Yet another new game was recently announced for Steam Early Access. The Hand of Merlin is a game developed by Room-C Games and Croteam in which you recruit heroes in order to fight against otherworldly evils. In addition, this is another game in which the narrative choices you make actual matter for the outcome. You will search for lost fragments of your soul throughout the game while undergoing unique encounters that are mixed with a flavor of sci-fi horror.
The best part about your choices mattering in this game is that the game will be different every single time you play. The story is “inspired by Arthurian legend, the Matter of France, and the history of Al-Andalus,” but is advertised as having a different twist on these.
The game takes place in a medieval setting that is on the brink of an apocalypse, which is where the sci-fi horror elements come in. This is actually a multiverse, so the fragments of your soul are scattered across them, and it’s your job to save as many different worlds as you can while uncovering ancient relics. Considering you can hop between dimensions in The Hand of Merlin, the story is ever-changing and complex, so it’s going to be difficult to become bored while playing.
The turn-based mechanics in this game are much like others in that you will be setting up your team to resonate well with each other’s skills in order to win. But unlike many turn-based games, The Hand of Merlin also makes use of the terrain, so you will use different areas to take cover or set up an ambush on the enemy.
Another interesting aspect to this game is that there are multiple paths the player can take. For example, you could choose a difficult route in an attempt to secure a legendary relic, or you could take an easier route that won’t risk the lives of your party.
The Hand of Merlin is brought to us by Versus Evil, an indie publisher who released First Class Trouble on Steam’s Early Access in April this year.
