Beamdog Reveals MythForce In a Big Departure From Its Usual RPGs

ign.com:

Beamdog, the studio best-known for remastering 90s BioWare classics like Baldur's Gate, has officially revealed its next project, and it's definitely not an RPG. Instead, Beamdog is making MythForce, a first-person roguelite meant to evoke the spirit of Saturday morning cartoons.

Launching into Early Access next week, the new title draws inspiration from 80s animated classics like Dragon's Lair, Thundercats, and He-Man. It is being built in Unreal Engine, with characters who steadily level up and gain new abilities as they explore procedurally-generated maps.

MythForce director Luke Rideout cites Deep Rock Galactics and Vermintide as key influences on the gameplay.

"It's definitely not a Baldur's Gate," Rideout says.

While MythForce is based on the famously goofy cartoons of the 80s, Rideout says that the team wants the tone to be "more cheeky than campy," and is confident that Beamdog has managed to "tow that line pretty well."

It's exemplified in the opening cinematic, which is intended to capture the spirit of the theme songs from that era. Reminiscent of everything from BraveStarr to Silverhawks, it is perhaps the most overtly '80s element of MythForce. Once in game, the four playable characters are in some ways closer to Overwatch or Valorant than Thundercats, though the villains definitely have that He-Man feel to them.

MythForce is a departure for Beamdog, which was originally formed by BioWare co-founder Trent Oster alongside Cameron Tofer in 2009. The studio is mainly responsible for enhanced versions of classic RPGs like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape Torment. MythForce, which will be published by Aspyr Media, will be its first original IP.

“I’m beyond excited to finally show off our team’s original