PC Nightingale [Victorian-era fantasy/crafting/survival game from ex-BioWare developers, Early Access - 22 February 2024] - final preview from IGN and gameplay videos

[Keyser_Soze]

 

Lost in the Fae Realms

You are stranded beyond our world, cut off by the sudden collapse of the arcane portal network. This catastrophic event has left you - and countless others - fighting to survive in a labyrinth of mysterious and perilous realms.
‍
Prepare for a journey of adventure, danger, and discovery - as you search for a way back to the last haven of humanity, Nightingale.

 

 

 

Explore the Realms

Traverse foreboding forests, harrowing swamps, and shimmering deserts, as you restore the portals leading deeper into the lands of the Fae.

 

 

Build & Craft

Construct estates, farms, and communities to live off the land. Craft the tools, gear, and weapons you need to survive.

 

 

 

Shared World

Adventure alone, or unite with other players. Combine your strengths and skills, and face the challenges of the realms together.

 

 

 

Gaslamp Fantasy

Open-world realms immerse you in a mystical Victorian setting, where the remnants of humanity are threatened by the dark magic and nightmarish creatures of the Fae.

 

FAQ

 

What is Nightingale?
Nightingale is a shared world survival-crafting game set in a rich gaslamp Victorian fantasy setting. Players venture through portals where adventure and mystery awaits across a myriad of beautiful and increasingly-dangerous worlds.

 

Does Nightingale have multiplayer?
Yes. You can play Nightingale solo or with friends and other players who you meet across the realms.

 

When Will Nightingale Launch?
We're working hard to bring you Nightingale in 2022. Stay tuned for more.

 

What platforms will it be playable on?

Nightingale is currently PC only.

 

When Will Alpha and Beta Tests Begin?
Testing is set to begin in 2022. Sign up in the form above to get involved and receive updates on when tests will begin.

 

[Mercury33]

Boo PC only

[Mr.Vic20]

Not a fan of the survival crafting genre, but I do love the Victorian era antics that I witness, so I'll try it for sure!  

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Ex-BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn sings all about Nightingale (Eurogamer)

 

Quote

 

More than three years after departing BioWare and later founding his own studio, Aaryn Flynn's next project has finally been announced. The former BioWare boss turned up on stage at last week's Game Awards to show off Nightingale, a "shared-world survival crafting game" - the first project from Inflexion Games.

 

But while that trailer gave us a good idea of Nightingale's alternate history fantasy setting, it gave less away on what the game will actually be like to play - and what might have changed since it was originally teased as an online multiplayer RPG.

 

I chatted with Flynn via Zoom last week, shortly before The Game Awards, to find out more.

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

New interviews with studio boss Aaryn Flynn:

 

Nightingale promises intrigue, dark fantasy, dapper hats, and monster petting | GamesRadar+

WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM

---

Nightingale, the new survival game from a Bioware veteran, is one of the most intriguing titles of 2022

 

Quote

 

When I die, just upload my consciousness to Nightingale, the upcoming Victorian dark fantasy open-world survival game from Inflexion Games. I was interested in the online adventure when it was announced, but after chatting with studio boss (and former manager of BioWare) Aaryn Flynn, I'm all in. The vintage, sinister supernatural take on magic and monsters is refreshing in a morass of medieval games, and exploring new realms through enchanted gates looks way more fun than the ultra-realistic survival games where you dehydrate to death before you can even find a weapon.

 

"One of the things we say is we don't want survival in our game to be punishing or punitive," Flynn explains. "You know, we think it should be more optimistic and challenge-based so certainly, you will meet some very serious challenges that are going to really force you to think and plan and experiment and fail a few times and maybe finally come back. But we don't want that survival craft experience where you're just feeling very punished."

 

 

 

Aaryn Flynn says Nightingale's a survival game with a "richer set of storylines"

WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM

---

We sat down with Nightingale's Aaryn Flynn and chatted about their ambition to make it a survival game with plenty of player choices and consequences.

