BEAST: False Prophet - turn-based isometric RPG set in a grimdark medieval world - now available on Early Access

[Carls Barkley]

https://beastvideogame.com

Spoiler

BEAST is a role-playing game merged with turn-based skirmish strategy set in a reclusive plague-infested land filled with conflict and religious delusion. Inspired by the heretic schism between the Bogomil gnostic sect and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ensuing chaos forms a blasphemous cult following spreading throughout the land.

The game presents the world through black-and-white hand-drawn stop motion animation. Brutal and deadly combat is shown through a fixed third-person isometric camera looking onto a three-dimensional landscape following the same line-art style. The tone is set by the addition of red color. The story spans 14 days starting on a new moon and ending on a full moon. With each passing day, the characters and environment are increasingly saturated with a bloody red color as if the world was drowning in blood.

The essence of the gameplay is a campaign with turn-based combat inspired by games such as The Banner Saga, where the player controls and can build and develop a group of characters with complementary skills. While traveling between the fights, the player can manage the Warband, relations between its members, its members' equipment, physical and mental fatigue, choose a place of its rest and prepare for the next inevitable skirmishes.

You play as a faithful soldier who after finally coming home to his family is sent on one final mission for his power-hungry sovereign through a disease-infested land. While trying to deliver the letter to the neighboring kingdom you will learn the horrible truth about your wife and daughter. You will lose companions and gain new ones. You will learn their stories and help them put things to rest. Your decisions will be reflected in the eyes of those who remain with you at the end. Even if you are no longer you. The character you set out as will not be the one you end the game with, as mortal perils await you and you will have to choose your successor once you succumb to death.

Feast your eyes with a large variety of disquieting landscapes. Battle meticulously hand-animated foes. Choose your personality, see the world through the eyes of your character and take responsibility for your choices. Learn the hidden truths about the world through the stories of your companions. Certainly, not everyone will survive, maybe not even you.


PLAYER CHOICE THAT DRIVES YOUR OWN NARRATIVE
Every decision you make in travel, conversation, and combat has a meaningful effect on the outcome as your story unfolds.

BLACK AND GRAY MORALITY
There are no easy choices. You do what you can to survive, and sometimes this appears to conflict with your own needs, but there are no right choices.

A NON-EPIC ADVENTURE BROUGHT TO LIFE IN BOTH 2D AND 3D
Beautifully hand-drawn characters, backgrounds, and animations in tactical combat encounters, accompanied by the music of world-famous black metal bands combined with the atmospheric dark experimental music, will pull you into a dark and grim fantasy realm.

OVER 15 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
Embark on your perilous journey choosing out of 7 different classes, each with unique abilities and upgrade options to fit your play style.

STRATEGIC COMBAT WITH CONSEQUENCES
Victory or defeat and even the permanent loss of a character or wound depends on whether you will be able to go on the journey and make another attempt to fight for survival.

THE JOURNEY IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE BATTLE ITSELF
Your role in building and managing your Warband as you travel the vast forest landscape covered in darkness is critical to not only your own survival but the survival of an entire kingdom.

 

[vazha]

Looks intriguing but no news for over 2 years of development? might be vaporware.

 

[Pink Eye]

Now you have me interested. Browsing their steam forums yields to a post in which they state they're working on a demo for the game:

That was a year ago. Nothing from them since then. Developer doesn't have much presence online. Save for a facebook account and a linkedin for the CEO. Let's go look at that facebook. Apparently they published a teaser to something called "False Prophet & The Blood Moons" - no clue if that is at all related, or if they rebranded the game.


Also some photos which aren't displayed on steam page. There *is* a website for this "thing"; two exactly, but they don't work. There's the domain Falseprophetthebloodmoondotcom but it takes you to this bullshit:

Spoiler

beastvideogamedotcom directs you here:

Spoiler

There's a blog. It has 0 articles.

The game looks like a nothing burger, folks.

 

[vazha]

Lovely sleuthing work there, well done!

