Call of Duty meets magic and action: Immortals of Aveum is trying to fill the MCU cinema void this summer


Immortals of Aveum shoots so arduous for the appear and feel of a summer time blockbuster that I’m stunned the collector’s version doesn’t include a giant buttery bucket of popcorn. Or not less than one you may microwave at house.


It’s even popping out in July, a historically barren level within the launch calendar, however absolutely a softer slate of competitors can solely assist this flashy new IP on the EA Originals publishing label minimize via?

Will it actually look this good at launch?


From its high-stakes story that leans closely on the type of fantasy escapism that can by no means use an actual phrase if it could possibly make one up, to the quip-sharp tone of its sassy superhero script, from what I’ve seen in a hands-on preview throughout three story ranges, Immortals of Aveum is usually profitable in what it units out to realize – with a couple of caveats.


When video games attempt to be “cinematic”, why do they all the time imply the cinema of Michael Bay and James Cameron, solely? Loads of video games are clearly impressed by films, however each time the “cinematic” tag comes out, it normally boils right down to large explosions and moody close-ups of firing weapons. Crucially nevertheless, what developer Ascendant Studios thinks units its debut sport aside is that there aren’t any weapons to fireside, simply dazzling spells to sling.


Immortals of Aveum tells the story of an everlasting battle known as the Everwar, the place – for 1000’s of years – individuals have fought for management of the magic on the coronary heart of the world. You are available in because the steadiness is shifting in the direction of evil, with the despotic Sandrakk on the helm of the Rasharn faction gaining the higher hand in opposition to the Kingdom of Lucium.

Jak casting green magic against the Exalted Leylodon in Immortals of Aveum

Say whats up to my little… fingers.


It’s as much as Jak (no relation to Daxter, sadly), a brand new recruit within the Order of the Immortals and gifted spellcaster who can wield all three colors of magic, to make the important thing distinction that turns the tide of the Everwar.


Apparently conceived as “what if Name of Responsibility, however dragons”, the three colors of magic are based mostly round acquainted archetypes of weapons. Crimson is close-range and analogous to shotguns, inexperienced is fast-firing like an SMG, whereas blue has longer vary choices extra much like marksman rifles or hand cannons.


Due to this, I’m not satisfied that the magic-shooter gameplay is kind of as distinctive as Ascendant is asserting, since there’s not a variety of tangible, mechanical distinction in firing off spells as a substitute of the weapons they’re harking back to.


However with that stated the magic positively provides quite a bit to the motion. Visually, Immortals of Aveum is implausible, with vibrant, shattering particles filling the display screen with violent confetti as you bounce round, continuously swapping between spells to use your enemies’ weaknesses.


Enemies aren’t as versatile as Jak, so that they normally solely use one color of magic themselves. However that additionally means they’re weak to that color, permitting you to take them out extra simply by juggling your gear effectively. This tactical layer provides an additional ingredient of complexity to fights, which might contribute to scraps changing into correctly robust and hectic.

Jak summoning the power of red magic in Immortals of Aveum

Crimson, lifeless, incantation.


However it could possibly additionally result in clunking via the gears within the warmth in the intervening time, when it’s robust to tell apart between totally different colors and outfitted weapons at a look. This may very well be an accessibility subject owing to my colourblindness, or simply unfamiliarity with the totally different spells of Aveum, however fumbling via the overstuffed management scheme on a pad was irritating at instances.


Nevertheless, maybe probably the most spectacular ingredient of Immortals of Avenum is the distinctive scope and scale to the degrees. As one of many first major-publisher video games to launch utilizing Unreal Engine 5.1, you may actually inform that all the pieces is simply extraordinarily massive.


My preview began within the tutorial degree and noticed Jak face off in opposition to, primarily, coaching dummies, however the motion quickly moved onto dense and sprawling jungles with dilapidated temples crumbling within the undergrowth, after which onto underground caverns dimly lit with an ominous glow.


There are apparently many extra biomes to discover in Immortals of Aveum too, so it’s a visible deal with on many fronts. Proper from the massive battlefield cutscenes within the opening, there’s an incredible sense of presence. You’ll be able to really feel how the fashions exist inside the setting with a perceptible depth, fairly than simply seeming like a flat picture.


However this has gameplay purposes as properly. Though most of the encounters occur in standard-looking arenas such as you’d anticipate with a DOOM-like shooter, the sheer dimension means Ascendant Studios can pack a variety of selection into every space, utilising totally different ranges of verticality in several corners of the map and sufficient distance between vantage factors and sight traces to make brief, medium and lengthy vary spells make a noticeable impression.

Jak casts a magic shield to protect from an onrushing enemy in Immortals of Aveum

Arcane and in a position.


Hopefully the completed sport can take full benefit of this spectacular tech, however when efficiency points have been on the forefront of so many releases, it’s going to be an actual check for this primary large sport from a fledgling studio to come back out working easily.


One other attention-grabbing side of Immortals of Aveum is the cadence between motion and exploration, with delicate environmental puzzles littering the world. These may be easy locked doorways it is advisable to discover and return to later with the appropriate energy, treasure hunts the place it is advisable to destroy colored crystals matched to those proven on a locked gate, or difficult platforming challenges that ask you to time your photographs or hop onto a shifting bridge ahead.


I actually appreciated how the puzzles performed out, even when some did have you ever brushing up in opposition to the invisible partitions of your goldfish bowl. As a result of the setting does really feel so current and expansive, it typically seems like you may get on high of locations you truly can’t, which takes you out of the second, however it’s very a lot the type of factor you may push previous when you’re not feeling it.


So, with unbelievable particular results, expansive environments and a narrative with epochal stakes, Immortals of Aveum is a big-budget epic with all the hallmarks of a summer time blockbuster. However similar to on the field workplace, we’ll should see if the entire bundle continues to be one thing we bear in mind come awards season.



Let’s see if it could possibly stick the touchdown when Immortals of Aveum launches for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence X/S on July 20, 2023.