Spellbreak

Spellbreak is a free-to-play, class-based battle royale video game developed by Proletariat for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, released on September 3, 2020.[1]

Spellbreak
Developer(s)Proletariat
Publisher(s)Proletariat
Platform(s)
ReleaseSeptember 3, 2020
Genre(s)Battle royale
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Gameplay

Like most battle royale games, Spellbreak drops a large number of players into an arena which slowly shrinks over time with the last surviving team declared the winner. However, unlike other battle royale games, it uses magical spells in place of guns. Players can choose from one of six classes: wind, fire, ice, lightning, stone and toxic, which will determine their primary attack type. Each player starts with a gauntlet permanently attached to them which can deal out both primary and secondary attacks. Primary are limited by Mana which is an energy pool shared with levitation, secondary have cooldown timers. Players are also able to pick up a secondary gauntlet during plays. Elements from different gauntlets can be combined to make spells more powerful, provide crowd control effects, or reduce others, depending on strategic desires.[2][3][4] According to the developer the game also includes role-playing and roguelike elements.

Development

The core combat was inspired by old school shooters like Quake and Unreal Tournament.[5] At the time the Battle Royale genre was and CEO Seth Sivak remembers thinking "was really a competitive roguelike for people that didn’t play roguelikes" wondering "Could we do a cool, interesting fantasy version of that and make it into something awesome? All the mean while finishing it up with in 2 years and with a team of 6.’"[6] The setting was decided on after the team realized that most Battle Royale games were gun based and felt that they could produce a fantasy themed version of the genre. According to executive producer Cardell Kerr the game was initially more "swords than sorcery" although the balance would eventually switch.[7] The gameplay was influenced by such games as Unreal Tournament and Quake, while the visual design was influenced by such animated movies such as Akira and Princess Mononoke as well the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Further inspiration for the visuals came from games with "gorgeous visual effects like 2D Castlevanias, League of Legends, and Breath of the Wild"[8]

References
  1. "Spellbreak to launch as free-to-play title". Gematsu. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. Hargreaves, Jim. "Preview: Is Spellbreak the next must-play battle royale game?". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. Orland, Kyle. "Spellbreak beta stands out from the copycat battle royale crowd". Arstechnicha. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  4. Chandler, Sam. "Spellbreak hands-on preview: Battle royale with a magical twist". Shack News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  5. Hargreaves, Jim. "Spellbreak developer talks PS4, inspirations, and cross-play". TheSixthAxis. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  6. "Spellbreak is a chaotic, magic-slinging take on battle royale". Venturebeat. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. Shubhankar, Parijat. "Spellbreak Interview – Progression, Upcoming Improvements, Possible Next-Gen Ports, and More". Gamingbolt. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  8. Hargreeves, Jim. "Spellbreak developer talks PS4, inspirations, and cross-play". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
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