Game News Band of Crusaders is an upcoming real-time strategy RPG set in a demon-infested medieval Europe

[Infinitron]

Tags: Band of Crusaders; Virtual Alchemy

https://www.terminals.io/games/band-of-crusaders/news/4471

Warsaw, Poland. August 13, 2024– Virtual Alchemy, a newly minted indie studio based in Warsaw, just revealed their debut title: Band of Crusaders, a Witcher-esque strategy RPG with real-time combat set in a corrupted version of medieval Europe. The Continent has fallen! Become the Grandmaster of a knightly order—recruit your crusaders, develop your camp, fight brutal battles, and manage their mental & material needs as they travel the countryside to beat back the forces of pandemonium.

Band of Crusaders offers deep tactical combat between your party of medieval warriors and demons pulled straight from hell’s mythologies. The gameplay provides emergent storytelling that foregrounds player agency, while a breadth of weapons and skill progression place knights, spearmen, archers, shield wardens, and artificers in your hands as the crusaders’ Grandmaster. Defeat bandits, eldritch cults, and the shambling devils they’ve summoned to our shores as chaos takes the duchies and principalities of historically authentic 1350’s A.D. medieval Europe.

“Band of Crusaders is about a company of warriors you will raise from peasants to heroes against the forces of chaos. The Knights Templar are gone, and Archdemons are at the door, threatening the already fragile peace that European smallfolk have come to cherish,” says studio CEO Dominik Sypnicki.

“Our artistic approach to Band of Crusaders merges historically authentic representations of medieval tools, armor, and weaponry, with demonic creatures inspired by biblical descriptions and European folklore,” shares Art Director Kamil Mickiewicz. “We wanted to see what the world of The Witcher would look like if you removed all the Witchers.”

For more on Virtual Alchemy and their debut indie game, Band of Crusaders, join the Discord and follow them on X (Twitter) and Instagram. The game’s Steam page is live now; players can wishlist the game to receive news on its upcoming release.​

 

[Zanzoken]

looks pretty cool

 

[Baron Tahn]

So close yet so far (to Darklands). Guess I should keep my eye on it, who knows, might turn out more than 1 dimensional.

 

[Tyranicon]

It seems like 50% of the gaming industry's based in Poland these days.

 

[0sacred]

It seems like 50% of the gaming industry's based in Poland these days.

 

[luj1]

Pity that it's real-time, but it's refreshing to see something from Poland which isn't cinematic voice acted bullshit nowadays.

 

[Infinitron]

Pity that it's real-time, but it's refreshing to see something from Poland which isn't cinematic voice acted bullshit nowadays.

I'd say this trailer has a pretty "cinematic" tone and vibe (see camera angles at 0:23, 0:52). Voice acting seems likely.

 

[luj1]

I mean hyper-simulated games such as Witcher, Cyberpunk, Nobody Wants to Die, etc. Of course that it's going to have VA in 2024, rofl.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Is it me or they have opened up witcher 3 with modding tools and ripped 3d assets from it?

 

[Eldrin]

Hmm, honestly looks neat.

I would've preferred turn-based like Knight's Tale, but I can get behind real-time with pause/slowdown.

 

[Maxie]

Hmm, honestly looks neat.

I would've preferred turn-based like Knight's Tale, but I can get behind real-time with pause/slowdown.

lmao just play starcraft to gain some APM

 

[Gargaune]

Looks intriguing, willing to hear more as it develops.

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Cautiously intrigued....

@1.08 give me proper templar and I'm buying this.

a Witcher-esque strategy RPG

What does this even mean? If they're referring to some elements of Slavic mythology, then just say that. Witcher did not fucking invent Vodyanoi, Leshy, and other creatures.

 

[Lagi]

why not against Saracens?

 

[Infinitron]

The game takes place in 1350 AD so the original Crusades were already over. Maybe the pagan Lithuanians summoned these demons.

 

[Tao]

Are we sure europeans are still allowed to make and play games about their glorious days? This looks haram my brothers.

 

[Zariusz]

Could be interesting. Not sure about RT but we will see.

The game takes place in 1350 AD so the original Crusades were already over. Maybe the pagan Lithuanians summoned these demons.

I would assume its like alternate Black Death or smt like that.

 

[luj1]

Reminds me of Thaumaturge. Was that a also a Polish game?

 

[*-*/\--/\~]

The "demon infested Europe" had me thinking it was set in contemporary Paris or London for a moment. ;D

 

[Vincente]

Are we sure europeans are still allowed to make and play games about their glorious days? This looks haram my brothers.

Since when 1300 AD is "european glory days"

 

[Barbarian]

Are we sure europeans are still allowed to make and play games about their glorious days? This looks haram my brothers.

Since when 1300 AD is "european glory days"

Go visit some gothic cathedral or university and get back to us, you moderntard loser.

 

[Vincente]

Are we sure europeans are still allowed to make and play games about their glorious days? This looks haram my brothers.

Since when 1300 AD is "european glory days"

Go visit some gothic cathedral or university and get back to us, you moderntard loser.

There might have been a deadly plague that wiped out 1/3 of the total population, famine, sickness, revolts, and I might have died in a puddle of mud, shit, piss and blood while fighting in Hundred Years War, also the Catholic Church fought another war all by itself on top of the problems, but hey, at least they put some pretty stones on top of each other.

 

[Barbarian]

Are we sure europeans are still allowed to make and play games about their glorious days? This looks haram my brothers.

Since when 1300 AD is "european glory days"

Go visit some gothic cathedral or university and get back to us, you moderntard loser.

There might have been a deadly plague that wiped out 1/3 of the total population, famine, sickness, revolts, and I might have died in a puddle of mud, shit, piss and blood while fighting in Hundred Years War, also the Catholic Church fought another war all by itself on top of the problems, but hey, at least they put some pretty stones on top of each other.

"I use tv shows and movies as historical reference"

"Everything was shit and then it became good"(as if some british teenager getting his face blown off in trench warfare was that much better off than his medieval equivalent fighting the french with sword and bow)

 

[Vincente]

"I use tv shows and movies as historical reference"

Who are you quoting?

 

[Barbarian]

"I use tv shows and movies as historical reference"

Who are you quoting?

You. The "everyone was covered in mud, piss and shit" is pretty much a popular culture trope seem in movies and tv shows about the middle ages.

People bathed(in fact bath houses were extremely popular). Things were not grey and brown(medieval people were actually in the habit of wearing colorful clothing).