Grab a horn of mead and the largest axe you can find, because upcoming Viking strategy RPG Norse: Oath of Blood just got a new trailer at the Future Games Show, giving audiences new insight into gameplay, with footage of combat, community building, and quite a lot of violence. Without wanting to be reductive, that seems to be a very big thing for those Vikings.
Watching the trailer for the first time, I'd definitely say that Baldur's Gate 3 feels like an influence, and The Absolute knows you could certainly do worse for inspiration than one of the great modern RPGs. We see tactical turn-based combat where we control a party of Norse warriors (presumably everybody has no choice but to at least multiclass into a barbarian), as well as developing a tiny settlement into a bustling hub. Longhouses for all!
Which makes sense for what we know about the story, a revenge plot in which young protagonist Gunnar witnesses his father killed by another warrior, and must organize his people and rebuild in pursuit of justice, or at least the opportunity to bash somebody with a sword. There also looks to be a choices-matter element, with you becoming the Jarl and having to lead your people to glory or oblivion. No pressure.
Norse: Oath of Blood is expected to launch in late 2025 for PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PS5. If you want to know more, you can follow development progress for yourself via the game's official X/Twitter page.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
