Following the surprise announcement of action role-playing game Wolcen 2, the developer has released its first full gameplay demo. In this thirty-minute video, Technical Director Adrian and Lead Narrative Designer Matt walk through an early version of the game, discussing the story, combat system, and key mechanics along the way.
The events of Wolcen 2 will take place at least ten years after the end of the first part. The protagonist will be a new character nicknamed Warlord, although the developer has confirmed the return of some familiar characters. In particular, at the end of the demo mission, the heroes found Valeria in Watson: Lord of Chaos. The game world has changed over the years, and most of the factions that were prominent in the first installment have lost influence. The exception is the Abyssal forces, whose followers continue to pose a serious threat.
One of the major changes was the transition to Unreal Engine 5, with the first part using CryEngine. The developers intend to maintain their own visual style and avoid the feel of another “typical game on Unreal Engine 5” while ensuring the game runs on relatively weak hardware. The team specified NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or equivalent graphics cards as the estimated minimum performance level. In 2027, Early Access will begin on PC only, but Wolcen 2 is also planned to release on consoles before its full release.
Like the first game, Wolcen 2 will be a genre-less action RPG. Players do not choose a class at the beginning of the game, their play style is determined by the equipment and skills they use. Developers have demonstrated the ability to combine different types of weapons, including swords and pistols, and the weapons in each hand can be operated independently. Additionally, skills can be modified using the mastery system, changing their properties and adapting them to the chosen build.
The combat system will include elements that require precise execution of actions. For example, certain abilities have additional effects when used at the right time. The author wanted to combine the dynamic combat familiar to this genre with the need to consider timing and tactical abilities. Additionally, opponents will have access to elite versions with additional abilities.
Another important mechanic is the protagonist’s shadow form, related to Moros, the god of shadows. Unlike the similarly apocalyptic format of the first game, the new abilities are built around the concepts of risk and reward. Using the power of shadows makes a character more dangerous, but also attracts invisible threats, so remaining in this form for long periods of time can be dangerous.
The developers are also promising a new mission system with more diverse objectives, hidden missions, and secret objectives to motivate players to explore the world.
As for multiplayer, Wolcen Studio plans to forgo connections to its own servers – for joint play, and plans to use P2P connections, which should make it relatively easy to team up with friends.
