Following the announcement of The Bard’s Tale IV earlier this year, Wasteland 2 developer inXile Entertainment on Monday revealed that a crowdfunding campaign for the game will launch on June 2.
That’s not a random date, as it’s the 30th anniversary of the original game’s release in June 1985.
The Bard’s Tale IV will offer maze-like dungeons to explore and puzzles to solve. It will be played from a first-person perspective, and aims to capture the overall style of the first three games in the core series.
inXile also notes in a statement to media today that it has the full rights to use “everything from the original trilogy.” This means fan can expect nods to past games such as teleporter zones and magic mouths, among other things.
The Bard’s Tale IV is in development using the Unreal 4 engine. inXile has high hopes for graphics, as developers are using photogrammetry technology (similar to Star Wars: Battlefront) to scan real-world objects and architecture and bring them into the game with rich detail.
On the sound side, inXile said it is tapping Gaelic musicians to bring The Bard’s Tale IV’s music to life. This music will be inspired by Scottish culture, the developer explained.
As for new gameplay features, The Bard’s Tale IV will offer “all matter of hostile beasts, monsters, and brigands,” while a new “dynamic phase” combat system will challenge players in new ways.
The most recently released game in the series is 2004’s The Bard’s Tale, also developed by InXile. The Bard’s Tale IV, however, is positioned as a sequel to The Bard’s Tale III, released all the way back in 1988.
inXile did not announce a funding target for The Bard’s Tale IV, nor did it offer a release window for the game. The game is coming to PC, though other platforms have not been officially announced.
The developer has a history of success on Kickstarter, previously raising millions for Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera, which is still in development.
