The Game Awards combines accolades, exciting announcements, and industry news to make a must-watch experience. Among the abundance of reveals at The Game Awards 2021 was the announcement of a new title fromformerDragon Agedeveloper Aaryn Flynn. During this announcement, Flynn took to the stage to explain a bit more about the upcoming game. A trailer soon followed, and players got a look atNightingaleand its action-adventure elements.
While the title will be a shift away from the formula of previousBioWaregames, the developers have statedMass EffectandDragon Age,plus standalone titles likeAnthem, will be inspirations forNightingale. At first glance it may seem like the 2022 game doesn’t have much in common with any of these titles, but the ex-BioWare devs have outlined some key aspects that are important tenets in previous releases.
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How Nightingale Draws From Mass Effect and Dragon Age
On the surface,Nightingaledoesn’t appear to have anything in common with previous BioWare titles likeDragon AgeorMass Effect. The setting, core mechanics, and genre are all different from larger BioWare series, and with so many differences it’s hard to see where Flynn and Inflexion Games will be taking inspiration. But there are several major features informing the development ofNightingalethat are taken from previous BioWare titles.
One thing that several BioWare series are known for is storytelling. TheMass Effecttrilogy sees Shepard unite the galaxy to take on the Reaper threat, garnering praise by fans and provided the beating heart of the games. WhileAnthemfollowed an online multiplayer model, its gameplay was still tied together with a plot that threaded through its fast-paced action and provided insights into Coda’s history. TheDragon Ageseries is a textbook example of an in-depth fantasy worldwith nuanced socio-political struggles and centuries of lore. WhileNightingalewon’t have quite the same structure, Flynn insists a focus on worldbuilding and lore will run throughout the game.
Themorality system in games likeMass Effectwill also be used as an inspiration for some elements inNightingale. While not copying the mechanic exactly,Nightingalewill have an emphasis on player choice, with gamers able to decide on different approaches to combat that will have consequences for their characters.Nightingalewill be full of such choices that have real weight and effects on the in-game world, adding a layer of depth to the classic survival-crafting formula.
Nightingalewill also strive to give players a sense of place amid the vast areas they explore. The city of Nightingale is the “last haven of humanity,” and serves as a supposed safe zone for players as they attempt to find their way to it. It appears to have a similar function to locations like the Normandy or theCitadel inMass Effect– an area with narrative significance that acts as a familiar base with potentially emotional resonance as the game progresses.
What Is Known About Nightingale So Far
Since it was officially announced, players have been shown glimpses into the world ofNightingale. While the game might have started off with a slightly different focus, embracing more of an MMO style similar toAmazon’sNew World,Nightingalehas shifted to a shared-world crafting-survival game with a fantastical Victorian-era setting. With its aesthetic,Nightingalehas the chance to completely re-imagine the world while retaining elements and styles reminiscent of a certain era. The network of magical portals that previously enabled travel through multiple realms has collapsed, and players must learn to survive in mythical worlds.
The magical city of Nightingale is a human hub world with a seemingly similar function toDragon Age: Inquisition’s Skyhold. The game will have first-person combat as well as resource management, crafting, and elements of habitat construction. Although the wildernesses players need to traverse will be largely wild and uninhabited, there will be NPCs dotted around to give out quests and provide in-game lore that helps with worldbuilding. There will be a variety of enemies that players will encounter, from towering giants to smaller creatures in the lands of Fae. Players can travel through forests, deserts, and swamps as they construct their own communities and craft tools to survive.
