Thumb Culture reviewed Coridden:

Coridden – PC Review

Coridden is a new action RPG co-op game from Aftnareld, a small Swedish developer and published by Anshar Publishing (Gamedec, Weakless). Go on a shapeshifting adventure with up to three of your friends and become the very same creatures that you face in the wild. It is available now on PC via Steam or GOG for £16.75.

Who Needs a Mount when you ARE the Mount?
I am admittedly somewhat of a Diablo junkie. It’s hard to find something that scratches that same itch. Path of Exile, though enjoyable, is just too deep for me to really get into. Coridden looks to try and scratch that itch with a unique framework and focus on co-op play. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to play with anyone yet, but I’m hoping to have others join me soon!

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Final Thoughts
Coridden is without a doubt a complete hidden gem. It has a unique feel overall that I can’t say I’ve felt with others in the genre. I really feel that character build choices will only affect how I approach different situations rather than holding me back.

For it’s highly accessible build customization, emphasis on player cooperation and synergy, and downright innovative gameplay mechanics this is a game not to sleep on. Be sure to check it out, with a humble price point I may add, over on Steam or GOG today.

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Couchpotato spotted an accolades trailer for Coridden:

Coridden - Accolades Trailer

The Gamer Social Club reviewed Coridden:

Coridden Review

Diablo meets altered beast in this indie gem

Coridden may be one of the little indie gems of 2025. The first outing from developer Aftnareld, it’s a Diablo style RPG where you take on the forms of various beasts you encounter, and features a very fun and robust combat system.

While not too heavy on plot and some technical issues hurt the experience, it’s enjoyable gameplay and plentiful content for its size more than make up for its short comings. Especially if you have some friends to run through with.

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Final thoughts

Despite some tech issues and not having the most memorable plot, Coridden’s gameplay is so much fun that I didn’t care. While flying solo in the game can be a bit tough at times, its still a blast and even better when you team up with a few friends. I hope to see more from Aftnareld in the future as they crafted a fun and unique adventure here.

Score: 8/10

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Couchpotato spotted some Coridden reviews:

We've been reading your reviews

Greetings, Shifters! 

Coridden came out yesterday, and we couldn't be happier to see how you receive our game!

When we're writing this, Coridden has 31 reviews, and all of them are positive 
Let's hit “Very Positive” next! 

Here are a couple of shorter reviews telling what people liked the most about Coridden:

 "Seamless shapeshifting is something that makes combat seem very fluid. Cool concept."

 "Game turned out to be a great positive surprise for me, the combat system and the wonderful world to explore make you get sucked into the gameplay in no time. Definitely recommend"

 "Played this at Närcon Summer 2024. Felt it had potential then. Having a blast with the little i played so far now. Happy with the how the game turned out. I can also pet the dog in the first hub-town. 10/10"

 "Coming from a small indie company, this game is incredibly well done. It runs smoothly at Ultra settings, gameplay is intuitive, and the morphing between human and beast form is fast, making it easy to transform mid-combat in order to utilize both forms, each with their own enegry pool. Definitely recommend for the single-player experience. Have not had the opportunity to try out co-op as of yet."

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RPGFan reviewed Coridden:

Coridden Review

Coridden is the archetypical indie game. While many AAA titles play it safe with too much money on the line, indies are usually free of this pressure and can explore their wonderful ideas without reservation. At the same time, lack of experience or limited team sizes rear their heads and a misshapen creation pops out of the oven on occasion. Coridden thrives with bold ideas and heart, but a weak foundation in the basics and lack of polish hold it back.

Our heroes exist in a pre-historic setting with electrical equipment and computers scattered about. The people rely on swords, spears, and bows while existing concurrently with technology beyond even the real world’s abilities. While this discordance seems odd as I type it, when playing the game, I never second-guessed it. In fact, as I played this local cooperative action RPG with my sister, we briefly remarked how cool and innovative the setting is.

