We went to a private screening of «Bylina» (The Epic). We are in for an action RPG in the spirit of Diablo about the Far Far Away Kingdom and Russian heroes

Several projects related to Slavic mythology will be released in the near future. For example, our website has material about the metroidvania Volkolak: The Will of Gods. And recently, a closed presentation for the press of the role-playing game «Bylina», also known as The Epic, took place. We attended this event and are in a hurry to share the details.

We first heard about «Bylina» back in 2020. However, the idea of ​​a project based on Slavic legends was born in 2013. Over the past eleven years, several concepts have changed. In particular, the option of creating our own cinematic universe was considered. But they decided to abandon it and focus on the video game. It is being developed on the modern Unreal Engine 5, so everything is in perfect order with the appearance.

The action of the game will unfold, as you already understood, in the setting of Slavic mythology. You will find scenery straight from fairy tales and familiar characters from childhood, like Koschei the Deathless. Particular attention is paid to the heroes. They are presented here as superheroes — incredibly strong, but at the same time a little crazy. The main character does not belong to them, but has similar abilities. A separate intrigue is associated with his role in the events taking place.

At the same time, the game is filled with humor and funny situations. The closest analogue is the cartoons of the Melnitsa studio in the spirit of Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent. This distinguishes Bylina from other similar projects that try to maintain seriousness.

At the presentation, the developers from Far-Far Games paid special attention to the Far Far Away Kingdom. According to their plan, this is a kind of parallel dimension that lives by its own laws. It can be compared to limbo from DMC: Devil May Cry or the other world from the Silent Hill series. It is there that various mythical creatures live, like the already mentioned Koschei. Some characters, for example, the heroes, perceive the Far Far Away Kingdom as a source of power and calmly move between it and ordinary reality. In the story mode, the main character will visit this strange world several times.

Roman Papsuev is an artist who reworked images from Slavic mythology to the standards of modern fantasy. We asked the developers whether his work was reflected in the development of «Bylina“. According to them, at a certain stage, Roman really influenced everyone who was interested in ancient Russian legends. However, now the authors of the game have their own vision of the genre, and it is not connected with Papsuev's illustrations.

It should be noted that based on Roman's books, a card collectible game with roguelike elements will be released ”Immortal. Tales of Old Rus'».

Thanks to the isometric camera, Bylina looks like an action RPG in the spirit of Diablo or Titan Quest. However, the emphasis is on battles with single opponents, each of whom poses a serious threat. To defeat them, you need to choose your weapon wisely, learn simple combos, and actively use magic. According to the developers, the combat system resembles the first two parts of the Gothic series.

As you progress, you will be able to take on additional tasks and receive unique skills for completing them. However, roguelike elements with endless passage of the same places are not planned.

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At this stage, Bylina looks like a project that competently transfers the heroes familiar from childhood to the RPG format. And the humor and high-quality combat system make it a unique game that has no direct analogues. Of course, the developers need time to eliminate some rough edges, but the potential of their creation is already felt today. We are looking forward to the playable demo version to get acquainted with Bylina personally. The release will take place in 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

Are you interested in games based on Slavic mythology? Are you waiting for Bylina now? Share your opinions in the comments!