Maisie Scott
- The Lord of the Rings RPG might require a different balance, one that is more about adventure and exploration than realism.
- The power of immersion remains a big strength that Warhorse could add to the franchise.
- Questions are raised about his absence and the creative evolution of future Kingdom Come games, given that he did not develop them.
The Lord of the Rings RPG might require a different balance, one that is more about adventure and exploration than realism.
After the success of Kingdom Come, Warhorse Studios also revealed two new projects. The studio has announced a new Kingdom Come adventure and an open-world Middle-earth RPG. There had been speculation about The Lord of the Rings RPG for some time, and the announcement came as a surprise to no one.
Still, the announcement sparked a huge amount of excitement because it felt like Warhorse's RPG design philosophy struck a chord for Middle-earth stories. The Kingdom Come games were noted for their attention to detail, grounded systems, RPG depth, and immersive stories. Transferring these assets to a Lord of the Rings world opens up a ton of possibilities.
Meanwhile, there is some debate over how much realism can be brought to Middle-earth. Kingdom Come is very realistic, slower-paced, political, survival-systems-oriented, and filled with detailed simulation mechanics. The Lord of the Rings RPG might require a different balance, one that is more about adventure and exploration than realism.
The power of immersion remains a big strength that Warhorse could add to the franchise.
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the studio already proved itself to be incredibly detailed and believable when it comes to worlds. If such a design philosophy is extended to Middle-earth, it could make for one of the largest RPG worlds ever, depending on the amount of time and resources they have.
The separate Kingdom Come adventure project is also of interest, with reports that it is not Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3. The latest news indicates that it could be even sooner, possibly next year; instead of a full sequel, it will be a smaller-scale project. One is the departure of Kingdom Come director Daniel Vávra, who is said to have quit the project to pursue film and television projects within the franchise.
Questions are raised about his absence and the creative evolution of future Kingdom Come games, given that he did not develop them.
Nonetheless, Warhorse has already developed rich RPG systems and immersive worlds, so interest in both upcoming projects is high. The summer gaming season is finally in full swing. The summer gaming season really took off.
As the gaming industry gears up for another busy summer, no one was better prepared than PlayStation with its showcase plans, Xbox's restructuring, evolving exclusivity policies, and new RPG titles from Warhorse Studios.
The biggest takeaway from all the announcements is simple. Players are still most interested in games. Despite all these changes, services, leadership changes, and ecosystem strategies, anticipation is always around the next release, next world, and big projects offering something new for players.
