Summary
Right from its opening momentsImmortals of Aveummakes it clear that it’s not a typical fantasy game. From character dialogue that feels more like something from MCU thanLord of the Ringsto its FPS-influenced magical combat, Ascendant Studios’ fantasy shooter isn’t afraid to break away from standard fantasy fare. This willingness to challenge the tropes of the genre extends to the game’s characters, with the titular Order of Immortals’ leader General Kirkan often blurring the boundaries between the good guys and the villains.
Played by actress Gina Torres, whose voice gamers may recognize from her role as Ikora in theDestinygames, General Kirkan is one of the most complexcharacters inImmortals of Aveum. The leader of the Order of Immortals, a group of warrior wizards tasked with defending the kingdom of Lucium, General Kirkan is a distinguished veteran of the ongoing Everwar that has devastated much of Aveum. Despite fighting for what is ostensibly a righteous cause, though, Kirkan’s determination to conquer her foes at any cost repeatedly calls her position as a “good guy” into question throughout the game.
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Immortals of Aveum’s General Kirkan is a Ruthless But Effective Leader
Players’ early encounters with General Kirkan immediately reveal just how cold and calculating her countless years of combat have made her. Cornering protagonist Jak with her soldiers near what was once his home in the bridge city of Seren, Kirkan explains thatJak is an Unforeseen, a human who suddenly and inexplicably exhibits an immense amount of magical power, and attempts to recruit him. Shortly thereafter, while guiding Jak through a training course to familiarize him with his new powers, she doesn’t mince words as she lets Jak know that she would have killed him without hesitation had he not joined her and the Immortals.
As Jak comes to learn more about the Order of Immortals and thehistory of the Everwarthey’ve fought in for centuries, the extent of Kirkan’s determination to win at any cost slowly becomes more apparent. Through lore entries and conversations with other members of the Immortals, players discover that Kirkan has no qualms with letting soldiers and civilians alike lose their lives if it means she can take down the armies of Rasharn and antagonist Sandrakk once and for all. Even then, it isn’t until the latter part of the story that the true cost of her unyielding campaign to take down antagonist Sandrakk is brought into focus.
Story spoilers ahead for Immortals of Aveum
General Kirkan’s Lust for Victory Comes With An Unthinkable Price
Having discovered that Sandrakk previously served as an Immortal under General Kirkan, Jak begins to uncover more about the villain’s past with the order. Digging deeper into what led his fellowTriarch Magusto abandon the forces of Lucium, Jak encounters another former Immortal who sheds light on the lengths Kirkan was willing to go to in order to win the Everwar. Not content with using military might to bring down Rasharn, Kirkan had spearheaded an unthinkable attack against the entire kingdom.
By manipulatingAveum’s mystical leylinesyears before, General Kirkan had cut off access to magic throughout Rasharn. Though done with hopes of expediently ending the Everwar, this attack against an entire populace wholly reliant on magic for all aspects of life was arguably a war crime. Kirkan’s willingness to unleash widespread chaos with no thought of the consequences is further reinforced inImmortals of Aveum’s last act when she agrees to help Sandrakk kill the Pentacade, the source of all magic in Aveum, in a last-ditch attempt to save the world. It’s only when fellow Immortal Zendara refuses her orders, siding with Jak instead, that this suicidal scheme is stopped.
While General Kirkan sees herself as a loyal warrior for Lucium, her morally dubious actions inImmortals of Aveumreveal a leader who lost sight of right and wrong somewhere along the way. By pursuing victory at any cost, Kirkan ultimately becomes nothing more than a different shade of the darkness she spent so long fighting against.
Immortals of Aveumis available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