 

[TwoEdge]

A trailer just dropped:

 

[skaraher]

So is it a real project or an elaborate slavic scam ?

The setting is really promising, Bogomils were literally the Balkan mountain Cathars, but after that shitshow of the Russian Time of Troubles state-funded CRPG, I'm wary of the slavic endeavours.

 

[Kruyurk]

A trailer just dropped:

That trailer is weird and a bit suspicious. The first two third try to sell you on the aesthetic and narration, and you expect some action RPG / soulslike type game given the many actions scenes. Then suddenly you get a few seconds of the actual gameplay, consisting of tactical turn-based stuff. It smells of deception.

 

[Tyranicon]

A trailer just dropped:

That trailer is weird and a bit suspicious. The first two third try to sell you on the aesthetic and narration, and you expect some action RPG / soulslike type game given the many actions scenes. Then suddenly you get a few seconds of the actual gameplay, consisting of tactical turn-based stuff. It smells of deception.

To be fair, it's the standard formula unless the game is extremely mechanic-focused. You lead with the sexy stuff that'll draw people in, and then put in gameplay later just to show that you have it.

A demo would be better but unfortunately most devs don't do that anymore.

 

[Lord_Potato]

This and Thaumaturge look really interesting. Historical-inspired RPGs are actually becoming a thing. Finally!

 

[skaraher]

the aesthetic and narration, and you expect some action RPG / soulslike

I think I would gladly sell my soul to the devil if we could get a slavic themed Souslike.

That and a CRPG based on France during Hundred Years War

 

[vazha]

This looks way better than that Kremlin-funded Prigozhin simulator thingie tbh.

 

[Infinitron]

Safav Hamon was a spammer but he had a real knack for spotting games early. Hope he's doing all right.

 

[Infinitron]

Hmm, they deleted the trailer from the game's YouTube channel.

 

[Jaesun]

Only thing I can think of as to removing the trailer, they may not have had the proper permission for the metal music they were using in it? Which I thought was awful anyways (I've heard way better).

 

[Infinitron]

Tokyo Game Show trailer:



https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1145630/view/3753243673933647348

PLAY BEAST HANDS ON DEMO DURING TOKYO GAME SHOW!
Be one of the first players to experience dark & grim world of BEAST!

Dear Beast Community,
We are thrilled to share some electrifying news with all of you!
Mark your calendars because "BEAST," is about to make its grand debut at the Tokyo Game Show 2023 where we will showcase the game for the first time.

Why You can't miss This Showcase:
Play "BEAST" Firsthand:
Tokyo Game Show attendees can go hands-on with a special demo version of the game.

Meet the Developers:
Join us for exclusive developer interviews, where you'll gain insight into the creative process that brought "BEAST" to life.

Find out more about the story:
The game’s intriguing story will have you trying to understand who is good and who is bad or if those lines even exist...

Prepare to unleash the "BEAST" within or try to exorcise it to control your sanity!

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• YOUTUBE
• TWITTER/X
• INSTAGRAM
• WEBSITE

The Tokyo Game Show 2023 promises to be an unforgettable event, and we hope visitors will find "BEAST" to be a unique tactical gridless gaming experience.

For more information about "BEAST" and our participation in the Tokyo Game Show 2023, stay tuned to our Steam Community page and follow us on social media for the latest updates and join our Discord!

About BEAST
BEAST is a dynamic, brutal tactical turn-based game with RPG elements. Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the game transports players to the dark, plague, and heresy-ridden medieval Carpathians. As the system propels you into a labyrinth of difficult moral decisions, command your squad in exhilarating, gridless, turn-based tactical battles to either advance or survive intense and visceral encounters.

Event Details:

Date: September 21-24, 2023
Location: Tokyo Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan
Booth 09-E127
Demo Play Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily

MORE ABOU

 

[Harthwain]

I like the theme and the setting sounds interesting (if only because it's rarely used). The game reminds me a lot of King Arthur: Knight's Tale in some ways. Could be worth checking it out.

