The announcement ofThe Wayward Realmscame with very little warning. OnceLost Games simply came forward with a trailer and revealed its very first project to the world, setting it on a path toward building a fandom.The Wayward Realmswill be OnceLost’s very first game, making use of in-house expertise developed by working onThe Elder Scrolls.In that way,The Wayward Realmspromises to be an alternate look at classic fantasy RPGs. Although there’s plenty about the game that fans don’t know yet, there’s also a lot of signs thatThe Wayward Realmsis a blend of classic fantasy elements and new ideas introduced by OnceLost.
That story is a little familiar. A few years ago, Obsidian Entertainment did the same thing when it createdPillars of Eternity.It created a game specifically geared toward fans of classic fantasy, reveling in franchise nostalgia rather than trying to make a wholly new and original fantasy world.The Wayward Realmsseems to wear its love of classic fantasy on its sleeve in the same way. Although there’s stilla long road ahead ofThe Wayward Realms, it’s charting a path pretty similar to that ofPillars of Eternity,searching the most foundational elements of fantasy for something new and appealing to a broad fanbase all the same.
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The Rise of Pillars of Eternity
In a way,Pillars of Eternitywas always a risky proposition. The game was more than a revival of classic fantasy; it was specifically designed as a love letter to early RPGs like theIcewind DaleandBaldur’s Gategames. These games had long since aged out of the game industry, which favored first or third-person RPGs overthe isometric perspective thatBaldur’s Gateused. Even so, Obsidian Entertainment was determined to deliver a game inspired by the classics. It ran a Kickstarter to getPillars of Eternityfunded and found more than enough fans of isometric RPGs willing to fund a return to the style.
In the end,Pillars of Eternitywas a huge hit. It received critical acclaim for everything from its dynamic, engaging combat to its expertly crafted characters and storylines. Obsidian Entertainment already had fans thanks toits work on games likeFallout: New Vegas,butPillars of Eternitymade RPGs inseparable from the Obsidian brand.Pillars of Eternityis especially important because it pulled Obsidian out of financial limbo and made it a stable, influential studio again. Obsidian wouldn’t be where it is today withoutPillars of Eternity,especially consideringAvowed,a new RPG set in thePillarsuniverse.
The importance ofPillars of Eternity’s success to Obsidian can’t be understated. At the time,Obsidian was still an independent company. Thanks to Obsidian’s diligent work on all aspects of the game, it was able to produce a title that made it stand out from other indie developers, turning it into a very valuable property. By executing so masterfully on classic RPG elements, polishing them to perfection, and adding enough new ideas to make the old parts feel fresh, Obsidian made a name for itself.
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The Wayward Realms Could Be Next
In a way,The Wayward Realmsis in a similar position toPillars of Eternitywhen it comes to its core concept. OnceLost Games sellsThe Wayward Realmsas a faction-driven fantasy ‘grand RPG’ with a gigantic map to explore. A lot of those elements are thoroughly covered ground in the RPG genre.Dragon Agehas explored factionsin fantasy pretty thoroughly, and it’s hard to compete withThe Elder Scrolls: Skyrimwhen it comes to having a huge map. The game sounds like a combination of quite a few fantasy RPG hallmarks.
That doesn’t mean there’s no way forThe Wayward Realmsto surpassThe Elder Scrollsand its peers, though. On the contrary,The Wayward Realmshas plenty of room to grow. It’s already advertising a mysterious virtual Game Master that will supposedly micromanage the game’s factions and characters to an unprecedented extent based on the player’s actions. Introducing that element of randomness to RPG factions could result in a totally different game experience than traditional faction RPGs where players have a long list of scripted faction responses that they can trigger with various choices.
Also, in the same way thatPillars of Eternitypolished isometric RPG conventions,The Wayward Realmscan deliver by polishing modern RPG conventions.The Wayward Realmssounds like a relatively standard fantasy RPG; what makes it unique is the extent of player freedom. The game sounds like it’ll allow fans to play the game literally almost any way they want.IfThe Wayward Realmscan delivera standard fantasy RPG world with innovative new tools that let players make the world theirs, then OnceLost will have made a unique twist on thoroughly covered ground, just like what Obsidian Entertainment accomplished withPillars of Eternity.
The Wayward Realms is Treading Carefully
OnceLost Games doesn’t seem like it’s revealing a release date forThe Wayward Realmsanytime soon. On the contrary, signs indicate that not even OnceLost knows when to expect the game to be done. That’s a good thing, though. IfThe Wayward Realmsreally aims to double downon so many classic fantasy elements, then it should take its time and ensure those classic experiences are as dynamic and engaging as possible. There’s certainly original ideas inThe Wayward Realms, but it also sounds like there are a lot of standard RPG conventions that OnceLost needs to perfect if it wants the game to stand out.
In general, there’s a lot that the stories ofThe Wayward RealmsandPillars of Eternityhave in common. They’re both ambitious fantasy RPGs rooted in traditional design elements that have the potential to define the future of the studio developing them.Pillars of Eternity’s overwhelming successopened a lot of doors for Obsidian. In the same way,The Wayward Realmsrepresents a chance for OnceLost to make a particular impression on the game industry. The way thatThe Wayward Realmsturns out, and how fans react to OnceLost’s work, will mean a lot for bothThe Wayward Realmsas a brand and for OnceLost as a burgeoning studio that’s eager to prove itself.
The Wayward Realmsis in development.
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