Announced at Summer Games Fest, Chronicles: Medieval is an exciting freshman effort from brand new developer Raw Power Games. While this is their first title as a studio, the team is made up of legacy talent from games like Hogwarts Legacy, Hitman, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and more. The trailer debuted today gives a small taste of what Chronicles: Medieval is about, but we were able to take part in a special presentation to dive further into Raw Power Games’ ambitious history-carving title.
Set in 1313 AD Europe, players assume the role of a created character with little to no social influence on the world around them. It’s the player’s goal from the outset to take this character, perhaps just a lowly craftsman hailing from a no-name village, from rags to riches to ultimately become the most influential and powerful person of the age. While said craftsman may start from meager beginnings, nothing is stopping them from one day picking up a sword and becoming a mercenary, turning to a life of banditry for economic redistribution of a five-fingered variety, or joining the King’s Army to seek glory on the battlefield.
As the player climbs social ranks through honors and tournament wins and eventually achieves a leadership position, the game then tasks them with growing their sphere of influence over as much land as possible. While an empire may be made at the end of a sword, that is not the only way to gain control over much of Europe. Engaging in diplomacy, building trade routes, and forging alliances can all help you create a bloodless bridge to other nations. For players who are feeling a little malicious but do not quite have an appetite for war, subterfuge and espionage are also on the table. Chronicles: Medieval is about letting the player decide how they will build their legend and watch the world react to their actions.
Over the course of the campaign, proprietary simulation technology throws the occasional wrench into the players’ best laid plans by hoisting the unexpected. Famine, plagues, and other kinds of natural disasters will blaze their way across Europe and could either become a mutual enemy for the player and allied countries or an opportunity to grab more land. What better way to win a war than to strike when your opponent is at their weakest?
Of course, this isn’t to say that war is always a bad option. Raw Power Games wants to simulate the large-scale battles of yore by letting players prepare, command, and fight alongside armies in giant conflicts. The developer describes these clashes as a pillar of Medieval equivalent to the sandbox storytelling and is aiming for them to be equal parts historical and compelling. While the campaign is single-player, players who wish to have a friend join them in the brutal knight-on-knight melee battles can do so in the co-op mode made up of custom battles.
A major focus for Chronicles: Medieval is the ease for players to mod the game. Community Manager Clemens Koch insists that modding is not just supported, it is part of Raw Power Games’ DNA. “A hundred Thomas the Tank Engines vs. one Master Chief?” Koch pontificates. “That’s only doable by modding.”
Raw Power Games is aiming for an Early Access release for Chronicles: Medieval in 2026 on PC, hoping to build the game alongside the community playing it. While many things could happen in the meantime, the current plans are to stay in Early Access for about 12 months before officially releasing, then thinking about things like the console releases. Raw Power Games does not quite consider it a Game as a Service, however, as it is a premium title that intends to make full use of its time in Early Access.
And by the way, for those curious how The Dark Knight Rises and Inception actor Tom Hardy ended up narrating the trailer, the answer is quite a bit simpler than one would expect: they emailed him and asked. After Raw Power Games showed Hardy the trailer, identifying him as the ideal voice to introduce the game, Hardy loved it and agreed to lend his dulcet tones for the narration.
If Chronicles: Medieval makes good on all its promises, players should have a fantastic time exploring every narrative nook and cranny in rising to the top of 14th century Europe’s socioeconomic landscape. Whether it be through aggression, defense, or diplomacy, the crown of an emperor awaits players ready to take on the world in this ambitious title.