 

[Infinitron]

Early Access on October 25th:



https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1145630/view/6481301140986513150

BEAST Early Access is opening on October 25th 2023!
Content Creator Program launches the same day, find out more below!

Early Access and Content Creator program announced!
We're very happy to announce that you will be able to play BEAST through Early Access from October 25th! If you're not only a curious player but also a content creator, we're happy to tell you that we will be opening our Content Creator Program from that same day as well but you can already get in touch by signing up here!

Why Early Access?

• • We want to make sure we create the best possible game for fans of turn-based tactical RPGs.
    Early Access allows us to be close to our current and future players who will be able to join our journey of completing our first game. Having our foundation solid and validated by our BEAST community before we launch the full game is our highest priority.
    

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

• • We are very excited to go on this journey where there will be frequent updates to the game, community surveys and insights into our development and how your feedback is vital in all of it. We consider our Steam forums and official Discord channel our prime channels to talk with us.
    

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

• • The EA version is currently in Alpha (early) state and contains a chunk of the game with over 20 playable missions, 2 main characters, 7 enemy classes, 11 enemy types and 40 weapon types. Many hours of replayable fun awaits! More languages are coming later this year as well.
    

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

• • We’re committed to 2024 so it’s months rather than years.
    

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

• • As this is truly an Alpha version of the game (which means actual early code) there is a lot of stuff planned to be implemented, fixed, updated, balanced and optimized before full release. You will hear temporary music, voice overs and sound effects. You will see strange animations & graphics and you’ll likely be able to exploit combat systems at times. The full game will include side missions, additional story missions, more customization, enemies and much more. If you’re looking to be able to get in early and help finish a dark tactical game you’d want to play, this is it!
    

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

• • Yes, the “Loyal Edition” which we will talk more about shortly will only be available during Early Access and will include the game, digital artbook, wallpapers, unique weapon, equipment skins and soundtrack (content will be able to be downloaded as they become available) for a special price as a thank you to our early adopters.

 

[Infinitron]

I don't care what anybody says, I like this game's 90s edgy energy.

 

[M. AQVILA]

Has anyone played this?

 

[Abu Antar]

Has anyone played this?

Early Access is later, today.

 

[cyborgboy95]

UNLEASH THE INNER DEMON IN TACTICS RPG BEAST – PREVIEW​

BEAST OVERVIEW​

BEAST is a dynamic, brutal, tactical turn-based game with RPG elements developed by False Prophet in the Unreal Engine 5. The game transports players to the dark, plague, and heresy-ridden medieval Carpathians. As the system propels you into a labyrinth of difficult moral decisions, command your squad in exhilarating, gridless, turn-based tactical battles to either advance or survive intense and visceral encounters. It features a gridless turn-based battle system and a wide array of weapons, items, characters, RPG elements, and a converging story seen from two perspectives.

STORY​

BEAST mainly follows the story of Anton Sabbados, a loyal war veteran presumed dead before returning after ten years of being an Ottoman slave. Due to his Carpathian homeland being feebly reigned by a demented prophet-king, its lands have been ravaged by raiders and cursed with a hellish plague. Everything he loved and cherished is either gone or has changed beyond recognition.

The game follows a narrative seen from two different perspectives. Anton’s and the cruel Prince Nikolai. Despite the prince being the obvious villain, the game stresses that this war-torn land is devoid of any good, and the only choices are evil and lesser evil. As Anton, you suffer from your inner demons, and you have to decide if you should take the path of mercy by quelling the demons within or embrace the savagery and unleash the BEAST with brutal consequences for your enemies and allies alike.

CHARACTER CREATION​

BEAST features a simple character creation system to customize your playstyle, as Anton Sabbados. During this Alpha build, you can’t really customize the character’s look, only their starting stats that fit your chosen playstyle.

You can select from three presets: Assault, Blast, and Command each encompassing the unique playstyle, Melee, Ranged, and Support, respectively. Choosing custom presents simple quiz questions that correspond with a character’s starting stats. After choosing your stats, you’ll be given a choice for some extra starting weapons and items. As well as a couple of points for your skill tree.

