Why I'm Excited for Immortals of Aveum

Ever since the announcement trailer aired for Immortals of Aveum on the 13th of April, I've been following the game closely. My wife was the first one to see it — with a grin across her face, she was excited to find a game that I would be exhilarated and looking forward to for months to come. After seeing the cinematic and gameplay portions of the game, I've been enamoured with the magical world that I would experience in the future.

The first glimpse of Immortals of Aveum pretty much anyone got is the epic cinematic sequence of a magical war. Wielding mystical powers and telling a narrative of warfare and control, Gina Torres takes over most of the trailer and gives a speech on the current state of the world, giving a perfect view of what the story is to come. The themes aren't uncommon, and things that humans have waged wars over for ages — control over a valuable essence. In this case: magic.

The story follows a prodigal, unnamed protagonist (at the time of the trailer) who would become a powerful Magnus that could fight back against the tyrant Rasharn and bring an end to the Everwar for Lucium. The cinematics that follow after the introduction of our antagonist are akin to the goosebump-inducing ones that Blizzard makes for World of Warcraft, as we see creative magical abilities light the battlefield everywhere.

This is where Electronic Arts takes the opportunity to remind you that this is more than a grim narrative with hilarious dialogues similar to movies deriving from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a long-time fan of the franchises, the humour felt spot-on, though perhaps a bit worrisome after the massive backlash Forspoken brought to the world (though it's worth noting I haven't had the chance to try it, so my judgement is purely based on third-party and common word).

It's at this point that we get to see the game in action — a first-person shooter filled with magical attacks, unique-looking enemies, and lots — and I mean LOTS — of colours. Over the last few years, I've been finding myself enjoying shooter titles far more, and as I've slowly gravitated to them, I've started to not only try those that I'd disliked before but actively seek them out. So, as I saw Immortal of Aveum's gameplay, I was immediately hooked.

This was all from the original trailer, though I won't lie that I've always had a fair share of scepticism following this title. Not only do I always try to temper my expectations for upcoming releases due to potential disappointment, but I also believe that it's always essential to keep your expectations realistic. The story might seem fantastic, the humour spot-on, and the gameplay mesmerising... but I always ensured that I was cautious with how much I let my hype get the best of me.

Despite that, I devoured every trailer that came my way, some of which made me yearn for the world ever more (get it? Everwar? I'll show myself out) and others that helped me remember the realistic side of things — it would not be perfect. The gameplay trailers featuring heavy combat were a bittersweet feeling, as I partially agreed with the common opinion of the game in the Official Gameplay Trailer: it felt like attacks had no punch behind them.

Don't get me wrong: this didn't downright kill my excitement. While I found that everyone complained about the lack of impact your attacks seemed to have, I wasn't exactly too bothered by all of them; I refuse to discuss whether this was due to my rose-tinted glasses. The hectic combat still seemed like a joy, even if the attacks seemed to have no significance in them — I've played enough DARK SOULS to be okay with hitting enemies with what feels like it has the strength of a toothpick to enjoy impact-less combat, too.

Now, a short delay later, I'm still deathly excited for Immortals of Aveum! Although I've tried to tamper my expectations, I still can't wait to take control of Jak and delve into the Everwar, impactful magic or not. At the very least, the trailers have shown me epic battles and gotten a couple of chuckles out of me — if the final product capitalises on the things shown, then it's a no-brainer that I'll love it.