(Photo : Nearstudios / Screenshot taken from Steam)
Veteran game developers from Bethesda, BioWare, and Naughty Dogs teamed up and formed NEARstudios and are working on a co-op sandbox RPG Hawthorn.
The new studio is led by Heather Cerlan and Jason Richardson. NEARstudios is based in Maryland and has already started working on its debut title. Hawthorn is marketed as a co-op sandbox RPG that mixes elements of village sims with nostalgic adventure stories of the '80s and '90s.
New Sandbox RPG
Hawthorn is trying to double down on its developers' strong RPG heritage. The lead designer of Skyrim, Bruce Nesmith, is also a member of the team. He will lend his expertise to bring Hawthorn to life as he has come out of retirement to work on the new title.
The NEARstudios team also has developers who previously worked on various popular franchises. These include Mass Effect, League of Legends, and Fallout. They are now focused on giving players immersive co-op games that will "bring people together," according to Game Developer.
The indie studio comes as the industry is plagued by closures and widespread layoffs that have affected even high-profile companies. NEARstudios says that it strongly believes in the power of indies, adding that "the future of gaming lies in the hands of smaller, dedicated studios willing to break new ground."
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Cerlan reassured that the new studio is relishing the freedom to explore new creative possibilities in order to create a genuine relationship with its players. He said that Hawthorn is their passion project and are putting everything they have into it.
Hawthorn already has some early footage of gameplay on Steam that shows how it seems to combine Animal Crossing and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It does not yet have an official release window but will eventually come out on PC, Kotaku said.
Hawthorn's Distinct Style
NEARstudios describes the upcoming sandbox RPG as being inspired by Victorian-era European fairytales. The game offers a rich fantasy world where woodland creatures and fairy beings co-exist inside a complex, layered sandbox.
In Hawthorn, you will be able to build a village, forge relationships with unique NPCs, and go out and explore a world that is both familiar and new. The game's grainy but hyper-realistic visuals make it stand out from other cozy life sims in the market.
The development team is working on Hawthorn with the goal of blending the charm and accessibility of cozy games with the depth and visual appeal of hardcore games. The studio added that it will involve players and creators in the development process, according to AVClub.
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