Team17 and PlaySide Studios will launch Flames of Retribution on 19 April 2023, the biggest update ever for the award-winning survival real-time strategy (RTS) game, Age of Darkness: Final Stand.
We were invited to attend a presentation with PlaySide Studios’ General Manager for Console and PC, Ryan McMahon, and Game Designer Mario Barone, to talk about the Flames of Retribution update and future goals for the RTS.
Ryan and Mario ran us through a host of new features, including two campaign acts with seven missions and a prologue, three fully voiced cinematics, a new hero in Survival Mode, new production units designed to add more depth and variety to the gameplay experience. Flames of Retribution also introduces a 3D world map to select campaign missions and show more of the universe of Age of Darkness: Final Stand.
The new hero, Merek Longhold, The Bolstering Might, is a hard-hitting, close-combat bruiser wielding a massive halberd. He joins the illustrious ranks of The Order, but despite presenting himself as a paragon of law and order, Merek has been known to demonstrate moral flexibility when it benefits his desires and coin purse.
As part of the massive update, over 1000 lines of dialogue have been added, as well as 13 brand new characters and NPCs. All this new content brings this Australian RTS one step closer to reaching full launch with version 1.0. PlaySide Studios has an existing progress map that they are working towards achieving for the growing fanbase.
Since its launch into Steam Early Access in October 2021, the game has grown and Flames of Retribution represents the next evolution. Ryan explained they are focusing on meeting the content goals they’ve promised and addressing quality of life and user experience concerns leading up to the full release.
Set in a dark fantasy world, Age of Darkness: Final Stand sees humanity make a last stand against the hordes of Nightmares, monstrous creatures that lurk in the fog of war known as The Veil. The game features PlaySide Studios’ SwarmTech technology, allowing it to render up to 70,000 models on screen at once, three times more than its genre competitors. Procedurally generated maps and random rewards ensure that every final stand is unique.
PlaySide Studios, Australia’s largest publicly listed video game developer, has a portfolio of 60 games delivered across four platforms, including mobile, virtual reality, augmented reality, and PC. Since its Early Access launch, Age of Darkness: Final Stand has been a success, praised for its unique gameplay mechanics and ability to deliver a challenging and immersive survival RTS experience. The Flames of Retribution update is expected to further improve the game and offer players a more engaging experience.
For more information, Age of Darkness: Final Stand is available now on Steam as an Early Access title. The Flames of Retribution update releases 11 PM AEST on 19 April 2023.
