It was only a few months ago that Stardock announced the return of Elemental. The classic 4X strategy series was being remastered and combined into one product under the fitting name Elemental: Reforged. Now, the title is out in early access on Steam. Check out the new gameplay trailer above.
The series originally received three installments: Elemental War of Magic, Fallen Enchantress and Sorcerer King. The games weren"t the most stable releases, however, with more than a few technical issues plaguing the experiences. Stardock called out the 32-bit memory limit of the classic engine for not being able to handle the series" immense systems.
“Elemental: Reforged is the culmination of the vision Stardock had for this series since we started work on it over 15 years ago,” said Bradley Wardell, CEO of Stardock and designer of Elemental: Reforged. “The design of the game was ahead of its time, but limited by PC consumer hardware of the late 2000s. Now with a 64-bit engine, updated graphical fidelity, and a combination of features from all previous releases in the Elemental series, Reforged is exactly what we hoped the original game would be.”
Aside from engine upgrades and visual overhauls, the company is taking major elements from the original games and molding them into the new Reforged experience. Most of the development team that was working on the originals has returned to deliver this version too.
The company hadn"t planned to take the early access route from the start, with it saying that fan reactions to the announcement had changed its course.
“We wanted to get players into the game as soon as possible,” adds Wardell. “As a way of making good on the promise of the original game’s ambitious design, our aim is to make sure we shape this the way our fans want to see.”
Here are the key features of this early access release:
- Ultimate Fantasy Sandbox. Players can create their own leaders, their own factions, and build a fantasy civilization with its own history and lore.
- Unified Elemental Experience. Brings together the strategic depth, smart AI, and rich gameplay from Fallen Enchantress, the immersive crafting and quest systems from Sorcerer King, and the dynasty-building, terraforming, and innovative mechanics first introduced in War of Magic.
- Rich, Dynamic Worlds. Enjoy endless replayability through procedurally generated fantasy worlds filled with lore-rich quests, evolving environments that respond to your magic, unique fantasy civilizations, and bustling cities populated with individually simulated characters.
- RPG-Infused Unit Design. Customize heroes and armies through an intuitive RPG-style character designer, crafting each unit with their own unique history, stats, equipment, and abilities, growing stronger with experience.
- Compelling, Short Tactical Combat. See how your designed units and characters fare in battle in highly refined tactical battles that reward strategic thinking, or leverage a sophisticated auto-resolve system powered by advanced AI for streamlined empire management.
- Deep Quest and Story Integration. Embark on rich, narrative-driven quests seamlessly woven into the empire-building experience, influencing diplomacy, unlocking secrets, and offering meaningful rewards.
- Modernized UI and Graphics Engine. Explore enhanced visuals powered by DirectX 11, seamless zooming from strategic cloth-map to detailed tactical view.
- Integrated Modding Tools. A comprehensive built-in modding and map-editing tool, and a fully redesigned user interface optimized for modern PC gaming with Steam workshop integration.
Don"t forget to check out our interview with Brad Wardell over here, where he speaks about the development troubles of the original games during the late 2000s and how they are being remedied in the remaster.
Elemental: Reforged is now available on Steam in early access. It is currently discounted by 20% as an introductory promotion as well, dropping the price to $19.99. Stardock is also celebrating the occasion with discounts across most of its products on Steam as well.
Disclaimer: Neowin"s relationship to Stardock