Baladins: Everything We Know

Baladins is an adventure RPG that features a unique aesthetic and art style. But also a fresh take on gameplay and questing mechanics. Developed by Seed By Seed, this game shows a beautiful level of polish and thoughtfulness in its design. The game's charming approach to not only core RPG mechanics but also how those mechanics are implemented shows a level of understanding that translates into a well-developed project. Additionally, the open-ended nature of the game's storytelling allows players to create their own adventures. This is all accomplished with the cozy confines of the world of Baladins. With all of that out of the way, let's jump right into Baladins: Everything We Know. 

What is Baladins?

For players looking for a charming and thoughtful turn-based RPG title with plenty of style, Baladins is for you. The demo for the game, which is currently available on Steam, not only allows players to become familiarized with the game's world and mechanics but also does so in a way that isn't overwhelming. The residents of the world of Baladins each add their own sense of flair and style to the game. There is a class-based system for players to use to add quite a bit of variety to the core gameplay. Additionally, players can replay this experience through the lens of a new class, making for a wholly new adventure altogether.

The majority of the player's time will be spent questing and planning out their travel routes. The game only allows players to move so much per turn. This not only dramatically incentivizes the player to plan ahead but rewards them for doing so. Couple this with the game's easy-to-grasp mechanics, and you have a turn-based RPG title that new and old players can easily get into. This accessibility is far from the only thing that this title has to offer players; however, we will continue filling you in with more information about the game below.

Story

Simply by the merits of the game being a turn-based RPG, it should come as no surprise that story and narrative play a heavy role within Baladins. Players are tasked with rallying their party and setting off on a grand adventure. In doing so, they will explore a wonderfully well-fleshed-out world with its own inhabitants, each with their own motivations & backstories for players to learn. As the game is a more open-ended story, there aren'tmany core story beats, as there are more so choices for the player to follow.

Each path the player chooses to go down not only greatly affects the outcome of their journey but creates a new experience divergent from other choices they could have chosen. That said, the game's story is structured within a campaign format. This is sure to be familiar with players who are well-versed in RPGs. This allows for players to take a freedom-centric approach to their journey. This freedom is at the core of what makes Baladin's story so fantastic.

Simply put, players are able to craft their own tales and create their own legends in the world provided for them. This not only leaves plenty of room for emergent gameplay, but it also has room for the developers to build on the game's strong foundations. The ability to pick up and play the game at your pace is fantastic. This ensures that whether you are someone who enjoys a long, sprawling campaign or a simple story, you are covered. All in all, the open-ended nature of Baladin's story is one of its strongest core aspects.

Gameplay

Continuing on, we will cover an exceedingly important part of the game: the gameplay. The gameplay for Baladins is, as alluded to above, turn-based in nature. This not only places great importance on tactics and player decisions but does so in a way that feels rewarding. No matter whether you are playing the game solo or with friends, each decision counts. The player is presented with many choices as they begin their journey in order to acclimate themselves to this system. This is handled wonderfully and is intuitive for players, both old and new.

This emphasis on player choice is only wonderfully compounded when introduced in a group setting. Having the player make decisions with their party is a stellar way to encourage immersive gameplay. In addition to this, the strength of the game's core combat is also a highlight that deserves praise, to say the least. In total, there are four classes in the game, each of which interacts differently with the world around them. This can be seen in the various strengths and weaknesses each class holds. This encourages players to plan ahead and bring a variety of tools to the table.

All around, the world of Gatherac is one that opens itself up wholeheartedly to new adventurers, and we cannot wait to see what becomes of this charming title.

Development

In our next section, we will cover the game's development. The developers behind the game are Seed by Seed. These developers have seen great success with their previous title, PileUp! While this title may be a departure in many ways from their previous work, their commitment to quality ensures this title will be in good hands. It not only features a wonderfully designed playable demo available on Steam for players to enjoy. But it also would seem that progress on the game appears to be going swimmingly. In short, there are tons to look forward to regarding the future of this title, and we are incredibly excited to see what comes of it in the future.

Trailer

Within the trailer for Baladins, we see many of the core aspects of the game on full display. In addition to this, in the recently released Console Announcement trailer, we learn quite a bit about the game's future. Additionally, we see many of the cooperative mechanics here, which are sure to be a hit with lovers of cooperative play. We get to see the distinct art style of the game. As well as get a feel for the personalities of the game's characters. This not only introduces the world of Gatherac to players in a way that feels impactful but does so in an artful way.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

For our final section, we will cover the release date, platforms, and editions for Baladins. While there is no solid release date set for the game as of writing this, the loose timeframe of Early 2024 has been given. This was announced within the Console Announcement trailer, seen above. The consoles announced for the game are as follows. First, we have the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Following that, a Nintendo Switch release is also planned for the game. All of these consoles are sure to be wonderful homes for this title. Of course, the game will also be available to play on PC as well. To wrap things up, the future of Baladins is looking bright.

So, what's your take on Baladins: Everything We Know? Are you looking forward to the game? Did you learn something new? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.