Criminals Within: Everything We Know

Space Rock Games, a studio made up of several industry veterans who've contributed to series including Fable, Black & White, and Path of Exile, has announced Criminals Within, an all-new co-op-only medieval fantasy adventure game for consoles and PC.

“We are very excited to finally share the game we’ve been working on secretly for the past 12 months,” said Space Rock Games' managing director Zsombor Pirok in a press release. “Thanks to our wonderful team and our amazing investors—Hillfarrance and NZGCP—we get to create the ultimate co-op adventure we’d love to play ourselves.”

With that out of the way, now's the time to pour a bit of extra color onto the canvas. Criminals Within: what is it, and why should you be stapling it to your wishlist over on Steam this year? Here's everything you need to know.

What Is Criminals Within?

To put it short, Criminals Within is an upcoming asymmetric co-op fantasy game by Space Rock Games. In this latest venture, players take on the roles of two unique heroes, Helena, and Jarel, as they work to unravel the facts surrounding a kingdom-wide disease that threatens to wipe out its very existence. In a It Takes Two-like format, budding partners in crime will step forth to tackle an “epic journey through a medieval fantasy land inhabited by powerful, de-evolved dragons.”

Going by the key details Space Rock has already shared, Criminals Within will adopt a Disney-like art style and humor, a lot of which will role out in a similar fashion as, say, Dreamlight Valley. 

Of course, there's still a lot we don't actually know about the upcoming multiplayer game, mainly down to the fact that it was only announced earlier this week. Thanks to its Steam listing, though, we do have a general image of what it'll not only look like, but also play like. But before we get into that, here's what you need to know about the story…

Story

By the looks of it, Criminals Within will cast its focus on two heroes — Helena, a “formidable royal guard with unmatched strength”, and Jarel, a “roguish burglar.” According to the blurb, the two unlikely protagonist will band together to unravel a mystery surrounding “The Wither”, a deadly disease that threatens the very existence of their homeland. As well as this, the duo will “explore treacherous caves and cursed jungles, seeking the lost prince Felix and working to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.”

We can't say for certain what types of shenanigans the unlikely duo will be getting themselves into, but according to Space Rock, you will have the opportunity to…*checks script*…”Enjoy lighthearted comedy that will keep you laughing and engaged throughout your journey.” Now there's a tall order.

Gameplay

Criminals Within will reportedly adopt a co-op-only template, meaning you'll have to buddy up either online or locally in order to take on its story. And inside said story, as one would come to expect from a multiplayer game, players will be tasked with completing a variation of puzzles, engaging in “epic” boss battles, and skill-based combat.

As well as all the basic ingredients you'd find in most bog-standard couch co-op hits, players will also have the opportunity to customize their heroes, either through the use of cosmetics or character-locked special abilities. All of this will—at least from what we've already seen—come bundled in as part of a traditional asymmetrical platforming experience. It's funny, wholesome, and sure to scratch that itch for a brand-new compelling multiplayer campaign.

Development

Announced earlier this week, Space Rock Games made it clear that, while Criminals Within would be heading to PC as a day-one exclusive, it would be coming to consoles in the near future. It wasn't said when, exactly, nor which consoles of the few consoles if would land on. Safe to say, though, that Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 users can probably rest assured that it's on the way. At this point in time, it's merely the case of asking when will it arrive, as opposed to will it?

Granted, there's plenty we don't actually know about the project's development cycle or roadmap. Chances are, though, that Space Rock Games will make an announcement over the next few months, perhaps to highlight some of its gameplay details. In the meantime, you can add the game to your wishlist on Steam here.

Trailer

Caught your interest? If so, then you'll be pleased to know that Space Rock Games did in fact lift the veil on a short trailer of Criminals Within earlier this week. And while it didn't quite show a whole lot of gameplay elements, it did paint a pretty convincing picture of the general aesthetic of the game, as well as the art style and characters it employs. You can see it for yourself in the embed above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Criminals Within will be coming to PC via Steam on an undisclosed date, and then to consoles at a later date. It hasn't been said which of the consoles it will launch on, though it'll most likely find ground on both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

At the time of writing, Space Rock Games hasn't mentioned anything about releasing any special editions outside of its standard one. But of course, as it's still early days, it's unlikely that such an announcement will be made for quite some time. Until then, you can keep tabs on the project by following its Steam handle.

For more information on the Criminals Within launch, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything interesting pops up between now and its eventual release, we'll be sure to share all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Criminals Within when it drops? Do you think we'll see it by 2024? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.