 

Quote

 

Nightingale is an upcoming PvE open-world survival craft 'em up by Inflexion Games, a studio led by former BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn. Imogen (RPS in peace) spoke with him earlier this year about the game's gaslamp fantasy setting and why they chose to enter the survival genre gauntlet, among many other things. At this year's Summer Geoff Fest, I caught up with Flynn for another quick chat. This time, we dug into the game's recently revealed card crafting and realm-hopping features, as well as the choices you might make along the way.

 

As a Realmwalker, your aim is to reach the mysterious city of Nightingale by flitting through portals. Once upon a time these portals formed a network that ran as smoothly as Japan's subway system, but it has since collapsed, meaning it now resembles a bus timetable out in the sticks. There is some hope, though, as you're able to craft Realm Cards that'll give you some semblance of control over the chaos, including weather, challenges, and biomes. Feeding them into the game's procedural generation machine spits out a realm that – in theory – meets those conditions you set out on paper.

 

 

 

Nightingale Interview: Getting Into The Nitty Gritty Details With Aaryn Flynn

WWW.THEGAMER.COM

---

Aaryn Flynn reveals new details about upcoming Survival/Crafting game Nightingale.

 

Quote

When Nightingale was revealed during The Game Awards in 2021, it instantly shot to the top of my most-anticipated list. The upcoming survival-crafting game will be the debut title from Inflexion Games, a new studio founded by BioWare veterans and led by ex-BioWare general manager, Aaryn Flynn. Nightingale takes place in a 19th century-inspired world where groups of explorers known as Realmwalkers use a network of portals to travel between customizable, procedurally-generated worlds. I sat down with Flynn at this weekend’s Summer Game Fest Play Days event in Los Angeles to talk about how Nightingale both conforms to and pushes against the established survival-crafting conventions.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Nightingale's Aaryn Flynn on giant monsters, and providing "more agency" in survival games

WWW.VG247.COM

---

Our interview with Nightingale's Aaryn Flynn, in which we talk about big monsters, realm cards, dragging players from competitors and more!

 

Quote

 

It already feels like an age since the Summer Game Fest peeled back the curtain on a sleek selection of upcoming game releases to get the pistons on everyone’s hype engines pumping again. Of the reveals, Nightingale certainly stood out thanks to its promise of bringing the survival genre to a more fantastical setting. But an interesting aesthetic can only get you so far – what exactly will set Nightingale apart from other titans in the scene right now?

 

To find out we talked with Aaryn Flynn, CEO of Inflexion Games and former Bioware general manager, to get to the bottom of what makes Nightingale special. We touch on unique features not found in other survival titles, the range of PvE encounters in the game, and how the studio plans to drag players away from their competitors.

 

 

[Bloodporne]

I have no idea if I'm even close but when I read "survival, crafting" I think Subnautica and that game was absolutely incredible out of nowhere for me. 

 

I really like what I'm seeing here but haven't had time to read all of these articles. Am I misunderstanding the "Survival" genre tag and is this some sort of multiplayer-only thing?

[Keyser_Soze]

14 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

I have no idea if I'm even close but when I read "survival, crafting" I think Subnautica and that game was absolutely incredible out of nowhere for me. 

 

I really like what I'm seeing here but haven't had time to read all of these articles. Am I misunderstanding the "Survival" genre tag and is this some sort of multiplayer-only thing?

 

I think it is survival in the idea that the world is persistent and you want to stay alive.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

 

Quote

Discover the deep history of Nightingale's world in the first installment of the Nightingale Journals. Join Inflexion's Aaryn, Leah, Neil and Kaelin as they dive into Nightingale's backstory and introduce you to some of the creatures and characters inhabiting the Fae Realms.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

PC Early Access now scheduled for Autumn 2023:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Nightingale is Survival of the Grandest Scale | Gamescom 2023 - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

 

Quote

 

At its most basic, Nightingale is a survival game like Sons of the Forest and Valheim, but that’s doing it a disservice because it’s by far the most stylish and elegant survival game I’ve ever seen. The Realm Walkers are the epitome of Victorian chic and even manage to make an animal skin look great, and the way they use umbrellas to glide from high ledges smacks of Breath of the Wild crossed with Mary Poppins, and it’s wonderful.

