inXile Entertainment has today announced that the Kickstarter for The Bard’s Tale IV will launch Monday June 2 at 5:00 a.m. PST/13:00 UTC.
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This is the third project by inXile and will no doubt be just as successful as the first two (Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera), perhaps even more so considering the name recognition of this classic series.
It's also being done on the 30th anniversary of the original game, and inXile has claimed the full rights from the entire original trilogy, so they promise that part IV will feature plenty of familiar favorites, like teleporter zones and magic mouths.
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It will also utilize the Unreal 4 engine, which will ensure the game looks incredible. They have plans to use photogrammetry, something recent games like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter have used to create photorealistic environmental assets. In The Bard's Tale IV this process will be used to create in-game 3D objects from photos of Scottish architecture.
Since the game is all about music (it is a Bard's tale, after all) the game will be inspired by and involve Gaelic musicians, with the soundtrack and lyrics taking cues from Scottish culture. It will certainly sound better than the beeps and boops of the original sound design.
The game is also said to feature a "dynamic phase based combat system", which wll utilize constantly evolving enemy strategy to keep you on your toes.
Full details of the Kickstarter, including backer rewards and stretch goals, will likely be revealed at the start of the campaign.