So far, the questions during the character creation don’t really seem to affect the story in any way, shape, or form. And is only there to serve as a starting point for your main character

CHARACTERS AND SKILLS​

Aside from Anton, you’ll be managing your very own Warband, where you’ll recruit a group of warriors, each with their own unique traits, roles, abilities, and skill trees.

Each class specializes in a certain type of weapon and playstyle. For example, you can take on the vanguard with the Defender. Slash and shoot your way through the enemies with the Burster, or snipe annoying enemies from afar with the Scout. Every class has three skill trees each specializing in a different form of Melee, Ranged, and Support abilities. Completing missions gives the involved party members experience points and levels them up, earning points that you can allocate to improve further your character’s stats, traits, and abilities

The game also features a reputation system where, in certain chapters, the warband will have certain needs or demands that you, as the player, can choose to neglect or fulfill. Neglecting a member’s needs too much may cause their outlook toward you to sour and may result in them leaving the party or, worse, betraying you in battle.

EQUIPMENT​

Weapons​

BEAST features a wide array of weapons and items fitting for its late middle-age era themes. As of this early Alpha version of the game, some of the weapons I’ve encountered are swords, axes, and heavy weapons such as hammers, bows, and matchlock pistols.

Each melee weapon is slightly different from one another to a certain extent. For example, heavy weapons such as the hammer have a longer reach than other melee weapons. As for the ranged weapon types, I’ve only encountered the guns and the bows thus far. The guns in the game are of the 15th-century variety. So they’re mostly matchlock and similar firearms. The main difference between a gun and a bow is that a gun needs to be reloaded for every shot, while a bow can be fired consecutively.

Weapon Class Requirements​

But despite having a wide variety of weapons, every class will be restricted to specific weapon types that they can use. For example, The Defender class may only use heavy two-handed weapons and cannot equip any ranged weapon. Each weapon also scales with a specific stat, like swords scaling with dexterity and heavy weapons such as battle axes and hammers scaling with strength. This is something to keep in mind when gearing up your characters.

Armor​

Armor isn’t a prevalent element in the game. You’ll eventually receive armor with a better rarity, but it won’t really involve any important decision-making scenarios. You’ll just slap that new armor on your favorite character who can equip it.

Consumable Items​

Aside from Weapons and Armor, BEAST also focuses on various consumable items. The world of BEAST is bleak, and resources are limited, so decent resource management is essential in surviving through the game. Even bullets for guns and arrows for bows are very limited.

Because of this, the game provides other alternatives for you to survive your encounters. You can patch up your wounds with canvas, stop bleeding with needles, sharpen your weapons with whetstones, and blow up the enemy with bombs. These consumables will be necessary, and you will have to use them as efficiently as possible. Running out of supplies could mean certain death.

BEAST GAMEPLAY​

Movements​

Featuring a gridless turn-based tactical combat system, BEAST approaches turn-based tactics with freedom of movement in amazing natural landscapes.

Each unit, including enemies, has three (3) action points per turn that they can use to move and perform other actions, such as attacking and using abilities. The game is devoid of grids, allowing you to move your characters anywhere that it allows you to freely. Take advantage of the higher ground, take cover from enemy fire, or use waypoints to go around and avoid the enemy’s range of engagement, all in an effort to vanquish the threat and survive.

Engagement​

Most of the time, you’ll have to get up close and personal with your foes and strike, but sometimes, it’s best to avoid a sticky situation by thinning their numbers with a couple of ranged attacks. However, you’ll constantly have to decide when it’s best to use your limited munitions.

There are also times when engaging from afar or aggressively charging into a group of enemies just isn’t an option. This is when it’s a good idea to start playing defensively and use overwatch. Hole up in a chokepoint to ambush enemies or group up to create a defensive line when surrounded. All tactics are valid when it comes to survival.

