Arriving July 20 on PS5, Immortals of Aveum takes the fast-paced FPS action of military shooters and mixes it with spellbinding fantasy elements.
This new IP from Ascendant Studios focuses on a lore-rich single-player campaign where you play as Jak, an orphan-turned-battle-mage Magnus, who strives to save his home Lucium from the tyrannical forces of Rasharn, a superpower seeking to control all the magic through Aveum.
Spell Casting Colors
At first, you will be exposed to three colors of magic that power your primary strikes: blue magic, red magic, and green magic.
Blue Magic powers the Shrikebolt attack – effective at long range and good at dealing critical hits to enemy weak points. This was one of my favorite attacks, as leveling enemies from afar felt a lot like deploying the precision of a sniper rifle.
Red Magic powers the Breachfire attack – wide bursts of sorcery that deal high damage at close range. Think shotgun energy blasts that work best against huddled enemies.
Green Magic powers the Stormshards attack – a spell that launches homing projectiles and is best used at medium range against fast moving targets. This spell worked well for sprinkling the opposition on the go.
Hitting isn’t the only category of spells these colors allow, there are also Control, Augment, Fury, and Dominate spells that offer a wide arsenal of ways to manipulate and defeat your opponent.
Magic in the details
From the gradient oranges that fill the sunny horizons of Yltheum to the worn and weathered design of Jak’s Sigil – a device equipped to shape your magical spells, much like a wizard’s wand – the world is carefully crafted for true immersion in the vast tradition.
You can get lost exploring the reaches of Aveum to find hidden areas that hold puzzles, currency, and even some of the best gear to aid you on your journey, or get caught up in the furious grip of a huge Howler, a flying beast of war whose dragon skin and aura are on full display as they rip you off in their wrath.
UI encourages frenetic gameplay
Immortals of Aveum’s user interface design contributes to the overall immersion of the game. Menu navigation is simple, as the most relevant information is easily accessible without overwhelming the player with excessive screen clutter .
Although there are over 25 spells and 80 talents to unlock or upgrade in the game, the tasks of upgrading gear and acquiring talents felt intuitive.
Ascendant Studios made the choice to skip the traditional FPS weapon wheel, instead creating the Fury Spell board signified by a compact symbol in the lower right corner of the screen.
“We really wanted to focus on the frenetic gameplay…a lot of times when you implement a wheel you have to think about slowing things down, it creates a tactical moment which is cool but it also very obviously sets a pace and takes you out of the game. We consciously decided not to,” said Jim Ingraham, Lead UI Artist at Ascendant Studios.
Immortals of Aveum presents itself as an original and compelling entry into the pantheon of first-person shooters. Keep your spellbooks handy for launch July 20 on PlayStation 5.
