Take a stand in the eternal conflict between Arcane Magic and Steampunk Revolution and tip the uneasy balance between sorcery, elves, dwarves and mysterious monsters on one side and steampunk gadgets, zeppelins, and tesla guns on the other in this single-player, party-based, story-rich RPG.
The New World looms on the horizon, on its shore the shining city of progress, and the last beacon of hope in your search for a cure to your family's fatal disease - New Arc. You arrive to this foreign land by steerage of a steamship, cramped with thousands of other immigrants, a stranger in a strange land, full of wonder. But you will soon discover that the city's beauty runs only skin-deep and all you find is rot beneath the golden facade.
Dark smoke from the factories chokes the skies, segregation, inequality, and corruption run rampant. You will have to rise from the very bottom, make tough decisions, and get your hands dirty if you are to succeed - and you must, no matter the cost!
Craft technopunk gear or master the arcane arts, fight, steal or smooth-talk your way to the top and become the hero or villain you want to be. You will not have to face the trials of this world alone, however; find your companions and gather your party, make foes and allies, fall in love, get involved in a massive conspiracy, and change the course of history forever.
Will you rise to the occasion?
Developer Dreamate has shared some details about what awaits them - Explaining the backstory and mechanics of the three playable technological classes.
Set in a world teetering on the precipice of change, New Arc Line is a story-rich RPG that invites players to explore the abundant yet troubled realm where magic and technology collide.
In New Arc Line, the world has moved beyond the Mago-Technology wars, and science and engineering have become the ruling principles. This triumph catapulted the Technologists to power, and nothing stood in the way of industrialization and inventors replaced sorcerers as the ones shaping the world and society alike. Steamboats took over the seas, zeppelins conquered the skies and wands and magical staves were surpassed by guns, grenades and other technological implements of death.
But trouble is brewing beneath the surface. The rise of a new invention, automatons, has led to massive layoffs in industrial plants, leaving countless families without a source of income. Ironically, the very workers who once cheered for the suppression of mages are now being crushed by the wheels of the technological revolution they helped create. Industrialists still promise a bright future, and who knows - perhaps they will turn the world into a utopia in the end. But as of the beginning of the story of New Arc Line, the poor, the tired, the huddled masses still yearn to be free and it seems that one form of tyranny has simply replaced another.
Nevertheless, talented enthusiasts can still make their dreams come true, even in this rapidly evolving world - if they show a real work ethic, that is! Opportunities abound in three technological areas in particular: Tesla, Diesel, and Steam. Each field requires a unique skillset from its practitioners, but gives them access to specialised weapons and equipment, granting powerful abilities on par with actual magic. In the game, this translates into the option to select out of three playable technological classes*:
- Diesel Engineer: Often seen sporting leather coats with many pockets and utility belts to store the tools they need for their constant tinkering, Diesel Engineers are experts in firearms and skilled creators of cutting-edge diesel gadgets - you never know when a Jetpack might come in handy to bail you out of a tight spot!
- Steam Mechanic: These are the most hands-on of the technological classes, preferring to face any problem and obstacle head-on. To that end, they utilise the awesome strength of highly reliable steam engines, powering wearable gear that enhances their own physical abilities; the most skilled Mechanics construct and operate full steam-powered exoskeletons, transforming into nigh-unstoppable behemoths when the need arises to bash some skulls in!
- Tesla Scientist: Practitioners of the most mysterious, almost ethereal of the technological disciplines can often be seen with strange, buzzing and sparkling instruments strapped to their bodies, nervously fidgeting as they strive to control lightning itself. The more superstitious folk would say that Tesla Scientists are playing with powers beyond their understanding that are better left alone, but the most accomplished of these scholars are rumoured to be able to even reanimate lifeless bodies - what could go wrong?
*Diesel Engineer will be available at Early Access launch, Steam Mechanic and Tesla Scientist will be added as playable classes later.
New Arc Line is set to launch into Early Access on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG on November 26, 2024!
Key Features:
- Become the Hero or the Villain you want to be: Create your own character as a Human or Elf, choose your gender, background and appearance. Keep in mind that inhabitants of this world might have their own prejudices and will treat you differently depending on your choices.
- Gather your Party: You won’t be alone on these shores. Meet & recruit a diverse cast of characters, learn their stories, face their demons together and help them grow, or use them for your own gain and discard them as fits your schemes. Who knows, maybe you will even find your true love!
- Master Technology or Magic: Will you master the secrets of Magic to incinerate enemies as a Hellfire occultist, curse them with mystical Voodoo abilities, or assist your allies as a Celestial sage? Or will you rather cast aside the obsolete ways and become a Steampunk mechanic, Dieselpunk engineer or Teslapunk scientist, and turn your character into a walking steam-powered fortress?
- Fight for your Right: Command your party in turn-based tactical battles. Fight head-on and brute-force your way through encounters or observe and analyze each situation and come up with cunning strategies to conquer even seemingly overwhelming odds. There’s a plethora of skills, spells, crafting recipes and consumables at your disposal to turn the tide of battle in your favor.
- Manifest Your Destiny: Make a name for yourself, influence countless lives for better or worse, and watch the consequences of your choices unfold. You may start out as only a poor immigrant, but soon your exploits will fill the front pages of newspapers and the events you set in motion will change the fate of the New World forever.
New Arc Line will be available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), Xbox Series X|S and PS5 in late 2025.
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