"The Great Reaping has begun" is not the sort of news you ever want to see flashing on a CNN chyron, but that's how the action gets rolling in the upcoming turn-based RPG-CCG Ash of Gods. The world is in trouble as another one of those ancient evils that nobody believes in comes to life, and it falls to you to do something about it.
But that "something" may be nothing: Developer AurumDust said players can try to be a hero, or focusing solely on taking care of their own, or even just looking out for Number One.
"Imagine a fairy tale, a book, or a movie in which you not only follow the adventures of your hero, but also open all its secret rooms, pulling all the skeletons out of everyone's closets, and discovering tales that were best untold," Ash of Gods writer Sergey Malitsky explained.
"Not only can you save your heroes from unnecessary risks or undesirable actions, but your actions can likewise plunge them into danger and terrible twists of fate. This is a game in which you can play and live, but understand that your tale develops according to the laws of the real world. And this means that even if a happy ending is in sight, it is not guaranteed."
The visual similarity to The Banner Saga games is obvious, although Ash of Gods appears to be less obviously based on an existing mythology. It also promises a very grim-sounding game world that reflects some of the less attractive aspects of human behavior. "[Ash of Gods] is the story of 'angels' who after being given free will turned the life of humans into hell in the absence of a god," the game's website says. "This is a novel that shows you that no conflict has a right or a wrong side because even your enemies have mothers and children."
It's a little tricky to nail down as far as genre goes: AurumDust describes it as "a mix of turn-based strategy and card RPG," with rogue-like storytelling and support for PvE and PvP multiplayer. One specific point of emphasis is the combat system, which will not make use of dice rolls: Players can employ different types of tactics, special attacks, and even bluffs, but is otherwise "completely devoid of any element of chance ... When you launch an attack or use a skill, you know exactly what the effect will be."
Ash of Gods is slated to come out in March.