Dark Vale Games, an independent developer based in Southern California, has announced FORGE, a PC-only multiplayer game that will deliver first-of-its-kind player-versus-player (PvP) combat by bridging the gap between the instant action of first-person shooters and the strategic competition of Massively Multiplayer Games. FORGE is powered by Epic Games’ award-winning Unreal Engine 3 and is expected to release for personal computer later this year.
‘FORGE is pure PvP, bringing strategic MMO gameplay to fast-paced FPS multiplayer while removing the tedium and randomness of grinding and ‘rolling’ for hits,’ said Timothy Alvis, COO/CTO of Dark Vale Games. ‘We’ve taken inspiration from some of the greatest pure shooters of all time, like the original Half Life and Unreal, and folded in the best parts of MMO PvP from games like World of Warcraft and Dark Age of Camelot. The result is a multiplayer experience that is unlike anything else on the market, an experience people have been asking for, even expecting, and we plan to make it a reality.’
In FORGE, a malicious being named The Devourer has swallowed the great pantheon of gods. Seeking escape, the trapped gods have deceptively turned great warriors into zealous adherents and placed them on a faceless world called FORGE, where every champion’s death feeds the immortals power. Choosing one of five unique warrior classes, the player must battle head-to-head against others in a bid to free their god from the clutches of The Devourer. Armed with a set of powerful and unique abilities as well as a mystical and deadly ally, each warrior must overcome the varied challenges of FORGE where every victory is a sacrifice and every sacrifice brings them one step closer to freedom.
FORGE’s focus on skill as a determining factor for success means that individual player ability decides who lives and who dies. Players will need to use their reflexes and aim to annihilate opponents while also leveraging deeper strategy, tactics and MMO-style abilities to decide how to attack and when to defend. The game will feature zero level grinding, making it fast-paced to play while also providing a lower time commitment threshold, thus allowing players to progress and enjoy multiplayer on a more level playing field.
Dark Vale Games is developing FORGE in conjunction with SuperGenius and Digital Confectioners. SuperGenius is an Oregon-based creative studio specializing in video game concepts, animation, character development, environments, and VFX. SuperGenius’ most recent work included cut scenes, cinematics and in-game animations for Telltale Games’ critically acclaimed video game adaptation of The Walking Dead. Digital Confectioners is an independent game development studio that has assisted with such recent titles as Rekoil, which debuted at this year’s E3, Q.U.B.E. and The Haunted: Hell’s Reach.
‘Dark Vale Games is a small, independent developer, and working with the talented teams at SuperGenius and Digital Confectioners with Unreal Engine 3.0 allows us to deliver AAA quality in gameplay, technology and visuals while maintaining our indie attitude and price point,’ said David Domm, CEO of Dark Vale Games. ‘We’ve all been waiting for years for a game to come out that combined the strategy of MMO PvP with the thrills and instant satisfaction of an FPS. When it didn’t arrive, we decided that we would have to make it ourselves.’
FORGE is expected to release for personal computer later this year and the game is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. For more information about FORGE, please visit the game’s official website at www.playforgewar.com