Today, FromSoftware is known for creating the Soulslike: a particular brand of dark fantasy action-RPG that's helped to define the modern gaming landscape. But the spirit of the genre goes all the way back to the '90s, when FromSoftware's own King's Field series started endearing itself to a small cult of devotees. Now, that same spirit is influencing a new generation of indie developers, and the upcoming Queen's Domain is one of the most impressive tributes we've seen yet.
You might've heard about Queen's Domain before – like last year, when we reported about it reaching 50,000 Steam wishlists in a week. Now that wishlist number is over 180,000, and the game finally has an October 30 release date. The best part? Not only is it launching on Steam, it'll also hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2 on the same day.
Queen's Domain is a first-person RPG with "retro-fantasy" aesthetics. It doesn't actually look like a PS1 game, as the environments are far too dense and detailed to fit that old hardware, but the dithering effects, sparse UI, and chunky creature designs certainly create that vibe.
The lonely atmosphere of King's Field certainly seems intact here, as you find yourself washed ashore on a mysterious island and given little direction on how to proceed. Instead, you've got to figure out your own way in the interconnected world and build up your arsenal of weapons and powers. In other words, it's catnip for those who appreciate punishing RPGs.
And yes, of course there are skeletons. Modern gaming machines can produce mind-boggling effects, after all.
There's a demo for Queen's Domain available on Steam right now if you want to give it a spin ahead of launch. And if the idea of "King's Field but from an indie dev" speaks to you, it's become a bit of a cottage industry. We covered Lunacid years ago, which has enjoyed very positive reviews since 2023, and the more recent Verho: Curse of Faces has enjoyed similarly positive buzz. If you're the right kind of RPG sicko, it's an absolute feast out there.
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