Right out of the gate, enigmatic gauntlets are thrust upon us, allowing us to shapeshift into reptiles, given we have the appropriate DNA. A mysterious AI travels alongside us as we search for our missing father. Multiple storylines start, which would typically stimulate intrigue, but the writing’s a bit rough. However, I also found the writing to be full of heart, as themes of family are core to Coridden’s story in a raw way we don’t usually see from big budget titles. While I had a hard time reading and internalizing the lore logs scattered around, I also couldn’t get into the dialogue or character development. Part of this may be due to the rough voice acting.

[...]

Coridden, while lacking polish, also shines like a diamond with its wealth of ideas, theming, and creative setting. Almost better as a proof-of-concept, my intention isn’t to steer the developers away from success, but to highlight that the hard part’s been done: good game design. All that’s needed is some QA. For you, reader, you may enjoy seeing what’s being chewed on here, but don’t go in expecting a crisp experience.

Score: 62/100

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The action RPG Coridden has been released:

Coridden - Official Release Date Trailer

Become the beasts you defeat in this action-packed RPG! Equip and upgrade both your human and beast form and shapeshift between them anytime. Venture out solo or ride together in co-op on a journey to uncover the dark secrets sealed away inside a legendary city.

Coridden features a co-op mode:

How to convince your friend to play Coridden with you

A short guide

Greetings, Shifters!

If you were to tell a friend about Coridden, what would you say?
Some of the most remarkable features would surely include:

• Riding on each other
• Swimming
• Petting a Droke

But jokes aside, what are the key elements that make Coridden… Coridden?

Shapeshifting
The ability to switch freely between your human and beast forms and use each form's strengths and skills when needed.

 Action-packed Combat
There is a lot of combat action where both your skill and gear are vital.

The RPG elements
As you level up, you can build up your human and monster forms with new gear, attributes, as well as active and passive skills.

Full co-op campaign
Up to four people can play together in drop-in/drop-out co-op gameplay. Play through the whole story campaign together and take on various side-quests on your journey!

Exploration
Visit dangerous caves and old structures to get a chance to find some exciting loot.

Coridden’s world is in a sort of post-apocalyptic scenario where nature and creatures dominate, but humans still have access to highly advanced technology they do not fully understand, similar to the feel of the world in Horizon Zero Dawn.

We wanted Coridden to bring back similar vibe and fun as old-school co-op RPGs, such as the Diablo games, BG: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath but also those that engrossed us in their engaging narrative and side quest-hunting such as Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn.

Coridden comes out on 29 January, so GET READY!

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The action RPG Coridden will be released on January 29:

Coridden - Release Date Trailer | Action RPG

Coridden is an action RPG where you play as a monster-shifter, able to transform into the creatures you defeat. Venture out alone or in CO-OP with up to 3 friends on a journey to uncover the dark secrets sealed inside the legendary city of Aasha.

Couchpotato spotted some new Coridden screenshots:

Transformation of Coridden

Greetings, Shifters! 

Over the past year, Coridden has undergone a lot of changes. Some of you may recall its previous appearance. Today, we would like to present how the game looks now. Certain changes were necessary and emerged naturally during development (like the addition of the minimap), while others were inspired by your feedback after playing. Here is how various elements currently look like:

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[...]

The Aftnareld Team wishes Happy Holidays:

Happy Holidays! Let's Make 2025 Unforgettable

Greetings, Shifters!

As the holiday season approaches, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and enthusiasm for Coridden. We hope you have a wonderful time filled with joy, laughter, and, of course, plenty of gaming! 

May your holidays be as exciting and fun as the worlds we create together. We can't wait to embark on new adventures with you in the coming year.

Here's to a fantastic 2025 filled with thrilling experiences and unforgettable moments. See you in the new year!

Until next time!
/Aftnareld Team

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Couchpotato spotted a development update for Coridden:

Discover Quilon's New Look and More

Coridden's Changelog - November

Greetings, Shifters! 

We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates and news about Coridden with you!
We've been continuously working on Coridden, and we hope you'll enjoy the improvements we’ve made.

