‘Wartorn’ Is Scratching That RTS Itch, but It’s So Much More and It’s Coming to Early Access on June 17th (Preview)

I got the chance to check out the presentation for Wartorn from Stray Kite Studios. The game is being led in development by Creative Director Paul Hellquist, the Lead Designer on BioShock and Creative Director on Borderlands 2. So, if there’s anyone you should be able to trust with this one, it’s him.

What is ‘wartorn’?

Wartorn is a real-time tactics roguelite with an elemental hook. Here’s an excerpt from the Stray Kite press release:

“Players follow two elven sisters as they journey to reunite their family. Along the way, they confront moral dilemmas and battle external and internal threats. All while utilizing elemental and physics-based systems in their desperate quest for survival. “

Wartorn’s key features include:

• Dynamic Combat: Wartorn’s dynamic combat system lets you harness elemental forces like fire, water, and lightning. Which interact in exciting ways to create unique tactical opportunities. Ignite tar to engulf enemies, amplify electric shocks with water, or douse flames to shift the tide of battle. 
• Destructible Environments: The game’s physics-driven destruction ensures that no two encounters play out exactly the same, adding layers of depth and unpredictability to every skirmish. 
• Unique Progression System: The roguelite progression system rewards players for perseverance, offering heirlooms, hero upgrades, and new abilities that carry forward with each run. 
• Beautiful Aesthetic: Wartorn’s world is visually compelling, with heroes, enemy mobs, and its magical lands rendered with incredible attention to detail. The painterly aesthetic adds a gorgeous layer to the experience, even during moments of brutality and tragedy. 
• Slow Down Time: With the slow-time feature, even the most complex scenarios are accessible, allowing players to slow down, analyze the chaos, and issue precise commands, adapting gameplay to suit their pace. 

How Does it Play?

After the preview event, I was given a code to try the game out up to a certain point. First off, the game looks good. There are options that will allow it to run at lower 3D rendering settings. But ideally, you want something that can handle this at close to full power. I had to run it a little lower to make it shake, but when I got going, it still looked nice.

When I got into the story, the biggest thing I noticed was how Yara and Elani speak. They sound like warriors, speaking of defending their land and honor. It’s cool to hear two women depicted in this way. They both have a clear sense of duty and love for their home and each other. Getting into battle is as simple as inhabiting the same space as your enemies. But the hook here is that you have troops that run with you; if they die, you’re on your own. If Yara and Elani die, it’s over for that run. Your troops will also have an elemental type depending on who they are.

This is where Wartorn is going to separate itself. Using the elements not just in battle but in the environment to create advantages and disadvantages for you and your troops is key. This is not an easy game, and it will challenge you. Slowing time down to make extra decisions gave me those critical seconds needed to check on troops and move people where I needed to. Every battle was engaging, and I never felt like I was on the verge of going into autopilot. You have to be locked in.

I’m excited to see the rest of the game

Overall, Wartorn has the potential to be an excellent game if everything translates to the larger game and there’s some evolution of systems throughout. I’m especially hopeful for the narrative to be something special after my time with the game. As much as I loved the gameplay, the characters being this well written has me intrigued. Wishlist Wartorn and get in on Early Access on June 17th.