 

Nightingale’s aesthetic is certainly the most striking aspect of the game and its ‘Victorian gas-lamp’ vibe is something that runs throughout. Even though you travel from one dimension to another in the hope of returning to your home world of Nightingale, everything feels like it has a place and fits within the world. Your first encounters are with hostile wildlife that look Lovecraftian, and the Bound – interdimensional beings that live between realms – could easily be from Call of Cthulhu. And there are much bigger threats you’ll encounter too, such as a Sun Giant who we see for the first time in the middle of a swamp.

 

There are apparently two ways to approach such a beast. You can make an offering, on this occasion a spyglass. If the gift appeases the giant, you’re rewarded with resources. But if not, the giant becomes angry and you either have to flee or fight. Unsurprisingly the sun giant turned its nose up at the meagre spy glass and things quickly took a turn for the worse. The battle I watched was three versus one, the Realm Walkers carrying shotguns and rifles, and beginning the assault on a multi-storey pagoda complete with sniper nests, which they built in the moments leading up to the battle. But a wooden building is no match for a giant that wields the power of the sun, and it’s quickly demolished.

 

 

 

Nightingale does at least one thing better than Valheim, Sons of the Forest, and Ark – preview

WWW.VG247.COM

---

Inflexion Games comes with some serious pedigree, and that manifests in one specific area of the game's identity.

 

Quote

 

‘Now you’re thinking with portals’. That’s pretty much the motto that underlines the whole Nightingale experience. A labour of love coming from ex-BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn and his team at Inflexion Games, Nightingale needs to do something special in order to stand out from the pack. The last few years has seen the likes of Valheim, Sons of the Forest, Ark: Survival Evolved, and 7 Days to Die start to penetrate the mainstream. Like a late-game inventory, the genre is becoming cluttered. But I think Inflexion’s young upstart has that special something that’ll give it a fighting chance.

 

And it’s cards. Bear with me here, because I know how people feel about this mechanic in games. But the ‘realm cards’ at the heart of Nightingale really do seem like the game’s USP. “Think of realm cards as keys to unlock doors,” Inflexion’s gameplay production manager, Neil Thompson, explains. “There are an infinite number of realm cards, and each acts as a key that leads you to somewhere (or something) specific.”

 

 

 

Nightingale could be the survival game for survival game haters

WWW.GGRECON.COM

---

Nightingale is shaping up very nicely indeed. Check out our preview from Gamescom 2023 to see why it could be the first survival game to grab you.

 

Quote

 

Between winged harpies and skittering spiders (there is an arachnophobia mode for those inclined, myself included), there's plenty to keep you on your toes, but you'll also encounter Apex creatures - powerful foes that offer a challenge for you and your team.

 

In my Gamescom demo, we saw a team of three devs tackle a huge Sun Giant, capable of launching laser beams from the heavens that could send characters flying skyward, gliding back down with their aforementioned umbrellas.

 

A hastily constructed sniper tower was torn down, but poison ammo helped whittle the behemoth's health down, backed up by magic spells cast using Fae magic. The whole thing was chaotic and fun to watch, but once the beast was felled, other giants emerged from the gaps between realms to attack, too.

 

It's clear that Nightingale may hold your hand more than others in the space, but only so far.

 

 

 

Nightingale Looks Like It’s Already Setting Itself Apart from Other Survival Games in a Big Way

GAMERANT.COM

---

Upcoming co-op survival game Nightingale is looking to stand apart from others in the genre, with one aspect looking more distinct already.

 

Quote

 

There are countless survival games on PC, and there is one area that is often overlooked in almost all of them: combat. Nearly all major survival games have some sort of combat, but it can often feel like something of an afterthought. Based on the information available about Nightingale, specifically its Gamescom trailer, the game seems to stand out in this regard.

 

Nightingale has showcased a number of different melee weapons and firearms, each designed to fit the opulent, steampunk style of the game. Although combat is nothing new for survival games, with many games in the genre even featuring PvP, it is often rather shallow and clunky from a mechanical standpoint. There's reason to believe that Nightingale will be stepping PvP and PvE combat up, though, as gameplay footage shows a number of distinct weapons, many of which seem to have special or alternative attacks. For instance, the Gamescom trailer highlighted a revolver with a rapid fire option. If all or most of the game's weapons have these special attacks, it could deepen the combat and expand the players' options dramatically.

