You've heard a lot about the new label from Koch Media, Prime Matter. With a whole host of games under the new label, a select few stood out to me, and I was quick to remark that they were ones I was very interested in. One such game is The Last Oricru, due to the genre, setting, and more.
Developed by GoldKnights, a new studio based in the Czech Republic, The Last Oricru is an action RPG in a medieval yet sci-fi world. You begin after waking up in a stasis chamber, getting stabbed by a lovely alien fellow. Now, impalement would normally be the end of somebody, but you're special. You survive.
It's time to venture across a seemingly huge world, meeting strange alien creatures, uncovering technological devices that are undeniably anachronistic to the world around them, and finding yourself placed in the middle of a wide number of factions, facing the political strife that wracks the world of The Last Oricru.
From everything I was able to see in a hands-off early look at The Last Oricru, there is a hell of a lot going on. With multiple factions being described, a world-spanning war of which your actions will directly influence, opportunities to be involved in large-scale battles in a fighting system that appeared - though it was distinctly avoided as a description - souls-like combat.
Add to this what is seemingly a wealth of dialogue options to define your character and playthrough; at first glance, this appears to be the sort of deep world found in many European RPGs in the vein of Gothic, Greedfall, or Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Something the industry, and I, am sorely missing. Particularly with the notion of factional combat and a world full of characters that react to you, even looking like they get involved in the fighting to help protect you.
There's a lot we don't know, but it may be easier to read what GoldKnights say about the game to get a clearer picture:
About The Last Oricru
The Last Oricru is an action RPG, that puts you in the middle of ongoing conflict under the protective shield on the otherwise abandoned planet. Your decisions bring interesting twists into the gameplay as you can heavily influence the conflict and its outcome. You will experience hundreds of intense fights in a brutal medieval sci-fi world, where every action has its consequences. Level up your hero and improve your skills before facing one of many boss fights.
Intriguing Story
In the world of The Last Oricru, the advanced technology is mostly forgotten. The last remains are perceived as magical objects and only a few chosen ones can be used. Some of the advanced technology such as Cradle of Life can be used by The Last Oricru only.
Impactful Decisions
Massive decision tree in which your decisions lead to a different outcome, affecting story, characters, game endings but also visuals of levels or the gameplay flow. Every action, sub-quest or death can affect your reputation with each faction. There are multiple ways to play through The Last Oricru – befriend everyone or be the bad guy with all the consequences.
Challenging Combat
The combat is complex and challenging and aims to create a tough but rewarding experience. You can encounter various mass fights, in which you can influence already raging battles – take down enemy soldiers or come to their aid. Melee and ranged attacks, elemental damage (magic), and weight management offer a wide range of customization. Be prepared to die… A lot!
Couch Coop
The game offers many situations that can be solved in co-op differently than in the single-player. You can find new fun ways of how to win in boss fights or reach special secret areas. At the end of the day, combat is the bread and butter of any RPG so if you, for example, play as a melee tank, while the second player plays magic support, you will enjoy tens of awesome hours of shared fun!
You read it right, couch co-op. How that will impact the story, I don't know. I often find story aspects can be ruined by other humans rushing things through. Fortunately, if it's couch co-op, you will have the other person at the side of you, within reach of your trusty dagger of silencing and bloodletting. There is a lot that interests me here, and while the quality is unknown, it will be until people can get hands-on with the game; what was shown has drawn me in.
The Last Oricru is scheduled to release on the PC, the PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series consoles sometime in 2022.
