So you watched the BLACKTAIL Trailer and now you’re here for more information about this wicked game… wait you didn’t watch it?
Well we can fix that:
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s break down all the questions you may have!
Who are you people, and what are you doing in my house?
We are THE PARASIGHT. We’re a team of experienced developers who have worked on some games you may have heard of: Layers of Fear 1 and 2, Observer, Blair Witch, and The Medium.
As you can probably tell, we have a thing for surreal and haunting experiences with engaging narratives. We believe that story and mechanics work better in harmony with one another, and so we strive to achieve a perfect balance between gameplay and narrative in our games. BLACKTAIL is no exception!
What exactly is BLACKTAIL?
BLACKTAIL is a surreal, folklore inspired, narrative-driven, first person, open world, action adventure game with a morality system, bow combat, crafting, and 2.5D mini games. *catches breath* Those were all the adjectives we could think of to describe the game.
What genre is BLACKTAIL?
Genres are a social construct. They aren’t real…
….okay fine, BLACKTAIL blends multiple genres into one! It is mainly a narrative focused action-adventure experience, but incorporates elements from RPG and open-world games as well.
Give me the game mash up version of BLACKTAIL.
The world of The Witcher meets the narrative theme of Hellblade meets the genre-mashup of What Remains of Edith Finch meets the archery combat of Far Cry.
Tell me the story of the game.
Play as Yaga, a timid and misunderstood young girl accused of witchcraft and cast out from her village. Guided by a mysterious dark voice, you’ll take up a bow and unlock mystical powers on your journey to find your missing sister, and uncover the ancient mysteries of the forest.
What will I be doing in BLACKTAIL?
- Fight mystical creatures using your bow and magical gauntlet in dynamic combat. Some of those creatures will be bigger and more challenging; we call these ‘Bosses’, hoping it catches on.
- Craft potions for buffs and antidotes, a variety of arrow types with different effects, and brooms (more on those in the future).
- Complete a variety of side quests, with morally ambiguous choices that affect your abilities and change how you interact with the cast of colorful NPCs.
- Play surreal, retro inspired 2.5D mini games to uncover memories from Yaga’s past.
Folklore you say? What kind of folklore?
The main inspiration for the BLACKTAIL’s lore comes from traditional Slavic folk tales and age-old legends passed down across generations. The dark story of Baba Yaga is one of them. A classic storybook illustration style also played a significant role in designing the game’s world and its inhabitants.
What is a Baba Yaga?
You mean WHO is Baba Yaga. She is a supernatural being from Slavic folklore, and is most often depicted as a ferocious-looking old woman living in a hut that stands on a chicken leg (as you saw in the trailer!). She is infamously known for being enigmatic and morally ambiguous; either helping or harming those that encounter her as she pleases.
What engine is the game being built in?
BLACKTAIL is being developed with all the bells and whistles of Unreal Engine 4.
Where will I play BLACKTAIL?
The game will be releasing on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S
You said the game will be released this winter. When will we get an actual release date?
Let us keep SOME things a mystery! (we haven’t picked a specific date yet)
Is BLACKTAIL an Early Access game?
No, the game will be released as a complete and polished experience. Patience is a virtue :).
What languages will the game be available in?
The audio of BLACKTAIL will be in English. The text and subtitles will be translated into Polish, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Japanese, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.
That’s a wrap for now!
This was fun, we’ll do it again sometime. In the meantime, jump into our Discord to ask even MORE questions and get mostly non-cryptic answers. We also encourage you to share pictures of your black cats, you know, because witches.
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