Alta, the creative minds behind A Township Tale (2021), have been hard at work on their next big venture, the dungeon-crawling extraction game REAVE. Recently, they gave us a sneak peek at their progress, diving deeper into the game’s mechanics and unveiling a fresh dungeon along with an enemy—all very much a work-in-progress.
In their latest developer log, which you can check out below, Alta showcases several newly revamped systems and areas. The highlight? A colossal room known as ‘The Fallen Bastion,’ described as the game’s largest space thus far.
"This area is a mix of open expanses and confined spots," explains lead environment artist Sean Ellis. "We’ve got well-lit sections and shadowy corners perfect for player ambushes or ducking away from foes."
Right at the heart of this room, there’s a magical pedestal that summons an epic boss fight. For now, that boss is a giant spider, used as a placeholder to test these adrenaline-pumping encounters.
The folks at Alta reassure us, "Don’t worry, the spider isn’t here to stay. It’s just helping us fine-tune the boss battle experience as we develop something more bespoke."
While we explore this massive creation, the team is busy refining previously unveiled areas, introducing "lots of changes and improvements." There’s also the possibility that some older sections might be entirely replaced in the future.
The studio has also previewed a new enemy model set to replace the current placeholder skeletons. These adversaries will vary in difficulty, depending on their gear and weaponry.
Being an extraction game, REAVE heavily features its in-game currency, ‘Echoes’—a name that might undergo a change. Gamers collect Echoes over time, filling a special vessel. Defeating enemies drops Echoes, but they can also be found scattered about, encouraging players to vanquish foes, explore, and use Echoes to unlock loot rooms or extract from dungeons. Once back in the social hub, players could trade their loot.
If you’re keen to try out the game early, you can join their Discord community, where they occasionally open testing slots. There’s no official release date for REAVE yet, but Alta has confirmed they’re aiming to launch on Quest 2 and higher along with PC VR headsets.