 

The intrigue of the combat goes beyond the weapons, however. The Gamescom trailer shows the player character fighting Nightingale's Fae enemies with magic attacks in combination with physical ones. Ostensibly, these magic abilities will deal direct damage, stun enemies, or perhaps even inflict status effects. It's unclear if these magic attacks are tied to specific weapons or not, as some guns appear to deal elemental damage, which could come from an additional enchantment or be tied to the gear itself. On top of this, combat-specific movement options appear to be included, as the player can be seen performing a quick dash in the midst of a fight with one of Nightingale's animatronic foes.

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I'm Finally Sold On Nightingale

WWW.THEGAMER.COM

---

Nightingale is closer to Valheim than Dragon Age, despite its BioWare origins - as long as you're prepared, there's every reason to be excited

 

Quote

 

The game involves survival and crafting, with early hours moving as you expect - first you build a campfire, then a tent, and then a weapon to defend yourself, and so on. However, in time you can construct regal Victorian estates and pepper box guns. You can play with up to six friends to build together, and all of the building pieces snap into place automatically. That means there may be fewer of the viral construction disasters we’ve seen in other survival games, but should also make gameplay much more straight-forward.

 

There are also no classes in the game, with each player choosing what to specialise in over time, rather than choosing early on. However, there is a robust character creator, so you’ll have decent control over who you are right from the word go.

 

The magic system seems a little convoluted to me, but that may not have been helped by the fact this was a hands-off demonstration. You use cards to travel through portals, and need one card per destination, which makes sense. However, you can also add another two cards to it to influence what the place will be like when you arrive, but only if you have the right resources for your crystal ball to make them, which feels like a lot of systems for what is basically fast travel.

 

I will note however that the cards look gorgeous, with a Victorian Tarot aesthetic, and that even the hit points on screen have a Victorian flair which adds a sense of whimsy, complimented well by the Fey animals like magic elephants. You also have Hope as a gauge, along with Stamina and Health, for how much will to live your character has. It’s a gauge that directly influences the other two, offering a creative interpretation of things like Sanity which feel a little overdone in survival games.

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I've added the July Developer Update to @Keyser_Soze's post

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Nightingale must lean into its magic to survive

WWW.EUROGAMER.NET

---

Firstly, I'd like to apologise to the team at Inflexion Games. I happen to share my name with their forthcoming gaslamp…

 

Quote

Firstly, I'd like to apologise to the team at Inflexion Games. I happen to share my name with their forthcoming gaslamp survival fantasy - to the extent they've had to mute me on social media so my silly little posts don't get in the way of them looking at what people are saying about Nightingale.

 

And there's plenty to say, especially after I was able to get a good tour of its systems back at Gamescom, and a peek at its beautiful world. It certainly looks the part, with some of the most gorgeously shimmering water and realistic wave physics I've seen. There are spectacular magic effects from player and enemy alike, and vibrant, hyper-realistic lighting.

 

The world feels unique - with fantasy tropes such as fairies and magic and colossal beasts explored by a character suited and booted like a Victorian, with a Mary Poppins umbrella that lets you float over grand, open landscapes. There's a decent variety of environments populated by walking trees, giant skulled elks, elephant-esque dinosaurs, and other bizarrely spliced creations. Between the smart outfits, the inventive creature design, and the lush environments, it looks like nothing else.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

Nightingale, the neo-Victorian survival game being made by former BioWare devs, is taking signups for a server stress test | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

---

The open playtest is slated to begin in early 2024.

 

Quote

In preparation for our upcoming Early Access launch, we’re inviting all aspiring Realmwalkers to help us “break the portal network” as we stress-test the Nightingale servers in early 2024. We welcome everyone to sign up for the event as it will give players eagerly anticipating the release of Nightingale a taste of the Realms before they officially open on February 22, 2024.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Nightingale: The Final Preview - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

 

Quote

 

I learned so many intriguing things about Nightingale during my visit to Inflexion Games that it’d be impossible to unpack everything in one succinct article – so I won’t, but I will hopefully shed some light on its development process, setting, and gameplay loop. Nightingale isn’t necessarily the game you’d expect from seasoned ex-Bioware devs, but the years of experience behind its ideation is evident in what I saw in more than six hours of gameplay: a stylish take on a shared-world survival crafting game.

