The War of the Stores gets new developments on a daily basis, it seems. After Metro: Exodus, yet another game already listed on Steam has decided to temporarily stay away from Valve’s store in favor of the Epic Games Store. That game is Operencia: The Stolen Sun, a first-person dungeon crawler title developed by Zen Studios, mainly known for their Pinball FX games. This game was already running a Closed Beta on Steam, too.
There’s more to it, anyway. It looks like the game is also exclusive to the Xbox One when it comes to consoles, with plans to be included (possibly at launch) in Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass library. But Operencia: The Stolen Sun will also be available on Windows Store, probably as part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program, which makes it even more obvious as a move against Steam.
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Still, Operencia: The Stolen Sun will eventually land on Steam next year, just like Metro: Exodus. Here’s what Mel Kirk, Vice President of Publishing at Zen Studios, had to say:
Last month’s Kinda Funny Games Showcase provided us with a great platform to announce Operencia, which was very well received by the RPG community, especially those who participated in the closed beta. The quality of the game caught the eye of our friends at Microsoft and Epic, which quickly led to mutual cooperation that will help us elevate this title in a way Zen would not be able to by ourselves.
Zen Studios’ modern homage to classic first-person dungeon-crawlers takes you to the land of Operencia, an unconventional fantasy world inspired by a faraway land referenced in countless Central European folktales. An old-school turn-based battle system combines with inspiration from unexplored mythology to offer an RPG experience that feels unique yet also familiar.
An unknown force has abducted the Sun King Napkiraly, leaving Operencia in a state of perpetual darkness – and eventual doom. From hidden royal tombs and cursed castles to an ascent up the World Tree to reach the Copper Forest of the Land of the Gods, explore diverse settings throughout the far reaches of the land…and beyond. Each location boasts its own unique atmosphere, visual style, level design and puzzles, and many take place entirely outdoors.
Operencia is home to an intriguing mix of unexplored mythology and fantastical versions of actual historical locations (e.g., Deva Fortress, Balvanyos) and characters (e.g., Attila, Seven Chieftains of the Magyars), all coming together to form one cohesive new gaming universe. Several of your own seven party members take influence from heroes of forgotten tales told hundreds of years ago, such as the brave knight Mezey and Sebastian the Dragon Slayer.
Along with a deeply strategic turn-based battle system full of spells and special skills to execute, tile-based movement encourages thorough exploration of each area. For added challenge, turn on Cartographer mode to plot out each of the 13 maps yourself. How many secrets will you find?
Breathtaking hand-drawn cutscenes and fabulous 2D character portraits bring the story to life in a style not easily compared to any other game. More than 30 colorful characters are fully voiced through top-tier performances authentic to the game’s Central European roots.
- Explore 13 diverse, puzzle-filled levels
- Defeat more than 50 enemy types
- Switch between 7 fully upgradable – and memorable – characters
- Robust difficulty settings allow you to select options such as limiting saves, implementing permadeath, and disabling auto-mapping to create your own
- Stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4
- An epic orchestral score composed by Arthur Grosz
- Fully 3D environments, enemies and objects, plus high-fidelity advanced effects with dynamic shadows and lighting
- AAA Indie production quality and polish with top-tier voice acting, soundtrack, cutscenes and writing
