Chris InglisNext up on our Summer Game Fest coverage is Witchfire by independent game studio The Astronauts. The early access launch date was revealed for their upcoming dark fantasy roguelite first-person shooter with a spellbinding new gameplay trailer. This confirmed the first-person shooter will launch into early access on September 20, 2023, exclusively on the Epic Games Store.
From the creative leads behind Painkiller and Bulletstorm, Witchfire is a first-person shooter set in a grimdark fantasy world in which a deadly war rages between powerful witches and the Church. In this alternate reality, witches are very real and very dangerous— but so is the witch hunter, also known as a preyer. Armed by Vatican sorcerers, players wield an ungodly array of guns and forbidden magic as they combat dark terrors on behalf of their shadowy benefactors.
Like The Astronauts’ previous title (The Vanishing of Ethan Carter), Witchfire uses photogrammetry technology to achieve stunning visuals and a grim, immersive dark fantasy world. Your mission is to find the infamous witch of the Black Sea, destroy the phantom army that protects her, and retrieve a mysterious artifact that can finally turn the tide of war.
In an interview with Epic Games News, Adrian Chmielarz, Creative Director and Co-Founder of The Astronauts said: “The thing that excites me the most in video games is the idea of experiencing different worlds. To be a space pirate, a detective with supernatural powers, or a Church’s witch hunter. It doesn’t matter to me if the game is focused on the story or on the mechanics— I need its world to feel like a real place. So even though Witchfire is obviously a shooter first, we invest a lot in its world and lore. I believe this enhances the experience even for the people who claim they don’t care about the stories in games at all.”
Chmielarz confirmed that, although there is extensive lore and backstory to Witchfire, the team’s main focus for the Early Access launch is to present a polished and atmospheric gameplay experience, with further story features getting added as the game approaches full release. Players interested in Witchfire lore can read Chmielarz’s short story set in the world of Witchfire: The Preyer.
Witchfire releases in early access on September 20, 2023, on the Epic Games Store and for more information, head over to the official website.
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