Quality Of Life​

With how the game is presented, it can be a bit confusing and hard to see where everything is. That’s why the game comes equipped with different camera movement options, 360-degree rotation, and a zoom function. Aside from that, there’s also a highlight button to easily see your characters, enemies, item chests, and engagement range for ranged attacks. Furthermore, if you’re unfamiliar with the enemy, you can also inspect them to see a breakdown of their stats, abilities, and equipment.

Beast System​

The mainstay of the game is its BEAST system. Throughout your playthrough, you’ll constantly have to choose whether you’ll prioritize brutal carnage or balanced teamwork. As Anton is plagued by his inner demons comes the insanity meter. Once filled, Anton can decide to embrace the darkness within him and transform into The Beast. Gaining otherworldly strength and abilities.

Although he gains unmatched combat abilities, hitting the insanity threshold also makes enemies stronger. Which in turn makes them try their best to kill you and your allies. Entering Beast Mode may strengthen Anton’s combat power but may inadvertently lead to the deaths of his warband.

CONCLUSION​

Attempting to redefine the tactical RPG genre is a monumental task, but BEAST highlights a bunch of unique features. With the potential to be some of the secret ingredients that the tactical RPG landscape is looking for. The gridless feature introduces a freedom of movement barely seen in other tactics games.

As a side effect, the game is able to convey a more natural-looking level design compared to other games in the genre. With an extensive list of late middle age weaponry, the game does a great attempt at showcasing the middle age Carpathian landscape. Not to mention the unique transformation system that the game flagships. BEAST releases on Steam Early Access on October 25th, so wishlist the game so you get notified when it gets released.

 

[Infinitron]

Released on Early Access:

 

[MicoSelva]

This game just asks to be written about in tags instead of full sentences.
#edgy
#grimdark
#eurojank
#nsfw

At least it's pretty affordable.

Steam Link:

 

[Mortmal]

There's no review about it, no information, and the only thread on the forum is someone talking about metal music, and it's locked after the second reply. Doesn't exactly bode well... Those guys need to get closer to their player base and court us, like they should.

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1145630/view/3710462647266827078

BEAST IS NOW LIVE! TEST YOUR SKILLS IN BRUTAL TURN-BASED COMBAT!
Along with Early Access release join Developer Live Stream today 18:00 CET

Greetings travelers!

Today is a special day when BEAST enters the realm of Early Access and is available to play now!
We sincerely invite you to be one of the first to try our first production as a False Prophet Dev Team. Your feedback is now a crucial part of our strategy for further updates and patches so please feel free to post it here on the Steam forum or on our official Discord channel.

Below is some good info to help you have a good time with your exclusive code! Please read through it all.

• We recommend playing with a mouse and keyboard for now.
• You are playing exclusive pre-alpha content.
• Early Access Steam opens October 25th
• Full game Release in 2024.
• You will experience the story from two sides with Anton and later, Prince Nicolai.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE & CONTENT OF THE EARLY ACCESS VERSION?

• The EA version is currently in the Pre-Alpha (early) state and contains a chunk of the game (and bugs)
  with over 20 playable missions, 2 main characters, 7 enemy classes, 11 enemy types, and 40
  weapon types. Many hours of replayable fun await! Localized versions of the game will arrive
  later this year.

TIPS, TRICKS & MORE TALKING POINTS

• • We recommend checking out all three tutorials to fully understand the uniqueness of the system.
  • Remember to collect consumable crates. Ammunition is very valuable and a very limited resource in BEAST.
  • If you score a critical hit you will see some bloody and gory dismemberment.
  • There will be difficulty levels from easier to hardcore where if you die, it’s permanent and
    you’ll have to restart the game.

In addition to the Early Access release, be prepared for an official DEVELOPER LIVE STREAM starting just after 5 PM CEST. During the stream, we will show you the basics of the game and we will go through the first stages of the game together! If you have any questions some small Q&A will be also available!

See you all here on the Steam BEAST Store Page
False Prophet Team