The world of Fallout is one where miniaturization and sleek, modern technology never happened. Machines and computers are clunky and creaky. Guns feel like they could burst at the seams at any moment. Likewise, Frostpunk – and of course Frostpunk 2 – capture a dystopian steampunk future where even the most basic life-preserving actions require mountains of coal and steel. It’s heavy, dank, and oppressive. You take that aesthetic and combine it with the isometric, party-based exploration and narrative of Baldur’s Gate 3, and you get this gorgeous new RPG game, that’s just got a new trailer and is heading soon to Steam.
Welcome to New Arc Line, from developer Dreamate, and Men of War and Forgive Me Father publisher Fulqrum. An RPG game shot from the classic semi-top-down perspective, it takes place in a would-be fantasy world torn apart by bubbling civil unrest. On one side, you have the technologists and the industrialists, who are plundering the environment for the sake of developing new steampunk machines and fatter profit margins. On the other, you have magic users, who abhor technology and seek a more peaceful, pastoral existence. You can choose which side you’re on, and customize every aspect of your character. From there, you can find and recruit a variety of party members for turn-based combat and dozens of story and sidequests. Check out the brand-new trailer below:
There are six main character classes and 12 subclasses, and while brute-force fighting might serve as one approach, you can also use deduction, strategy, conversation, and manipulation to solve the majority of your problems.
Earn new skills, learn recipes, and build out your party with increasingly powerful equipment – all the CRPG staples are here, but New Arc Line stands apart owing to its extremely striking world design. It’s a wonderful clash between weighty retro-futurism and dark magical realism, sometimes resembling Fallout, sometimes Frostpunk, and other times BG3, Diablo, or even the Columbia of BioShock Infinite.
While we’re still waiting on a full release date, New Arc Line is scheduled to launch in 2024, so the wait shouldn’t be too long. In the meantime, you can add it to your Steam wishlist right here.
Alternatively, take a look at some of the other best story games, or perhaps the best upcoming PC games that you can look forward to in the coming year and beyond.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.