Shores Unknown – Overview

A promising low-poly turn-based tactical RPG with an innovative gridless battle system.

We tried the demo of the turn-based RPG developed by Vallynne and published by Hitcents and we found it very interesting. A tactical combat system with great potential and deep and mature story that is shaped according to our choices, these are the pillars on which Shores Unknown is based.

Background Story

In Shores Unknown we will take on the role of the leader of a mercenary company that will find itself between two fires, that is the empire with the inquisition to the south and the darkness with its thick fog and unknown territories to the north. Throughout the story, he will have to make decisions that will influence the course of the events.

Exploration Phase

In the world of Shore Unknowns we move freely with the view behind the hero and a cursor that shows us the distance from our next goal. During exploration, we can interact with NPCs, various objects and find hidden path & items.

Gridless battle system

Once in battle, the camera will move slightly upwards to give us a better overview of the situation. At the top, we will have the timeline that shows us the order of action of each unit, friend and enemy. On the left, we will see the portraits of our units with the health bar and the various icons of the chosen attacks, while on the right we find the enemy ones. At the bottom instead, the menu will appear with the commands available for each unit. Before deciding on the move we will have to choose the target with the keys Q and E which allow us to scroll between the various units.

Once the moves to be made at our party have been decided, simply press the SPACE key to see our units and the enemy units in action. When a unit is attacked it will be attached to the attacker and will no longer be able to move freely unless some skill is used which allows for disengagement.

Each character can wear weapons, armor and has 2 accessory slots available. It will also be the equipment and actions taken in battles that will allow the acquisition of new skills.

Key features

• Gridless tactical turn-based combat: take your time to assess the situation and command your characters in the Order Phase, then watch your strategy come to life during the Action Phase as the characters maneuver around the battlefield and carry out their orders.
• Adaptive character advancement system: characters learn new skills and unlock new classes depending on their equipment and combat choices.
• Deep party customization options allow the player to build the perfect mercenary team of their choice, allowing full control over equipment and skills used by each character.
• Vibrant world rendered in low-poly stylistic full of little details to immerse yourself in. Explore the various locations of the game, interact with dozens of characters and uncover the secrets of the Shores.

What we liked most

The gridless combat system that promises to be very tactical with an interesting story that may have several implications.

About developer

Vallynne is a multinational team of industry veterans hailing from Russia, Japan, Spain, and the UK. Vallynne’s development team brings with them a breadth of industry experience, helping to drive their vision for Shores’ unique, genre-defining gameplay. Writers Oli Chance and Morgan Rushton are crafting the narrative; they have previously worked on several Final Fantasy titles, as well as the Ni No Kuni and Dragon Quest series. The composer, Claudi Martinez, brings his keen ear and experience in sound design from notable projects such as Kingdom of Loot.

Release date & platforms

Shores Unknown will be released for Steam & Nintendo Switch in Q1 2020.