Online action RPG from Star Wars: The Old Republic devs. In Shadow Realms, we would decide the fate of two worlds

There was a time when almost everything BioWare touched turned to gold. Two installments of the Dragon Age—these are all projects that have inscribed themselves in golden letters on the pages of video game history and have left a lasting mark on it.

Nonetheless, the studio's portfolio also includes projects that, although they may have seemed promising, never had a chance to shine. One of them was Shadow Realms, which we will focus on today.

Action RPG with a surprisingly extensive story

We received the official announcement of Shadow Realms in August 2014. Unlike most of their previous projects, the developers at BioWare Austin have decided to give us a multiplayer action RPG, allowing for 4v1 gameplay. Before we proceed to break down the devs' ideas for mechanics, it's worth starting with a discussion of the plot layer, as it was expected to be surprisingly extensive.

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Shadow Realms would present us with a vision of a universe in which, alongside Earth, there would exist an alternative world - Embra. Unlike our planet, on the second one mentioned, magic would be a common occurrence, and technology would take a back seat. When the pacifist civilization known as the Radiant Empires, residing in Embra, would find itself on the brink of collapse after an attack from Shadow Legions, the inhabitants of Earth would turn out to be its salvation.

Although the invasion would have been repelled, the enemy would eventually come back, even stronger than before, with the of the Shadow Lords. This time, the dark forces would pose a threat not only to Embra, but also to our planet. During the game, we would take on the role of people of Earth, who would defend both of these worlds... as well as the Shadow Lords, trying at all costs to thwart their plans.

Almost like Evolve

We were supposed to watch the action in Shadow Realms from a third-person perspective (TPP). According to the devs' intention, the gameplay was supposed to significantly vary depending on who we played as. As soldiers of Earth and Embra, we would represent various professions (from warriors through rogues to wizards). The class we choose would affect the combat potential of the character, determining their preferred weapon, skills, and fighting style.

But wait, there's more! While four people would control the characters, the fifth person would play as the Shadow Lord, trying to make life difficult for the others at all costs. For example, he or she could set traps for the other players, modify the environment, or take direct control over the creatures wandering around the maps.

Even though the game was announced just over half a year after Evolve, which was based on a similar idea, according to the Unseen64 website, citing its sources, the project in question was not inspired by it in any way.

Two worlds and a game like a TV series

The game would be all about fast-paced fighting in different locations, leading up to a final showdown with the main boss. The game was supposed to let us explore both Earth, taking us to places like an office building or a metro station, and Embra. The locations were supposed to be linear, with branching or hidden areas serving as occasional diversions. As we progress, we would develop the characters and collect various outfits, from modern ones like hoodies to fantastic ones like imaginative armor.

This is not the end of the original (as for BioWare) ideas that were supposed to be implemented in Shadow Realms. The creators wanted to develop the story using live-action video materials (with live actors), like the series Chosen released in August 2014. So the whole thing would take the form of a unique web series, focusing on young characters straight from the then-popular Twilight.

Failed free-to-play project

As reported by Unseen64, Shadow Realms was supposed to be distributed in a free-to-play model with microtransactions. Although the title was mainly designed for multiplayer, cooperative gameplay, the devs didn't rule out adding a single-player mode.

Despite BioWare's efforts, the whole venture seemed doomed to fail from the start. The game didn't particularly appeal to either the colleagues and peers of the developers or the players themselves, who had the opportunity to check it out during gamescom 2014. First, this led to a delay in its closed alpha tests. Interestingly, the official reason for this situation was... a "too warm" (!) reception of the production, which made the creators want to make this entry "even better" (!). As reported by Dallas Dickinson, the Senior Developer of the game:

Electronic Arts, the game's publisher and owner of BioWare, however, stopped believing in this project. In early January 2015, unofficial reports emerged that the entire project had been canceled. Nonetheless, the official information that Shadow Realms had died only saw the light of day a month later. As the devs wrote:

This could have been the second Anthem

Did Shadow Realms have a chance for success? Well, the described title has seen a spiritual successor in the form of Anthem.

Shadow Realms

cancelled

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• Overview

• BioWare
• action RPG
• cancelled games
• Necro Gaming
• PC