With Pathfinder: Kingmaker and its sequel, Wrath of the Righteous, publisher Paizo already managed two very successful adaptations of its popular tabletop game to the digital realm—but apparently it’s not stopping there. Where those two games were strictly faithful, Abomination Vaults uses the setting as the stage for a fast-paced, Diablo-like action-RPG.
The footage isn’t just reminiscent of Diablo in gameplay—its gothic style and dark dungeons even make it look like the iconic series. With Diablo 4 on the way, it seems like a bold move for small developer BKOM to try and compete so directly with Blizzard. Abomination Vaults does have a lot of original material to draw on, at least—it’s based on the hit tabletop campaign of the same name, a series of adventures all set in the same “megadungeon”. A megadungeon is an underground complex so big and full of monsters and traps that it can serve as an entire campaign unto itself—which does admittedly sound like the perfect place for an action-RPG.
For those unfamiliar, Pathfinder is a sort of unofficial off-shoot and competitor to Dungeons & Dragons—so if you’re a fan of Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter Nights, you can expect some similar elements. The four playable characters, for example, are taken from the artwork of the tabletop game, and are a ranger, a cleric, a barbarian, and a wizard respectively. And yes, there’s at least one dragon in the Vaults.
It looks like the game isn’t quite a done deal yet, however—like Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous before it, Abomination Vaults will be seeking funding on Kickstarter to get it over the finish line and potentially expand its scope. A date for the Kickstarter’s launch hasn’t been announced yet, but you can sign up here to be notified when it goes live.