One of the least expected reveals at Gamescom Opening Night Live was Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons. As the first new title in the universe after Baldur’s Gate 3, it quickly set itself apart in terms of gameplay, opting for an action-adventure approach. But what’s even more intriguing is the approach to magic.
Anyone who’s spent any time with Dungeons and Dragons will know that there are some very broken spells like Simulacrum and Silvery Barbs. And while it prompted a “That’s too powerful,” response, Invoke Studios head Dominic Guay told EDGE magazine (transcription via GamesRadar) that, “At some point we had to say, ‘No. Make it OP first, make it fun, and then we’ll balance it.’”
One example is how Black Tentacles won’t do much to restrain an ogre, but it can work wonders when cast on its weapon since it’s too preoccupied with freeing it to notice all the harm you’re inflicting. Guay also revealed that you won’t choose spells from a list, but rather combine different button presses to perform them. “Once you get the hang of it, you’re able to chain melee attacks, spell, spell, spell, and think on the fly. We always wanted that real-time expression of magic instead of something that feels a bit slower.”
It also captures the protagonist, Kaatri’s personal growth. “The player will learn to be a warlock at the same time as the character. You’ll gain more spells pretty fast on your journey, but you need that onboarding because we’re doing things differently on the controller than some other games.”
While much of this may sound familiar to your average action-adventure fan, Invoke previously confirmed Warlock wouldn’t feature any waypoints to encourage exploration. Considering how controversial excessive handholding has been in video games, more recently exploding due to Marvel’s Wolverine, it’s a welcome move. Don’t expect a branching story like Baldur’s Gate 3, however.
Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
