At PAX South we got the chance to sit down with REND and go through some of their latest updates. For those who may not know, REND captures the essence of a survival game with strong PvP concepts and crafting. The fantasy world is built on a rich system of archery which creates the shooter environment. The team has been hard at work and pushing to build out new areas along with polishing character skills and gameplay.
REND’s updates continue to polish an already solid core game. They host a three faction system which is fully lore based. The Revenant faction are themed around stealth, their color is purple. The Order faction is based on a warrior tradition, their color is orange. Finally, the Conclave falls under the mystic category, their color is green. These factions do not have any game play effects. You do not need to work as a team all the time. There are plenty of ways to contribute to your faction alone as well.
Playing a faction, your goal is to harvest souls that have been lost. A giant tree in the middle of the map named Yggdrassil will display your faction’s progress in a mythical pattern. There are many fantastic strategies which can be used in REND. Going out and hunting or killing quickly can get you a head start. The talent trees of: Assassin, Soldier, Survivalist and Mystic. These will gain you access to different bows and weapon designs.
That is not the only option in REND though, you also have access to an immense crafting menu. Maybe you want to build up a base quickly for your faction and craft out your resources. This will host a stronger defense in the long term of the game. Crafting starts quickly as you play and making an axe so you can cut your first bow is part of the challenge. Harvesting and making weapons are only part of the skill system you will be able to use in the game. Exploring, magic, and making armor also play a big part in your character’s build. There are a lot of play styles available in REND. Crafting is also helps your faction.
REND is about survival and the monsters and trials you will face are not easy. Events on the servers will also force players to work together regardless of faction. These events will take careful planning, but the rewards will be fantastic. REND also prides itself on diverse environments within their world. The team will have a lot more information on that later on as development continues, but expect some fun areas to explore. There are also Reckonings which are regular events that can be a key element in PvP raids.
REND has also become a lot bigger. The map has grown four times its original size as developers add more biomes to explore. These biomes are areas to find new monsters and harvest different resources. Each one is unique and deadly in their own way.
REND continues to develop into its alpha testing build aiming for a first quarter run of alpha. The team is hard at work after the holidays to get the build into player’s hands. As the company continues expect to see the game at some shows throughout the year. Fans who signed up will be added in waves throughout the weeks making sure everyone gets to play. For fans of mystical style shooters, REND falls into a unique category. The game has a fun familiar play style and the combat bows are a creative way to bring shooters into a fantasy genre. Tack on the crafting and gathering in the game along with three faction PvP and you have a clear winner in the coming months. We expect a lot more great things from REND!
