[Preview] Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults has the potential to be a great entrypoint into the RPG’s world

From zero to hero in 60 seconds in the upcoming Pathfinder ARPG

I need to confess that I didn’t know a lick about Pathfinder prior to setting up my demo session at Summer Game Fest this month. In fact, I still don’t really know much, apart from it being a popular tabletop game and a viable alternative for players looking to try something new. But that’s fine; part of the magic of game expos is being able to go hands-on with things that are out of our knowledge zone. And since I’ve played plenty of Action RPGs in my day I opted to try the Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults demo, and I’m glad I did because it scratches a decades-old itch that I may have forgotten about.

Abomination Vaults the video game is based on Abomination Vaults the 3-part Pathfinder campaign. The demo focuses on a vertical slice and is meant to showcase the cooperative teamwork that the game is built around. In it, four characters work together to run through an underworld, defeating enemies and capturing loot. Three of us play our demo, with the fourth slot taken up by the PC. The game will always use four heroes, and fill in whatever is needed with computer controlled companions. I decide to go with a more median character, a “typical” hero with a sword, and my human teammates take magic and healer positions.

It takes place in an isometric view, with monsters popping up as we go along from area to area. It’s not so much a hack-and-slash as it is more of a controlled action, and this is where the familiarity starts to set in for me. There is almost a Gauntlet feel to the experience, as some of us attack and some of us scour for treasure and how those affect our abilities. Here though, developer BKOM Studios wants us to really cooperate, with our abilities and attacks and skills having more of a connected use. We are reliant on each other, more than I’ve regularly seen in a game like this. Because I’m green in this demo, our healer has to continually keep me alive to make sure I’m defeating enemies at a good clip.

While the game is still in development, and the visuals are still being worked on, I’m struck by the attention to the details on the map, especially for lighting. Lighting in this game seems to hint at life, so if something is brighter it’s more likely going to help me, like the tree-like waypoints we come across. It gives us a regular point of reference to aim for as we treck along.

We cross bridges, grab treasure, improve our characters, and eventually face off against a boss-level enemy, which actually manages to kill us the first time due to my “run and slash” mentality. On our second attempt, though, I coordinate with my team and we clear out the demon much more easily.

With Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults teamwork looks like it’s going to be crucial, whether we’re playing with three friends or three bots at our side. Being able to go in and hack away will work to appease our lizard brains, but being cognizent of our comrades is going to be what gets us through the thick of the adventure.

There’s no release date set for the game yet.