BioWare co-founder announces "Saturday morning roguelite" MythForce, inspired by '80s cartoons

BioWare co-founder Trent Oster's studio Beamdog has announced MythForce, a new roguelite inspired by cartoons from the 1980s.

The first trailer for MythForce is a nostalgia-soaked trip back to an '80s-era living room, beginning with a child settling down in front of their retro TV for some good Saturday morning cartoons. The cartoon is, of course, MythForce, whose cinematics are an obvious reference to shows like Thundercats, Transformers, and He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe.

"I’m beyond excited to finally show off our team’s original work," said Oster. "MythForce is pure, unadulterated fun – right out of the Saturday mornings of my childhood. With a simple yet satisfying game loop, it’s a big departure from the RPG classics we’re known for, but the Beamdog DNA is evident if you know where to look."

The trailer also includes plenty of gameplay, which takes the same cartoony aesthetic from the cutscenes and applies it to what looks like a pretty traditional first-person roguelite. MythForce lets you brave procedurally dungeons alone or team up with up to three friends in online co-op. Like many roguelites, when you die you go back to the beginning of the game and you're faced with slightly more challenging foes. Encounters and loot are randomized, and you can level up to unlock new perks and special rank upgrades.

"MythForce is a feel-good game that speaks to the kid in us. In Early Access we want to collaborate with players who are excited by our wholesome, '80s vision for MythForce, and build up the best game possible. Community will be key to getting us to 1.0," Oster adds.

MythForce will launch in Early Access on April 20 as an Epic Games Store exclusive priced at $29.99. The first "episode," titled Bastion of the Beastlord, will be available at launch, with subsequent episodes releasing later on in its Early Access phase.

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