Nightingale - What We Know So Far

One of many new games revealed at the Dec. 2021 Game Awards, "Nightingale" looks like it has a lot to offer to fans of fantasy and exploration. The official "Nightingale" site describes the upcoming title as "a shared world survival crafting game, set in an all-new fantasy universe." Before the game was announced at the Game Awards through a reveal trailer, host Geoff Keighley mentioned "Nightingale" is "from a studio comprised of many industry veterans."

The studio Keighley alluded to is Inflexion Games, a Canada-based studio with a relatively small but growing "strong, diverse team." One prominent figure involved in getting "Nightingale" off the ground is Aaryn Flynn. The now-CEO is best known for his long-time career with Bioware until he left the company during the development of "Anthem." If Flynn's work on "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect is any indication, "Nightingale" has the potential to be big if it catches the interest of fans.

There's still a lot to learn about "Nightingale," though what's been shared so far should give gamers a lot to contemplate. Surprisingly, the game might not be as far away as some think.

Since "Nightingale" was just announced Dec. 9, 2021, the fact that there's no release date nailed down yet doesn't come as a shock. However, the game's creators have provided some insight to help players frame their expectations. As quoted on the official site, the developers are "working hard to bring you Nightingale in 2022. Stay tuned for more."

In the meantime, new "Nightingale" fans can look forward to playtesting, which is slated to start sometime in 2022 as well. Those eager for a first look at the game can sign up for updates. Also worth noting for those deciding if "Nightingale" is on their radar, the title is "currently PC only." While console availability could change, the current launch plan may leave some non-PC players disappointed.

Currently working hard on development ahead of the proposed 2022 release window for "Nightingale," Inflexion Games has a clear goal for this title as well as other games the team hopes to make in the future. Basically, what the company wants to accomplish through gaming is "to create places. Places that tell stories, help people find meaning, and foster communities." This vision is clearly captured in the "Nightingale" reveal trailer.

Even during a Game Awards full of announcements, "Nightingale" undeniably made an impact with its compelling reveal trailer. The cinematic announcement opens with eerie music on a dark night in the forest as a woman armed with a lantern and gun comes across some frightful creatures. Some have sharp teeth, human-like faces, and reptilian yet avian bodies, while another dino-like beast towers above the trees as he runs towards the protagonist.

The scene cuts to black as narration begins over a shot of the same character seemingly waking up in the woods: "Ever since the day the portal network collapsed, stranding us in these realms, we have searched for a way home." A "dangerous labrynth of fantastical worlds" is spoken of and revealed through more quick cuts. Soon, a character with a spooky ghost mask appears on screen as a narrator welcomes players "to the lands of Fae." Scenic wildlife and wilderness shots follow, plus a look at a glowing portal.

The protagonist is next seen using the portal as narration explains how "every portal is a chance for salvation, uniting the lost survivors...or leading us into this nightmare." Quick cuts of travel, crafting, battle, and construction showcased gameplay, while narration over a cityscape called Nightingale "our beacon of hope...beyond our reach." The trailer peaks as multiple characters emerge from a portal in an effort to "stand together" as a narrator declares "you, the Realwalkers, are all we have left." Finally, the giant monster from the beginning reappears before the end title cut. The trailer gave gamers a lot to unpack, though gameplay info makes it all a bit clearer.

Adding on to what was revealed in the trailer, the "Nightingale" website delineates some of the gameplay specifics previously teased, as well as related hints about what players can expect from the plot. Just as the appearance of multiple characters near the end of the announcement trailer suggested, "Nightingale" will offer a multiplayer option. Additionally, players can still experience the game on their own. It's unclear yet which playstyle will predominate, though the mention of "combin[ing] your strengths and skills" on the game site might suggest certain advantages for multiplayer mode.

"Nightingale" takes place in a "rich gaslamp Victorian fantasy setting." Gaslamp fantasy is basically "Steampunk's magical cousin" that features historical 19th- and 20th-century elements as well as a supernatural bent. Portals are the pathway to "adventure and mystery" set in "beautiful and increasingly-dangerous worlds" in the distant Fae Realms, where players are trapped far away from "the last haven of humanity, Nightingale" to which they aim to return.

Gameplay will include open-world exploration, crafting, construction, farming, and survival-focused combat. What's hard to tell from the trailer is how long "Nightingale" will keep players occupied, though the sprawling landscapes look as vast as the variety of in-game functions available for players to choose from.

Interested players can look forward to playtests for "Nightingale" sometime in 2022, as well as its eventual PC-only release the same year. Until then, fans have their fingers crossed for more info drops in the meantime.