Independent game developer Ironheart has announced their freshman offering, The Wayward Isles, projected for a 2018 PC release. Wayward Isles has also announced that a Kickstarter campaign will be run later in 2017 (after there is more of the game to show) and that there is a possibility of the game being ported to consoles at some point.
An action/adventure game, The Wayward Isles is set to offer plenty of exploration possibilities and have a strong narrative focus. According to the websites, gamers will play as Scyld, an old man returning from exile to take care of some unfinished business. Interactivity with NPCs will be a major part of the gameplay and dictates how the player makes progress, though there will be multiple paths through the game.
Drawing heavily from Scandinavian myth and specifically inspired by the Orkney Islands located off the northern coast of Scotland, the game promises an immersive, interactive experience, written by industry veteran Lee Williams, who is also the designer for the game and provides some of the music. Scandinavian folklore heavily features creatures such as Trolls, water spirits known as Nacken, Nisse, and Dwarves, so it will be interesting to see which creatures and legends the game decides to focus on.
A teaser trailer for the game was also released, featuring some concept art and the first look at Scyld and what appears to be the Wayward Isles themselves
The UK-based team behind the The Wayward Isles at Ironheart is composed of industry professionals, including Gerhard Botha, the engine and code developer, artist Peter Hurman, composer Tony Manfredonia and 3D artist Will Pritchard. The Wayward Isles will be their first game as a collaboration team. The game is being developed on the Covert Engine, an engine that is not yet commercially available.
In addition to the website, Wayward Isles has been set up with both a Twitter and an Instagram account for those eager to see more behind the scenes art and take a look at the development process.
