Arkheron: A New Battle Royale Game Blending Diablo, PUBG, and Dark Souls Elements

Bonfire Studios' inaugural game, Arkheron, is setting out to revolutionize the battle royale landscape with an ambitious fusion of elements from renowned titles. This upcoming game, conceived by former Blizzard creative officer Rob Pardo, draws inspiration from Diablo's deep dungeon exploration and character advancement, PUBG's competitive player-versus-player engagements, and the demanding combat style characteristic of Dark Souls. Despite the battle royale genre often being viewed as stagnant, Arkheron introduces a unique vision, promising an innovative and engaging experience for players.

Arkheron immerses players in a stark, fantastical realm, portraying a purgatorial afterlife where teams of amnesiac souls vie for dominance. Their quest involves ascending a colossal, ever-changing tower, forged from the collective memories of the deceased. Within this challenging environment, participants acquire abilities through memory-infused weaponry and gear. The objective is to outmaneuver rival teams, climbing higher through the tower's levels before they crumble, ultimately aiming to be the last team standing at the pinnacle.

While its isometric viewpoint and infernal setting initially evoke comparisons to Diablo, Arkheron quickly distinguishes itself through its gameplay mechanics. Diverging from traditional mouse-click movement, the game employs an 'isometric free-aim combat' system. This innovative control scheme utilizes the mouse or analog stick for horizontal camera adjustments and intuitive targeting, creating a fresh combat dynamic. This setup positions itself uniquely between third-person and top-down shooters, incorporating the melee, ranged, and magical attacks common in dark fantasy, alongside skillshot abilities reminiscent of MOBA team battles. The camera's close-up perspective intentionally restricts peripheral vision, ensuring parity between close-quarters and long-range combatants, as explained by Pardo.

The game's dynamic equipment system is central to character customization, where a player's gear fundamentally shapes their combat identity. With two primary weapon slots, players can define their offensive strategy; for instance, a powerful two-handed axe might grant a leaping attack for traversal, while a heavy mace could unleash a wave of slowing ice. Complementing these are two additional slots for amulets and crowns, providing crucial utility. An amulet might deploy an electric barrier to block incoming projectiles while allowing allied fire through, and a radiant crown could momentarily render the wearer invincible before siphoning life from nearby adversaries upon its expiration.

This intricate equipment system, beyond fostering diverse relic synergies, also incorporates item sets that offer bonuses when multiple pieces from the same collection are equipped. A fire-themed set, for example, could reduce ability cooldowns. Players have the strategic choice to combine up to two set bonuses or, by collecting all four pieces of a single set, transform into an Eternal. These themed hero characters, who reclaim their past identities, add a rich narrative layer and allow Bonfire Studios to evolve the game's meta through rotating Eternal availability, thereby deepening the game's lore.

Arkheron stands out as a promising evolution within the battle royale genre, offering a fresh experience by skillfully blending and reinterpreting established gameplay mechanics. Players eager to experience this unique title can participate in its inaugural Alpha playtest this weekend, running daily from 11 am to 11 pm PDT between Friday, September 19, and Sunday, September 21, by signing up on its Steam page.