Lair of the Leviathan: a new RPG for Ultima fans

Developers Nostalgic Realms and Whiskeybarrel Studios presented Lair of the Leviathan - a pixel RPG that clearly focuses on the times of Ultima and early Baldur’s Gate.The player assembles his own squad and decides whether to look for the legendary Leviathan or first go to dozens of dangerous places on a huge map.

The Empire promises a reward for Leviathan, but there is no need to rush

The action takes place in Ormand and on the western outskirts of the imperial possessions.The capital has announced a reward for defeating the monster, but the surrounding area is full of other activities: ruined fortresses, dungeons, small settlements and local conflicts.You can help residents, trade, look for treasures - or choose less noble solutions.

You can watch the game at Lair of the Leviathan announcement trailer.

The danger of the world will not adjust to the level of the squad.If the heroes entered a too complex labyrinth without preparation, it is better to retreat and return later.The creators consider this approach to be part of the classic RPG freedom.

Turn-based combat and hero positioning

Battles are arranged step by step.A fighter's position on the map influences tactics, and the right combination of classes and abilities can decide the outcome of a clash.The bestiary includes goblins, slugs, ghostly knights, hydras and other monsters.Terrain also plays a role: enemies can appear in dungeons, mountain passages and even magical paintings.

One of the noticeable elements is the paper doll system, which shows the equipped items of equipment.The authors promise hundreds of items that change the appearance of the heroes, and not just numbers in the inventory menu.

Your squad instead of the obligatory companions

The player will create his own team members.They do not have pre-written personal stories in the spirit of modern party RPGs: the authors deliberately give preference to the user’s imagination and game solutions.For some, this is a chance to come up with a whole story for a company of adventurers; for others, this is a possible loss of complex dialogues between companions.

At the same time, the world must react to the actions of the team.NPCs are given their own activities and daily routines, and changes in weather and time of day will affect travel.How deeply such systems work will become clear after demonstrations of the complete completion of the task.

The creators are focusing on Ultima and early Baldur's Gate

The creators cite Ultima, Pools of Radiance and early Baldur's Gate as their inspirations.Instead of endless hints, the developers rely on independent research.

According to Gematsu, Lair of the Leviathan is expected in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series and Switch.The Steam page is already open.Date by month, price and Russian localization have not yet been published.