Surprisingly, former BioWare developers announced a new survival game in 2021: Nightingale. MeinMMO was allowed to ask the CEO some questions, and we can tell you more about co-op and content in the new game.
Nightingale is a new survival co-op game from Improbable and Inflexion Games. The developers are mostly former employees of BioWare, the studio behind hits like Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Nightingale is said to have very little in common with BioWare. The game is described as something “completely new,” although RPG elements like characters, crafting, and item stats are certainly planned.
The unique aspect of the game is its setting. Nightingale takes place in a Victorian world reminiscent of the 19th century filled with magic. It mixes elements from fantasy, history, and steampunk. Technically, this setting is referred to as “Gaslight-” or “Gaslamp-Fantasy.”
You play as a Realmwalker in Nightingale, a mage who can traverse between worlds. Your task is to search for a new home for humanity, as the old one is threatened by a catastrophe.
You will also find a new world, but this one is filled with fairy creatures that won’t exactly welcome you. We spoke with Aaryn Flynn, the CEO of Inflexion Games, about the special features of the game.
The CEO in Interview: “Players Should Feel Connected to Each Other”
The focus of Nightingale is on player collaboration, crafting, and fighting against the world. You should build a new home for humanity together, creating a home or even cities.
Some deeper details about co-op are still missing, but Aaryn Flynn already told us about multiplayer:
It is important to mention that players can play Nightingale alone or in co-op. But for multiplayer, we want players to feel connected to each other and for the world to feel like there is more than just your own journey.
We also want the world to feel seamlessly connected and for you not to just invite friends to a specific server. Players can find other Realmwalkers who have wandered into their worlds. And there will be ways for them to interact and collaborate to advance their own journey.
Worldwalking is an important aspect. Flynn explains that you can travel through specific portals to a “nearly infinite number of fairy worlds full of discoveries, challenges, and opportunities.”
This also allows developers to surprise players repeatedly. A single map could expand into many worlds, further developing gameplay and storytelling. More about this will be heard in the future.
A World of “Deeper and Meaningful Moments”
Flynn already said in an earlier interview that well-developed characters are necessary for a vibrant world. Nightingale also aims to draw players into the world – but not just through dialogues and relationships with NPCs:
Players must feel a connection to the people and places around them. By creating an environment that feels authentic, you can have those deep and meaningful moments of interaction – whether through encountering an NPC, through combat, or interacting with other players.
Particularly the interaction between players will be a focus of Nightingale. Flynn emphasizes that you will need to work together to build cities and defend against invasions. The gameplay systems will take all of this collaboration into account.
It is said that they do not want to compare Nightingale to other games, but they love survival games, online games, and games that promote teamwork. So it sounds like Nightingale is a real survival co-op game with a focus on PvE.
Early Access Coming in 2022
There is still no release date, but we already know that there will be an early access phase. The developers want to test and improve together with the community before Nightingale is released.
The CEO confirmed to us that early access will start in 2022. Currently, only PC is targeted as the platform, which is where they want to focus. However, there will also be controller support. You can find more survival games that are set to come out in 2022 in our preview:
How long the early access will last, Flynn couldn’t tell us yet. In any case, Nightingale should be continuously developed: “It’s not like we will be finished, clap our hands, and then just leave.”
Nightingale will be available for PC once early access begins. As for DLCs, we cannot say anything at this time. However, we also asked about the controversial NFTs – those are something that they do not want to introduce.
Nightingale takes a novel approach to the genre and combines many known features with its own ideas. The focus on PvE is likely to please the survival community. Interestingly, Flynn sees the future of the genre similarly to how I do. Games should become more immersive, have more possibilities, and above all connect players more strongly:
How 2021 has changed the survival genre and why it will be even better in 2022