But, first of all, we've got an important announcement.

Update on Release Date
After giving it a lot of thought, we made a difficult decision to release the game with a slight delay. Instead of pushing the game out in December, we’ve agreed Coridden would benefit from having a bit more time to cook. With that in mind, we’re excited to announce that Coridden will be released early next year, in Q1 2025. This additional time will allow us to further polish the game, ensuring the best possible experience we can provide. Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.

Now, let's give you a sneak peek at the things we've changed!

Quilon Rebuilt
We’re excited to introduce the updated capital city, Quilon, home of the Dayal siblings. The city has now a new layout and look, designed to guide you more intuitively through its charming streets. We’ve removed invisible walls we were never a fan of to enhance immersion and replaced the old houses with modular and performance-friendly structures. We hope you love the new vibe of Quilon as much as we do! We’re still working on adding some ambient sounds to further enhance that friendly town feel.

[...]

A new demo for Coridden is available on Steam.

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Learn more about combat in Coridden:

All About Combat in Coridden

Greetings, Shifters! 

Let's talk about combat in Coridden! What should you expect?
If you’re eager to embark on a thrilling journey in the world of Coridden, let’s unravel the intricacies of its combat system. Here’s what you can expect:

Action-Packed RPG Adventure
Coridden is an Action RPG that places action and fluid movement at its core. Seamless transitions and dynamic maneuvers are what make battling in this world exhilarating. Your journey is designed to be a whirlwind of strategic choices and heart-pounding encounters.

Unleash Your Inner Beast
One of the unique features in Coridden is the ability to effortlessly switch between human and beast forms. Whenever you wish to change your strategy or regain stamina during a heated battle, shepshifting is as easy as a button tap. We delve into this transformative power more here.

All About Shapeshifting in Coridden
Today, we're embarking on a journey to explore shapeshifting in Coridden. Whether you've just discovered our game or you're already played the demo, understanding the art of...

Manage Your Stamina
As battles unfold, your character's stamina slowly depletes with each attack. What happens when you run low and need a quick recharge? Simple: switch forms! This shift offers a tactical refresh that can turn the tide in combat.

Choose Your Arsenal
In Coridden, flexibility is key. Equip yourself with a versatile mix of melee and ranged weapons. Switch between a trusty bow and an array of melee options like handaxes, swords, or spears. With so much variety, there’s a perfect weapon to suit every player’s taste.

Personalize Your Human Form
Customization is at your fingertips when choosing a class for your human form. Whether you wish to focus on elemental damage or bolstering your team through healing and support, the decision shapes your future skillset. Every choice opens a new avenue for personalized gameplay.

Explore Dual Skill Trees
Both your human and beast forms come with distinct skill trees. As you level up, be sure to examine each tree for fresh abilities that can help you conquer increasingly challenging foes.

Solo or Co-op: The Choice is Yours
While playing solo is possible, we recommend teaming up with at least one more person for an enriched experience. Collaborating with another player can enhance strategies and make conquering the dangerous world of Coridden all the more enjoyable.

Optimized for Gamepad Play
Although playable with mouse and keyboard, Coridden is optimized with a gamepad in mind. This means wielding your controller will provide the smoothest, most immersive experience.

Dive into Coridden’s combat with these insights in mind, and prepare for an exciting adventure!

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Learn more about shapeshifting in Coridden:

All About Shapeshifting in Coridden

Greetings, Shifters! 

Today, we're embarking on a journey to explore shapeshifting in Coridden. Whether you've just discovered our game or you're already played the demo, understanding the art of shapeshifting is key to mastering the game. In this mini-guide, we'll delve into what shapeshifting is all about, how you can transform into different forms, and the advantages it brings to your gameplay.

Let's jump into it!

Why Shapeshift?
Shapeshifting is really important in Coridden. When you change into a beast, you can run faster and jump higher, which helps you move through the game more easily, as well as access some hidden shelves and nooks. On the other hand, when you are in your human form, you can use your fingers to open treasure chests and collect goodies you find along the way.

