With Immortals of Aveum, EA will release a shooter in summer 2023 that completely forgoes traditional firearms. But can it work?
What kind of game is it? Immortals of Aveum is an upcoming first-person shooter developed by Ascendant Studios and published by EA Originals. The release is on July 20, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam, Epic, EA).
The unique aspect of this single-player title is that Immortals of Aveum eschews traditional weapons like rifles and pistols in favor of magic – even though it is a first-person shooter.
You take on the role of Jak, a talented young man who has joined a type of elite combat mages to save the world from destruction. Along your journey, you will fight hordes of enemies with your magical powers and face boss battles.
The first gameplay trailer for Immortals of Aveum can be seen here:
Can a shooter without weapons work?
This is what players say: Some users express doubts on YouTube under the gameplay trailer. Many are bothered by the magical attacks. It seems as if they have no impact on the enemies (via YouTube).
In general, there was quite a bit of criticism for the gameplay shown. One user writes: “I see nothing particularly engaging about the gameplay.” Others feel that the gameplay shown has too many colorful effects, making it hard to discern what is happening to the enemies behind the effects.
Such a problem usually does not exist with a normal shooter when a shot with a rifle is fired at an NPC. With the magical attacks, chaos ensues, says one commentator: “When the player casts spells, it’s chaotic, so many things happen at once.”
Are there comparable shooters? Yes and no. A shooter that completely avoids weapons and instead shoots magical attacks from its hands seems to be an innovative idea. Nevertheless, some games have similar aspects, such as the hero shooter Overwatch.
In Overwatch, there is not only chaos and many vibrant colors, but also heroes whose weapons are not traditional rifles. The geneticist Moira does not use an assault rifle but a beam that can either give or take life. The monk Zenyatta uses his spiritual power to create “spheres of destruction” and shoots at enemies with a hand motion.
Additionally, in loot shooters like Destiny and Outriders, there are class abilities that can inflict area damage with fire attacks. Clearly, in both titles, assault rifles and pistols play a crucial role, but individual skills show that it can also be done without.
Who might find this interesting? The gameplay principle of Immortals of Aveum is aimed more at shooter players who are also fantasy fans. If you are into realistic games like Escape from Tarkov and Squad, then you might not be happy with the magic adventure.
However, those who have transitioned from the story of Titanfall 2 to Elder Scrolls Online should probably have no problem with the magic shooter. Players of Overwatch 2, Destiny 2, and Outriders may also find the title interesting.
Ultimately, the delivered quality will also play a role in the success of Immortals of Aveum. Criticized aspects like hit impact or disproportionate effects should be addressed before the release if EA wants to avoid another Anthem.
The latest example of a poorly executed “EA Originals” release is the hunting game Wild Hearts, which aimed to innovatively expand the genre with a building system:
5 reasons why the new 80€ game from EA is such a terrible flop – Despite 80% on Metacritic
