Umbra By SolarFall Games

Role playing games have made a big comeback in the last few years and judging by the Kickstarter success of Umbra gamers are still hungry for more. This open world, hack ‘n’ slash had a funding goal of $225,000 and at the time of writing has sailed past it comfortably with almost two weeks left on the clock.

We were fortunate enough to check out a very early tech demo of the game to see for ourselves what the fuss is all about and definitely walked away impressed. Umbra takes place in a corrupted world where your character is on the run after unwillingly developing magical powers. Apparently this is something that carries a death penalty, but your character meets up with some Templars who have use for your skills.

Umbra is viewed from an isometric perspective, and thanks to its use of the CRYENGINE looks drop-dead gorgeous. Judging by the tech demo the developers are definitely putting the engine to good use as it features some very detailed environments. According to the developers the game will feature “Apocalyptic Form” which is a unique mechanic that allows players to mold their character just as they see fit. This sound quite intriguing as it will influence both the look and abilities of the character. Everything from melee warriors gaining an extra arm to hold more weapons to fire casters with lava skins are possible according to them, which sounds both bizarre and awesome. At the moment Umbra only has a male lead, but one of the Kickstarter stretch goals is a playable female character, so hopefully this is reached.

The game is set to feature an open world, ripe for exploration, and of course tons of loot to collect along the way. A crafting mini-game will allow players to construct their own weapons and armor while the semi procedural weaponry will keep the loot fresh. In fact, you can even create your own house where you can show off all your hard won treasures. The game isn’t skimping on the story either, so check out the Kickstarter page for more info about your character and the world of Umbra.

Umbra is a massively ambitious game, but the developers appear to be quite experienced with using the CRYENGINE. After playing through the tech demo we could hardly believe that it is the work of a small indie team. They are also clearly very dedicated to delivering an epic experience with plenty of replay value, so we can’t wait to play the finished product. Although Umbra has already reached its original goal, there is still plenty of stretch goals, including an expanded side quest pool, global leaderboard, multiplayer features and of course a playable female character.

If Umbra can deliver on everything it promises, fans of the genre are definitely in for a treat. Judging by what we have played the developers are certainly on the right track and we wholeheartedly recommend showing Umbra some support on Kickstarter.