2022 is already looking to be a big year for games. Several AAA single-player titles are being released over the next couple of months; including Dying Light 2, Elden Ring, and Horizon: Forbidden West.
With solo gamers already being well catered for this year, what then is the next big thing in multiplayer gaming likely to be? The smart money says it could be Nightingale from Inflexion Games, which will (with a pinch of luck and a sprinkling of Fae magic) arrive on PC later this year.
What is Nightingale?
The official website for the game describes Nightingale as “a shared-world survival crafting game, set in an all-new fantasy universe”. Intriguing, right? So with our collective interest piqued, let’s delve a little deeper into the bones of the game. Here’s what we can expect to find in Nightingale.
The game promises a “rich gaslamp Victorian fantasy setting”. Players can indulge in multiplayer or solo traversing through its weird and wonderful landscapes.
You are stranded beyond our world, cut off by the sudden collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophic event has left you – and countless others – fighting to survive in a labyrinth of mysterious and perilous realms.
Prepare for a journey of adventure, danger, and discovery – as you search for a way back to the last haven of humanity, Nightingale.
Inflexion Games
It is being developed by Inflexion Games, which readers may not be familiar with. However, this studio is comprised of former BioWare developers. They are turning their hands to a multiplayer survival crafting game, after dominating the RPG market with some pretty hefty franchises. This includes Mass Effect, DragonAge, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Nightingale Story
The game’s story is set several centuries after the initial meeting of humanity and the Fae. The Fae have taught some of their magic to the humans. In turn, humanity has built portals through which it can travel into the Fae realms.
The epicenter of humanity’s magic is Nightingale, a huge magic-oriented city from which this network of portals has been established. As disaster strikes and the arcane portal network collapses, countless travelers are trapped between worlds. They are forced to fight for their survival in these fearsome and dangerous realms.
Ultimately you will need to find your way back to Nightingale, by repairing the broken portal network. However, this will not be an easy fix. And to have any chance at all of finding your way back home, you will first need to survive the perilous Fae realms.
Gameplay
As you would expect with a shared world survival experience, there is a myriad of crafting and building materials available, countless items to loot, questlines to explore, and alliances to forge in this fantastical sandbox.
You’ll be exploring the world, building shelters, farming, fighting monsters, gathering materials, crafting powerful weapons, talking to the many NPCs that inhabit the Fae realms, and completing their quests.
Player choice in Nightingale
An interesting dynamic that could set this gaming world apart from other survival-based games, is the emphasis on player choice that has been promised by Inflexion. Hardly surprising that a studio comprised of Bioware alumni would integrate an RPG-style action/consequence mechanic into this title.
As with Bioware’s AAA RPGs, there will supposedly be multiple ways to tackle different encounters with beasts and monsters, as well as different ways and means for completing quests. For instance, instead of fighting every monster that crosses your path, it may be possible to negotiate your way out of certain encounters or make offerings to appease them.
It’s certainly an interesting idea to encourage this freedom of choice for players. And, it could be an instrumental tactic to ensure the game’s longevity.
Multiple routes through such encounters could help tailor the experience to the individual. If this is done right, we could see this butterfly effect ripple its way through the whole game. This is an exciting prospect, and it certainly sounds as if player choice and immersion are key factors for the developers.
When to expect Nightingale
There’s no official word as yet about when we can expect Nightingale to be released. The team is optimistic for a 2022 release, but this might not be until much later on in the year.
However, if this preview has tickled your fancy, head over to Nightingale’s official website. Here you can sign up to receive newsletters and details of when the game’s early access will be available.
And of course, we’ll bring you all the latest Nightingale news as and when it becomes available.