How Do You Get This Ability?
To shapeshift, you need special shards. These shards sometimes appear when you beat a beast in the game. Your gauntlets can use these shards to let you turn into the beast you defeated. The more beasts you beat, the more shapes you can change into!

Skill Trees For All
Every beast type has its own skills called Beast Mastery. These are like skill-trees with useful abilities for you to use when you’re in beast form. It's like having two characters in one because you can access both your beast and human skills anytime! Remember, each beast has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Play and Grow Together
Coridden is designed as a co-op adventure. You and your friends can fight, ride, and complete challenges together, making the game more fun and exciting as you grow and improve as a team.

Shapeshift Your Way to Victory! 

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Couchpotato spotted some screenshots of Coridden:

Casual Day with Lilly

Greetings, Shifters! 

In anticipation of future updates, I decided to revisit Coridden. I started with a walk through Quilon's streets and then took a boat to explore distant shores.

Here's a casual day with Lilly. Enjoy the screenshots!
Every adventure starts from leaving home.soon!

[...]

The devs of Coridden are going to the Gamescom:

We're going to Gamescom!

Greetings, Shifters! 

We are super excited to announce that we’ll be attending Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, Germany! Mark your calendars for August 21-25 and come find us in Hall 10 at Booth D020G.

For those who might not know, Gamescom is one of the biggest and most exciting gaming events in Europe. It’s a fantastic place where gamers of all shapes and sizes come together to celebrate video games. Whether you’re looking to discover new titles, meet industry pros, or just soak in the gaming atmosphere, Gamescom is the place to be! 

[...]

Couchpotato spotted a playtest summary for Coridden:

Playtest summary & Let's have a Q&A! 

Greetings, Shifters! 

As you know, we recently wrapped up the playtest of the Alpha build of Coridden. We were thrilled to have our amazing Kickstarter backers, selected creators, and those who applied through the Steam form join us. Today, we're here to share the results of the playtest based on the feedback you provided!

But before we dive into the details, we have some exciting news!
We'll be hosting a Q&A on our Discord, and we’d love you to join us! Whether you're curious about our next steps, discovered Coridden recently, or just want to learn more about our game or us, our Discord is the perfect place to connect. You can ask questions, or vote on existing ones! Plus, there's a chance to win a key to one of Anshar Publishing's games for a lucky participant! 

Join our Discord and ask us anything!

Now, let’s talk about the playtest results. We had an impressive 1304 participants with access, and we received 81 responses to our feedback form. The graphs below show the insights we gathered from your responses from the feedback form, giving us a clearer picture of Coridden's current state in Alpha.

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The devs of Coridden want your feedback:

We need your feedback!

Greetings, Shifters!

We wanted to give you a quick update on what's going on at Coridden 

Right now, we're in the middle of a playtest, and we're testing out an Alpha build of the game. Huge thanks to those of you who decided to play this build and help us catch issues early – your feedback is invaluable!  BUT, if you haven't joined the playtests because you don't want your experience to be spoiled, that's absolutely understandable.

We've already seen some coverage on YouTube and Twitch in various languages, and it's an amazing feeling to see people play Coridden and get excited about it 

[...]

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Couchpotato spotted that the alpha build of Coridden is now live:

The Alpha build for Coridden is now live!

Greetings, Shifters!

Exciting news! Our playtests start today, and we can't wait for you to dive in and experience Coridden.
This is an exclusive opportunity to dive into the new content we've been working on and provide valuable feedback to help us shape the future of our shapeshifting game. 

So, what’s an Alpha build? It’s an early version of our game that we’re sharing with you for a very limited time to gather your invaluable insights and feedback. Your experience and reports will help us make Coridden even better!

On this occasion, we prepared a combat trailer to give you a taste:

[...]

Couchpotato spotted some music of Corridden:

Coridden - Menu Soundtrack Preview

Couchpotato spotted the June update for Coridden:

From Quests to Tunes!

Coridden's Changelog - June

Greetings, Shifters!

