Today Deep Silver announced the release date of the upcoming isometric CRPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker.
The game will go on sale digitally and at selected retailers on 25 September 2018 for PC. It’ll be available both physically and digitally, but you will be able to choose between four different editions if you buy it digitally.
The basic explorer edition will cost $39.99 and will include just the game. The Noble edition will cost $54.99 and will include two premium items (a seal that lets you bless your party and a girdle with fatigue and illness resistance bonuses), a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack, and two additional player portraits.
The Royal Edition costs $69.99 and includes all of the above plus a digital map, a red panda pet, and an adventure module written by Chris Avellone. Last, but not least, the Imperial Edition adds the season pass for $84.99.
Pathfinder, in case you were unaware, is a tabletop RPG published by Paizo. The baseline experience of the Pathfinder‘s ruleset uses Dungeons & Dragons 3.5th Edition as a sort of evolution. Pathfinder is known for being both highly flexible and customizable, as well as allowing lots of player choice in terms of characters and story.
Below you can read more of the story.
“To the north lie the Stolen Lands, a region that has been contested territory for centuries. Hundreds of kingdoms have risen and fallen in these lands, and now it is time for you to make your mark—by building your own kingdom! To do so, you’ll need to survive the harsh wilderness and the threat of rival nations… as well as threats within your own court.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is based on Paizo’s award-winning Pathfinder Adventure Path of the same name. You certainly don’t need to be familiar with the story, but if you are, you will encounter characters you know and love as well as a host of brand-new events, companions, allies, and threats that expand and enhance the original Adventure Path. With help from Paizo and their authors, the story and quests have been expanded by RPG writer Chris Avellone and the Owlcat team, allowing for even more adventure in the already rich narrative of the Stolen Lands.
While Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a single-player game, you won’t be adventuring alone. “Kingmaker” features a diverse cast of companions and NPCs, including iconic characters from the Pathfinder setting itself. You’ll need to decide who to trust and who to watch carefully, as each companion has an agenda, alignment, and goals that may differ from yours. Your journey will become their journey, and you’ll help shape their lives both in the moment and well into the future.”
There’s also a mechanic that I quite enjoy seeing, you have the option become a feudal lord and build your own kingdom. The game will layer more political and diplomatic options into the classic dungeon crawling mechanics one would expect from these kinds of RPGs.
The game promises over 80 hours of gameplay built around this framework. And you have the ultimate choice as to whether be a good or evil ruler over your new lands.
“We chose to adapt the Kingmaker adventure path because it features a host of open-world mechanics, allowing players to experience the story at their own pace as they explore the Stolen Lands, which will challenge you as both an adventurer and a ruler. Most importantly, the game allows you to claim these lands as your own, letting you carve your own kingdom from the wilderness. While classic dungeon crawling and exploration lie at the heart of this adventure, diplomacy, politics, and kingdom development are also part of the challenge. Choose your allies well, and keep them close while exploring ancient tombs and ruins — and while dealing with politics in your own court.
As you’ll discover, building a kingdom goes beyond simply building a stronghold: Your kingdom is a reflection of your character and your choices throughout the game. It is a living thing shaped by your alignment, your allies, and your ability to lead your people. Not only can your kingdom expand, opening up new territories and allowing you to build new towns and communities, but your capital city will physically change based on your decisions, your policies, and even whom you choose to ally with. As your kingdom grows, a number of factions and neighboring countries will come to you to seek favor—and to test your strength.”
And love it or hate it, there will be romance options in Pathfinder: Kingmaker, but the developers are making absolutely sure that the relationships are well-representative of more realistic portrayals both LGBTQ+ characters and the relationships they’re involved in. The game will also include hetero relationships as an option.
Speaking on the topic, Chris Avellone had this to say:
We’re including same-sex relationships, open relationships, and gender-specific romances depending on the personality of the characters involved, and we’re not even limiting it to the companions – we’re expanding it further in what I feel is an interesting way (I’d say more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers).
drawing from experiences in real life and listening to friends who have gone through similar relationships (and are still in them). When possible, finding someone to ask and discuss the spectrum with if you’re not familiar with it (or preferably, hire them to write the element), is also important, otherwise your character’s voice can come across as false or forced.
Check out the horde of trailers for the upcoming game down below. The game will go on sale digitally and at selected retailers on 25 September 2018.
