The latest project from Richard Garriott, famous for the Ultima series, has arrived on Steam Early Access, with those who back Shroud of the Avatar at this stage gaining entry to the latest update, Release 12.
“We are excited to be pushing the doors wide-open to Shroud of the Avatar,” said Garriott, the game's creative director, in a press release. “When we applied for Early Access for the game, we received our green light in less than three days. In fact Steam players gave the OK with an 86 per cent approval rating. What they’ll find is a fantasy RPG that harkens back to my earlier games in the genre, but with modern day technology that combines a single player narrative with an Ultima-like sandbox MMO.”
Update Release 12 add an in-game hint system, more than 15 new skills, and over 50 new weapon and armour crafting recipes. Ravenswood Forest and the Tower of the Shuttered Eye are two new maps, while the death system now transforms players into ghosts upon death.
Shroud of the Avatar has raised $5 million in crowdfunding and can be picked up on Steam Early Access for 15 per cent off the usual price this month.
Release 13 is planned for December.