We’re excited to share what we’ve been up to over the past month as we gear up for our upcoming alpha testing. Here’s a peek behind the curtain at the latest developments:

A lot of side-quests!
We've been busy adding and implementing a bunch of new side-quests. These quests are designed to enrich your journey and offer more depth to our world. We can’t wait for you to dive in and discover all the hidden stories and adventures we’ve crafted, but of course, that's all we can reveal for now

Environment Enhancements
Our environments are getting some love too! We’ve touched up the Quilon Outskirts, a new area that hasn’t been included before. Here are some sneak-peaks:

[...]

Shacknews checked out Coridden:

Coridden is a smooth action RPG with combat juice and an excellent shapeshifting hook

Diablo meets Animorphs in Aftnareld's co-op action RPG epic.

One of the biggest surprises for me at PAX East was easily Coridden. I sat down with one of the developers to run through their co-op demo, and I didn’t want to get up. This game not only makes the familiar hacking, slashing, and looting of the classic action RPG feel great, but it has a monster collecting-slash-transforming gimmick that fits the space perfectly. I do have some questions or concerns for the full thing, but after one demo session I’m completely on board to find those answers myself.

On the surface, Coridden is a traditional action RPG with up to four players. The characters are defined, but their roles and skills are not. Some of that will be determined by the equipment you find as you go, but there are plenty of skill tree options to dive into as well. Those choices feel important, as Coridden definitely has the juice when it comes to combat. It wasn’t complex, but the way I could seamlessly play with light attacks, heavy attacks, skills, and dodging felt almost out of place in this genre. But in a good way that elevated the Diablo-like structure to more than simply button-mashing.

The icing on the cake is the monster system. While it doesn’t go as far as approaching Pokemon-style collecting, certain encounters result in a monster “drop,” which you can then equip as a new skill tree. From there you can transform into the monster on demand, giving you access to a whole new set of gameplay mechanics. That extends from combat into exploration, an example being the first monster you get allowing faster movement speed and longer jumps. Also, in co-op, you can have one player ride the other, giving you even more combat options. And it all feels great in your hands. Nothing stood out as clunky, janky, or anything like it.

[...]

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LV 1 Gaming interviewed the Coridden devs:

Corriden Developer Interview PAX East 2024

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Matt talked with the developers of Coridden in MC #521:

MC521: Narin and Valle of Aftnareld, developers of Coridden

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Couchpotato spotted a new dev update for Coridden:

Important Figures Behind our Protagonists

Dev Update #24

Greetings, Shifters! 

In the previous update, we introduced you to our main protagonists - the Dayal siblings. Today, we wanted to tell you more about the characters that are the closest to them. Let's talk about their family, their roles and challenges in a post-apocalyptic world.

Charvi – Mother of the siblings
Charvi is a kind, caring and determined woman. She has been managing the family tech shop inherited from her and her sister Ira’s parents for many years. She raised all of her children mostly by herself, with the occasional help of their father and her sister (when they weren't busy scavenging). Many people in Quilon know that they can not only go to her to buy and fix things, but hire help to perform requests that only scavengers take upon themselves. Charvi is also known for always trying to help someone in some way, regardless of how much money someone might have.

Ira – Charvi's sister, siblings aunt
Ira is energetic, positive and smart. She never wanted to have a family herself, but she always stayed close to Charvi and helped her raise her children as much as she could. She has a lot of joy and pride being an aunt. Ira has a brilliant, inventive mind, and loves tinkering with tech. It seems that she especially enjoys experimenting with creating new types of weapons...

[...]

Couchpotao spotted dev update #21 for Coridden:

Unveiling the Secrets of Aasha: The Story of Coridden

Dev Update #21

Greetings, Shifters!

While Coridden's visuals and smooth multiplayer gameplay may be eye-catching, there's an important layer of the game that's hard to show through screenshots and GIFs. Beneath its visual surface lies a story that weaves together elements of adventure, mystery, and the indomitable spirit of humanity. Let's explore it together!

