Moon Beast Productions, a studio founded by Diablo 1 & 2 veterans Philip Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer have officially unveiled their first game, Darkhaven, and it is clear they drew inspiration from their previous work.
Darkhaven is a dark fantasy isometric APRG with a living world that is shaped by the players. Playable in both solo and co-op play, it is looking to bring the ARPG genre back to its roots, and back to their own roots as well.
The world of Darkhaven is in ruin, as ancient empires have fallen as civilization has all but collapsed. In place of those empires is a vast wilderness filled with monsters and supernatural forces. Players will take control of heirs of ancient powers and are the last hope for the world. As eldritch worms come to feed on the world and end it for good, these heroes are the only ones that can save it.
With the fist gameplay trailer being shown today as well, not only does is look a lot like Diablo, but it seems like it will play a lot like Diablo as well.
“From the very beginning, we wanted Darkhaven to feel good to play,” said Erich Schaefer, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. “Movement is fun. Being able to jump over attacks, climb cliffs, dash out of danger, or swim across a lake that may or may not be infested with riverfangs changes how combat feels in this kind of game. It’s not just about numbers fighting numbers anymore. It’s much more engaging. For me, it becomes more about skill, finding flow, and making smart decisions in the moment. I’ve never had more fun making and playing an ARPG.”
As a massive fan of Diablo 1 & 2, the latter of which I still play 25 years later, the loot system at first glance has me most excited. The loot system in Darkhaven draws heavily from Diablo 2 where items are more bold and unique. Anyone that loves Diablo 2 will know what I’m talking about here.
“Great itemization is about possibility,” said Peter Hu, Co-Founder and President. “In Darkhaven, we want items that open doors, gear that makes you stop and rethink your build, your strategy, or even how you play the game. Finding something powerful should be exciting and inspiring, not something that gets smoothed out into tiny percentage gains.”
While we currently have no release date for the game, Moon Beast says the game will eventually launch into early access on Steam so that they can work on the game with feedback from the players before releasing the full 1.0 product.
“We’re incredibly excited to finally reveal Darkhaven and open its Steam page,” said Philip Shenk, CEO and Co-Founder. “This project represents everything we’ve learned about ARPGs over the last two decades, and what becomes possible when those ideas are combined with modern technology. We’re building a world that remembers what you’ve done, bears the scars of your victories and failures, and tells stories that only your playthrough can create. With the community’s support, we’re ready to bring Darkhaven to Early Access, which will allow us to continue to build the game into the incredible experience we all want it to be.”
Moon Beast is also getting set to launch a kickstarter for the game. Players can soon back the game and help it get to its early access stage. Darkhaven is one I personally will be keeping a close eye on in the lead up to its launch.
