Immortal: Unchained Comes Straight out of Sweden and into PSX 2017
Revealed at Gamescom 2017, Immortal: Unchained is a sci-fi action game developed by Toadman Interactive and published by Sold Out. The game recently entered its Alpha stage of development, and the only reason I know this is because I was told just before trying the demo at PSX 2017. This was the first ever public showcase of the game, and it managed to pique my interest.
What I experienced first-hand with Immortal: Unchained was a beautiful, semi-open world environment set on a mysterious planet. Now, I love me some third-person action games, but I’m used to fantasy RPGs. Immortal: Unchained quickly began filling a void left by the lack of good third-person sci-fi titles in recent memory. I was even more excited when I learned it was inspired by Dark Souls. The on-site presenter at PSX 2017 informed me that the developers behind this project purposefully sought to create the sci-fi version of Dark Souls, and one that qualified as a shooter. The demo I played tells me they succeeded, to a degree.
____________________________
“Immortal Unchained quickly began filling a void left by the lack of good third-person sci-fi titles in recent memory.”
Despite inspiration from a melee franchise, Immortal: Unchained works as a mid-range shooter, thus successfully standing on its own two feet. Long-range sniping doesn’t factor into the experience, and it wouldn’t be ‘Souls-like‘ if it did. And despite selling itself as a shooter, the game does a decent job of incorporating melee weapons. Still, in staying true to the usual RPG experience, the player character must utilize attributes in the form of Finesse, Perception, Agility, Toughness, Endurance, Expertise, and Insight. These being present, I can only assume that stamina, health, melee and ranged damage each scale to a certain attribute. Since it was a very brief demo, there was little accounting for the game’s overall scheme of progression.
When combat commenced, I found myself weaving in and out of it by auto-locking enemies, enemies that came in the form of zombie-like robots. But what impressed me about the shooting was that I could switch between opponents’ body parts. Like Fallout 4’s VATS but without the slow-motion – Simply shift the right analog stick to select vulnerable areas. Hence the game relies more on quick-thinking then actual aiming, per se. This little mechanic opened my mind to the possibilities of boss battles, which is another pillar of this experience.
Then I made it as far as the very first boss battle. Again, the combat was reminiscent of a FromSoftware game. Not because of it’s difficulty but because of the pacing. Our back and forth exchange was very brisk, the boss delivering unpredictable attacks and counter-attacks that caught me off guard. Since he had a shield, I used the auto-aim mechanic to shoot his vulnerable limbs. This is where the auto-locking mechanic became the most relevant. Alas, my demo ended with my defeat.
Even thought Immortal: Unchained is still in Alpha, I was impressed. My session was fun and the game is just oozing with potential. Then again, I’m a big fan of sci-fi. Afterward, when I asked about possible customization options, I was told there would be a full customization feature. When I asked if the player could choose between male or female, I was told: “you will know more in two weeks.” A hint to stay tuned for new reveals. If you’re a fan of the Souls Series and have even a remote interest in sci-fi, I do recommend keeping Immortal: Unchained on your radar. It will be arriving in 2018 and is slated to hit PS4, Xbox One and PC.
