Quantic Dream, the studio that produced Detroit: Become Human and is working on Star Wars: Eclipse, is headed in a bold new direction with its next game, Spellcasters Chronicles. Instead of the narrative-driven, single-player focus game that made the studio famous, Spellcasters is a free-to-play, 3v3 magical battler that aims to combine third-person action and strategy.
Players will command Spellcasters driven by different archetypes, like tanks or support, strategically building a deck of moves from a list of over 50 spells and summons. Players will also select a Titan — huge creatures that can easily shift the outcome of a battle — as a trump card of sorts, though overall team deck synergies are where most of the power lies. Spellcasters can also fly freely around the arena, adding an element of mobility not often seen within the genre.
Studios renowned for their storytelling prowess pivoting to multiplayer has become a story all too familiar to players — it was only last year that the reputation of Rocksteady took a big hit from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Remedy Entertainment appears to have a miss in FBC: Firebreak. However, it wouldn’t be fair to completely dismiss Spellcasters simply because it’s such a pivot from previous Quantic Dream projects. The trailer does show off potential for fast-paced, chaotic fun, and developers purport it’ll stay true to the studio’s narrative roots.
In a press statement, founder and president of Quantic Dream David Cage said of Spellcasters:
This project reflects the creative spirit and technical ambitions guiding Quantic Dream for nearly three decades. We sought to bring a new form of gaming experience blending action and strategy to life, while exploring community-driven narrative. It has been an exploration of bold ideas, a chance to expand into social and multiplayer experiences, and an adventure shared by a new talented team of experts within our studios in Paris and Montreal who brought this original universe to life.
Though the specifics are currently a bit vague, the idea of a collective community narrative is intriguing, with game director Gregorie Diaconu calling it a “shared, living world.” According to Dianconu, Spellcasters will have both a “core-loop” — multiplayer battles — and a “macro-loop,” which is the shared narrative experience.
Cage is aware this new project may cause a stir, stating in a Quantic Dream blog post, “This new title may surprise our fans as it is very different from what we have done so far. But taking risks, challenging ourselves, exploring new ways of playing and telling stories, and attempting what seems impossible, has always been part of our DNA.” There are still many lingering questions surrounding the game, but they may be answered soon.
The team behind Spellcasters Chronicles will offer a more in-depth look at the title during TwitchCon San Diego, with live gameplay and a developer Q&A scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PDT on the Twitch LAN channel. A closed beta for the game is slated to be available for Windows PC by the end of this year, and can be signed up for on the game’s website.
