Manor Lords publisher announces Vaunted, a new strategy game from ex-StarCraft devs inspired by a classic PS3 tactics RPG

Vaunted art showing character aiming guns at a giant enemy — (Image credit: Hooded Horse)

Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse has announced Vaunted, the debut title from Lost Lake Games founded by former StarCraft and Guild Wars devs.

During today's Xbox Partner Preview, we got new looks at the likes of Sega's Stranger Than Heaven, a big Stalker 2 update, and some more of Mass Effect-inspired The Expanse: Osiris Reborn – but we already knew about those. One of the surprise highlights from the showcase was the announcement of Hooded Horse's Vaunted, which evokes Sega's missing in action strategy series Valkyria Chronicles, taking it from the battlefields of fictional European countries and instead going the space western route. And, it's the debut game from Lost Lake Games – founded by ex-StarCraft and Guild Wars developers.

In a press release sent to GamesRadar+, the setting is described as "a galaxy where mercenaries and treasure hunters scrap over priceless imperial relics buried in far-flung ruins," where you'll take control of a trio of "dysfunctional frenemies" and build a squad of "dubious" companions. Notably, despite being focused on three heroes on the same mission, each one of the "unreliable storytellers" has their own version of events meaning you'll be able to replay chapters from a different perspective.

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For those who haven't partaken in Sega's underrated strategy classics, the game works like a regular turn-based tactical RPG, except you'll be pretty much in full control of your characters during turns. Unlike the likes of XCOM and Fire Emblem, turns play out like a third-person shooter, albeit with the strategy and planning of a tactics game. That being said, it takes a unique version of the turn system too, as players get to control which character takes their turn when (although you will have to alternate with enemies).

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