The crowdfunding campaign for Shadow of the Eternals has begun. Dubbed a spiritual successor to the GameCube cult hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, the project was initially announced last week with nothing more than a teaser trailer. Opting out of the popular site Kickstarter, developer Precursor Games has created its own site with similar functionality. With an overall goal of $1.5 million, supporters can choose to contribute anywhere from $5 to $10000 with varying rewards.
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Precursor Games will be the latest studio to try its hand at episodic storytelling, with 12 episodes planned for Shadow of the Eternals. However, this initial campaign is not for the whole season. The current $1.5 million goal will be used for, “production on the Pilot Episode, game engine costs and core system development.”
Future episodes will need more money, but Precursor claims these will cost significantly less. But even with possible future campaigns, $50 can guarantee you the entire first season. Refunds will be offered if the studio believes completion of the project is impossible. Supporting on any level will grant you access to the “Order of the Unseen,” which Precursor hopes to utilize as a direct avenue for communicating with fans during development.
Founded in 2012, Precursor Games consists largely of former Silicon Knights staff, with former studio head Dennis Dyack taking the role of chief creative officer. Silicon Knights had quite the storied past, with titles including the Legacy of Kain series, Too Human, and of course Eternal Darkness.
Shadow of the Eternals will try to follow in the terrifying footsteps of its inspiration, telling the story of Detective Paul Becker. While investigating a murder in Louisiana, Becker will slowly begin to unravel the mysteries of a group known as the “Eternals.” This will take players on an adventure spanning 2500 years, with various historical figures, some of whom have been revealed already.
And, as if there was any doubt, sanity effects will return as a ” vehicle for the game to achieve exploration, storytelling, investigation, and puzzle-solving that will help develop adventure elements.” Shadow of the Eternals will run on CryEngine 3, and is being developed for PC and Wii U.
Will you back Shadow of the Eternals? Let us know in the comments below.