 

The world of Nightingale is similar to ours in the “best of Victorian times,” as Inflexion CEO Aaryn Flynn put it, in the late 1800s. However, in this alternate reality, the Fae appeared in the 1500s to share their knowledge of magic with humans, altering the path of history and spurring the birth of the home of magical studies, the city of Nightingale. Alongside magic, the Fae also introduce humanity to the existence of small Fae Realms and the portal system that connects them.

 

Nightingale features characters from history, literature, and folklore – from Puck, a Fae inspired by Shakespeare; to Ada Lovelace, an English woman considered the first computer programmer – they’re fun little easter eggs for history and literature buffs. This combination of Fae, magic, and Victorian influences cements Nightingale’s genre as a gaslamp fantasy – think the fantastical, magical side of the sci-fi-inclined steampunk genre.

 

Why this setting? Simply because Flynn and art director Neil Thompson have done medieval fantasy (Dragon Age) and sci-fi (Mass Effect) already, so they wanted to create something unique. And Nightingale certainly takes its style seriously.

 

 

 

Nightingale’s Ex-Bioware Devs Say They Never Want to Return to 'Old School' Game Development - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

---

Inflexion Games has fine-tuned survival crafting RPG Nightingale for fun over the last year by using consistent, constructive feedback from thousands of players during closed alpha playtests. Inflexion CEO Aaryn Flynn has been so impressed by the experience he said, “I don’t know how you go back and do it more old school like we used to do it.”

 

Quote

 

Nightingale wasn’t always a shared-world survival crafting RPG. Though it’s always retained its gaslamp fantasy flair during its nearly five years in development, at one point, Nightingale could have been an MMO. That change came from the natural progression of developer Inflexion’s preferences and vision, but much more has changed because of consistent, constructive feedback from thousands of players during closed alpha playtests over the last year.

 

Inflexion CEO Aaryn Flynn has been so impressed by the experience he said, “I don’t know how you go back and do it more old school like we used to do it.” Where the traditional way of game dev includes getting plenty of smart, creative people in a room, doing their best with what they think is going to work, “there’s no substitute for having players engage and them being so generous with their time,” Flynn explained. “They’re extremely thoughtful, clever… They know what they want to play.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

 

[Mr.Vic20]

Today is Nightingale's official launch day into Early Access on Steam. My read from the server stress test and previous closed beta sessions is that developers don't seem to be making changes along the line of testers biggest concerns. None the less, I plan to jump in today and see for myself if this game is destine to be an Anthem or has the potential to flourish. The door charge is $30.00, for those interested.  

[Bacon]

crafting/survival game

 

I hope it fails

[Keyser_Soze]

24 minutes ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

Today is Nightingale's official launch day into Early Access on Steam. My read from the server stress test and previous closed beta sessions is that developers don't seem to be making changes along the line of testers biggest concerns. None the less, I plan to jump in today and see for myself if this game is destine to be an Anthem or has the potential to flourish. The door charge is $30.00, for those interested.  

 

The year @Mr.Vic20 plays every crafting game but Palworld

 

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

On 1/19/2024 at 10:30 AM, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Nightingale: The Final Preview - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

 

 

 

Nightingale’s Ex-Bioware Devs Say They Never Want to Return to 'Old School' Game Development - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

---

Inflexion Games has fine-tuned survival crafting RPG Nightingale for fun over the last year by using consistent, constructive feedback from thousands of players during closed alpha playtests. Inflexion CEO Aaryn Flynn has been so impressed by the experience...

 

 

 

 

 

 

the only replacement for a legion of free play testers is a legion of play testers who are paying the dev for the privilege of helping the dev make a better game and get rich with.  
 

why would they go back to having to actually hire people to play their games or come up with game design improvements?