Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna — Everything We Know

Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna is a three-hit combo: story-driven, Celtic-inspired, and computer role-playing games (cRPG). If either one of those three sounds like your cup of tea, then you definitely want to find out all you can about it. So far, the game is in its very early development phase.

adventureWe don’t have a definitive release date yet, but a crowdfunding round has been planned for sometime in early 2025. Still, thanks to the game’s Steam page already out now, we have a relatively good idea of the story and gameplay to expect. So, come along while we unpack everything we know about Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna so far.

What is Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna?

Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna is an upcoming single-player story-driven cRPG that takes full advantage of Celtic folklore to design its characters and world. You’ll be exploring a medieval fantasy setting brimming with charm and wonder.

Furthermore, you’ll be controlling a party of Fianna characters who must set out on a journey to save the kingdom of Tara from destruction. Internal strife and an ancient dark force are threatening peace and order in the kingdom, and it’s up to the Fianna champions to save the world.

Story

Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna will be a single-player game that will be story-driven, a cRPG, and make use of Unreal Engine 5. The setting will draw inspiration from Celtic folklore. However, while you may spot familiar characters and environments, the journey itself will be an original one. Moreover, you’ll embark on an epic adventure in the medieval age that infuses fantasy elements into the story.

Briefly, you’ll meet the Bards, who have the ability to invoke curses (or blessings) using poems and songs. There’ll be Druids, who can cast powerful spells drawing from the magic of the Shee. Lastly, there’ll be the warriors who can wield supernatural abilities as well as legendary weapons. The weapons will draw power from the spirits of ancient heroes. 

At the center stage is Finn, who is an orphan child capable of wielding otherworldly powers. She’ll rally the Fianna, who will make up your party. The Fianna are Champions of the High Queen, who you must lead to defend the kingdom of Tara from supernatural forces and villain lords. While venturing farther into Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna’s epic adventure, you’ll uncover a dark conspiracy and get pulled into an even more dangerous threat from the past looking for vengeance.

Gameplay

Looking forward to the epic adventure that awaits in Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna, the specific gameplay elements you can prepare for include:

• Classless characters: Fianna champions will morph into either Bard, Druid, or Warrior classes. However, they will operate differently from what you may be used to. They will naturally gear themselves toward a certain class. Moreover, you can customize Finn, mixing and matching wide-ranging skills and abilities from either class.
• Non-violent enemy encounters: You’ll stumble onto enemies who push you into a corner. However, rather than trigger violence, you’ll jump into a turn-based encounter mode. It’ll take place on a grid requiring strategic play, where your weapons and spells can take effect. However, you can take the non-violent option and de-escalate the situation by utilizing non-lethal skills, dialogue, and finding specific character trait combinations. Keep in mind, though, that the latter strategy will be influenced by the decisions you have already made in the past.
• Romance: You can build bonds with your party members. They can be friendships that evolve into romance. Thanks to unique companions, you’ll explore varied pathways and goals and battle with a moral compass. Based on your choices, your journey will evolve differently. Some party members may even leave you when they are not too happy with your decisions.
• Choices and consequences: Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna wants to fully capitalize on consequences. You’ll make both meaningful and impactful decisions. Whether it’s creating your character or making choices along your journey, they will influence your actions and impact your Reputation. You’ll experience the consequences of your decisions, which will be revealed via NPC interactions or while exploring the world. The game will be interactive. So, this is likely to also reflect on your journey.

Development

Hawkswell Studios is behind the wheel of developing and publishing Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna. This will be the studio’s first game, which is based in Paris. Although the studio is new, the staff are industry veterans who have over 15 years of experience in “hands-on production and editorial coordination and supervision.”

The studio prides itself on storytelling engineers focused on narrative-driven games. With their drive for interactive storytelling and RPG, Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna will be the first world they create that they hope players will find engaging to create epic stories within.

Trailer

The trailer begins with four Celtic warriors known as the Fianna, accompanied by a woman’s voice narrating their role: summoning past heroes, whether honored or cursed. The scene transitions to a past hero guarding a tomb alongside two skeleton soldiers. The trailer offers a glimpse of the combat system and showcases some of the powers players can use in the game.

You can watch the official trailer announcement for Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna, revealed at the PC Gaming Show 2024 event.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna doesn’t have a definitive release date just yet. It’s unfortunate, as it means the game could easily slip into late next year or even 2026. With the crowdfunding still planned for the first quarter of 2025, the final launch could be much later. So you can stay on top of updates and get a notification as soon as the game drops, you can add it to your Steam wishlist now.

The game will be launching on PC platforms only. But who knows, perhaps more ports will come sometime in the future. For now, we await more announcements and updates on the editions and release date, which you can keep track of via the official social handle here.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.