Coridden's post-apocalyptic narrative is set on a distant planet, where remnants of old human society and technology are scattered across a landscape reminiscent of Earth's Mesozoic Era.

The story takes place many years after a mysterious disaster forced colonists to leave their city and the advanced technology that used to keep them alive. The colonists have since built a new city, learning to adapt and survive in a world where dangerous reptile beasts roam freely.

A group of brave people called the "Scavengers" go into dangerous places to find resources and artifacts that were left behind after a catastrophic event. Our protagonists, the Dayal siblings, become a part of this group after their lives take an unexpected turn when they equip ancient hi-tech devices that grant them extraordinary shapeshifting powers.

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You can learn more about the combat of Coridden in dev update #15:

A Close Look at Combat!

Dev Update #15

Greetings, Shifters!

In Coridden, we wanted the combat system to not only test players' reflexes and fast decision-making, but also to encourage communication and collaboration among team members. The different items and abilities can make the battle better or worse, depending on what kind of enemy they face and how fast they react. 

Here are four aspects we kept in mind to create the combat challenging in Coridden:

Reacting
responding to threats, taking actions, and controlling your character;

Targeting
analyzing enemies, planning out take-down order, using the right tools;

Managing energy (a resource to perform attacks and certain skills)
balancing defense vs attack, risk vs safety;

Playing as a team
talking to each other to eliminate the right targets, managing energy and targets between players, helping each other in need, making use of everyone's strengths & tools, compensating for each other's weaknesses.

During combat, players can use melee and ranged attacks depending on their equipment, and choose between light (faster) or charged (slower, but more powerful) attacks. Charged attacks are extra useful when the enemy is blocking attacks or has a lot of damage reduction!

[...]

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Rock Paper Shotgun checked out the action RPG Coridden:

Coridden is an action RPG with shapeshifters in which you can ride your friends

Valiant steeds wanted

The one great weapon in my arsenal as mercurial uncle and cousin to several infant humans is the timeless game of Horsey. You know - when you get down all fours and offer to give the kid a ride around the sitting room. It's murder on the old kneecaps, but as any shrewd parental tactician knows, Horsey is a game with a sting in its tail (making this a kind of scorpion Horsey, I guess). The horse in the game of Horsey is free to choose the direction of travel, even if it's somewhere the rider would rather not go. Towards the bath or dinner table, for instance. Towards the dentist, if needed.

[...]

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The coop-action RPG Coridden has been announced for 2022:

 Coridden

Embrace your new-found powers as a shapeshifter in Coridden, an action adventure RPG for 1-4 players with a strong co-op focus. Utilize your various forms traits to overcome obstacles and defeat tough enemies. Set out on a mission to unravel the mysteries of a lost civilization, and to stop a slumbering threat from erupting once again...

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SAVE THE PEOPLE OF A DISTANT WORLD
Take the role as one of four thrill-seeking siblings who one day gain superhuman abilities after receiving old artifacts. Explore different paths in the choice-driven dialogues and the various quests you can take on during your mission to save your people.

BECOME A SHAPESHIFTER
Experience the strength and freedom of being a shapeshifter! Switch between your human and beast whenever you want to utilize each form’s strengths when needed. Gather DNA from the creatures you defeat and use them as items, just like other loot. The different forms aren’t just for combat, you can use them to explore the world in different ways as well as overcome environmental obstacles.

FIGHT USING BOTH YOUR SKILL AND CHARACTER BUILD
Complement your character build with your own skill in the hack and slash style combat. Learn how and when to attack, dodge, block, jump, shoot, shapeshift, grab and use abilities to take out the aggressive beasts, bandits and security machines that you’ll encounter on your journey.

RIDE OUT TOGETHER IN CO-OP
Up to 4 players can play together in drop in/drop out co-op gameplay. Work together while fighting, exploring, engaging in dialogues and building your skilltrees. In co-op you also unlock a special team mechanic: riding on each other’s back to become a strong cavalry unit together!