Pithead Studios, founded by married couple Björn and Jenny Pankratz, previously of the now defunct Piranha Bytes has the debut game at the new studio, a 3D dungeon crawling RPG, Cralon.
The announcement trailer today show a much darker style of RPG than we have become accustomed to from Piranha Bytes games. However the little bit of game play we did see seems to show a similar play style from games like Risen and Gothic.
As per the Pithead Studio website Cralon is described as:
"Cralon is an authentic 3d dungeon crawler with RPG and adventure elements, inspired by the ultimate underground classics. Hunting a demon, you fell into the abyss of an old mine, stuck in the darkness. Finding your way out, you meet strange creatures and new friends, solve quests and riddles, fight the dark and evil monsters, face your fears and uncover the dungeon's secret."
Cralon is being developed using Unreal Engine 5 and is inspired by the classic dungeon crawling games of the past. Over on the games Steam page we can get a better sense of what the game is about.
"You are Cralon the Brave, hunting a demon that is stealing the inhabitants and belongings of a nearby village. But during your pursuit, the creature surprises you and you fall into the shaft of an old mine, trapped in the darkness. A maze of corridors and secrets lay ahead and you must find a way out to avert the threatening doom. But the further you venture into the underworld, the clearer the feeling becomes that something is wrong. With the help of the creatures of the shaft, you face your fears and uncover the secret of the mine."
Key Features
- A huge dungeon with seamless levels and varied environments
- A deep main story with side quests and twists
- Original and bizarre creatures that can be both hostile and friendly
- Fully voiced dialogues with different choices
- Melee and ranged combat
- Items to inspect and collect
- Opportunities to upgrade and improve your character
- Recipes and crafting
- Creepy elements and scary situations
- Hidden puzzles and traps
- Documents and pictures with clues and background information
As of right now Cralon is only listed as coming to Steam and Epic Game Store, however they aren't closing the door on console releases depending on the interest in the game. Having been a massive fan of Piranha Bytes previous games I personally can't wait to see what Pithead has cooked up. No release date or window was given however, so we may be waiting awhile.
