter at this point.
As you might expect, we'll keep you updated on the progress of this Kickstarter campaign. No doubt we'll learn more about the game with the updates to come.
