Gord is An Ambitious RTS From Ex-Witcher Developers

Gord is a new RTS that focuses on the dark tales of Nordic folklore. For years, Greek mythology has reigned supreme within the gaming community in terms of theme. Within the last ten years, Nordic stories are slowly becoming more prominent, most notably within the God of War franchise. Additionally, even Chinese mythology is starting to rise up and forge its own path in video games. This new title is by developer Covenant.dev and it is about a lone Slavic warrior trying to lead the Tribe of the Dawn deep into mysterious lands to resettle a new home. Even though the premise is fairly straightforward, this game is wrought with content that will provide many hours of gameplay. Despite having an RTS aesthetic, there is also a surprising amount of survival elements in this game, as well.

The main concept behind Gord is finding a way to build a bustling civilization from humble beginnings. This world is brutal and even evil, sometimes. There are many mythological creatures lurking throughout the land that will constantly challenge players. Growing food, maintaining the well-being of the populace, and fortifying everyone’s home will be the core of the gameplay. Stemming off from that will also be elaborate quests that will take the tribe to far-off places and encounter all manners of beasts. Thusly, there is even a feature that focuses on the mental state of the people within the tribe. The way players look after their people will affect the A.I. behavior. People will either remain loyal and fight to the death, or they’ll just run away. There is a lot to balance with this IP, which gives a fresh approach to one of the oldest genres in the video game industry.

Slavic Fortunes

Needless to say, Gord has a Witcher vibe radiating from it. This is because some talent behind The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is overlooking this project. In actuality, this new title is a stew of many genres thrown in. Everything from adventure, strategy, character arcs, building, management, and survival are all part of this game’s code. This is a bold move to make for such a new IP, but it appears that things are coming together quite nicely. Venturing out into the wilds to obtain resources to build will be the foundation of gameplay. However, it’s a risk and reward balance that will need to be tended to because anything can happen at any time. Raids, illness, and other random events can flare up without notice.

Oddly enough, there will also be some light political choices that players will need to decide upon. This is will act as a spice to the overall gameplay that won’t stray too far from the community building mechanics. Ultimately, these choices will affect morale. Plus, it will also chip away the “Sanity and Burden” systems implemented into the character A.I. Basically, if something strenuous happens within the community, your own people will start fighting against your rule. Losing loved ones, hunger, famine and an overall lousy situation will erode the sanity of the people. This, in turn, will greatly affect the difficulty of the game. Even though the community is the heart of a gamer’s playthrough, they will also be free to explore the map at their whim. There are all kinds of things to find throughout the map. It almost has the feel of an open world that begs to be explored and plucked from all its riches. Finding certain items and unfolding folklore about this world grants experience points that can be used to further enrich the base.

Braving The Elements

This is also where the “adventure” aspect of Gord comes into play. There are quests that will take players out to forests, mountains, and swamps to either find a treasure, slay a beast or discover secrets. The completion of the quest will cause a ripple effect that will either positively or negatively mold the people of the Tribe of the Dawn. Smiting ancient evils and mysterious cryptids will build character and will provide upgrading opportunities. All of these features are procedurally generated, which gives this new RTS a rogue-like feel to it. What is extra nice, is the fact that players can adjust any feature to their liking to custom make their playthrough. They can have a tranquil time building up their fortress without much hassle if they wish. The opposite also holds true, giving players the chance to crank up raids, beast encounters, and even the weather if they want a hard-boiled time.

Despite the grim and gritty design of Gord, there is also some magic available in this world. Praying to the Gods increases the chance to unlock certain spells. These are called “Incantations” and they can be used in all sorts of ways. Players can choose to use an incantation to help defend their fortress, or they can use them for attacks. Everything from summoning a force field to possessing monsters will be possible through these spells. Chances are that incantations will be vital for the survival of the Tribe of the Dawn. Even though there will be ways to fight in the traditional sense, it won’t be enough in some cases. Based on what the trailer shows, everything from ghouls, phantoms, and even the Leshen seems to be living in this world. Magic will be a primary factor toward winning battles in Gord.

From Boards to Gords

There was always a satisfaction watching something start from nothing and witnessing it become something monumental. This was always the main appeal to RTS’s and building sims. Gord certainly has its sights aimed pretty high toward achieving something unique. This game has been under development for some time and is slated to be released sometime this year. Things have been pretty quiet with Gord, until a few days ago when a cinematic trailer was dropped. It showcases how the praying feature in this game will work which, as stated before, is a very helpful factor. Gord will be available for PC at launch.

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