Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is an action role-playing dungeon crawler video game created and released by Wolcen Studios. It was first available for Windows in February 2020 and later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March 2023. The game is set in a dark fantasy world and follows a story divided into three parts. Players explore maps that are created randomly each time, fight groups of monsters, and collect valuable items.
In the game, the player joins the Army of the Purifiers with two childhood friends. Together, they take part in Operation Dawnbane, a mission to fight back against the Brotherhood of Dawn after the group attacks a secret fortress.
History
The game was first introduced under the name "Umbra" in 2015. It began as a Kickstarter fundraising project, which collected over $400,000 from more than 11,000 supporters.
In 2016, the game was given a new name: Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. At the same time, the company that developed the game changed its name to Wolcen Studio.
Reception
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem received mixed reviews. As of June 2021, it had a score of 60 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on feedback from 25 critics. Some reviewers liked how the game appeals to experienced players who enjoy action RPG dungeon crawlers, as well as its less limited character customization and strong graphics. However, many negative reviews pointed to major bugs when the game first released and criticized its gameplay for being too similar to other games, which limited its potential.
IGN gave the game a "mediocre" rating of 5 out of 10. They wrote, "If the game’s major bugs are fixed, Wolcen’s good ideas could help it compete with top action RPGs. For now, though, the many bugs make it hard to recommend."
Awards
- Game Audio Network Guild Awards 2021: Best Music for an Indie Game
- Game Audio Network Guild Awards 2021: Best Audio for an Indie Game
- Game Audio Network Guild Awards 2021: Best Sound Design for an Indie Game
- NAVGTR Awards 2021: Best Original Dramatic Score, New Video Game
- NAVGTR Awards 2021: Best Lighting/Texturing
- Movie Music UK Awards 2021: Best Original Score for a Video Game
- TIGA Awards 2021: Best Audio Design
- Pegase 2021: Meilleur Univers Sonore (Best Sound Universe)
- Pegase 2021: Meilleur Premier Jeu Vidéo (Best Debut Video Game)
- Jerry Goldsmith Awards 2023: Best Original Score for a Videogame