Today’s Xbox Partner Preview was focused purely on third-party studios, and one of the brand-new games in the spotlight was Vaunted from Lost Lake Games. A tactical-RPG that challenges players to seize the ultimate score, Vaunted also blends elements of third-person shooters into its gameplay to create a high-stakes experience.
Taking place in a galaxy where chaos reigns supreme–thanks to the fall of the last galactic empire hundreds of years ago–Mercenaries and treasure hunters battle each other to claim priceless imperial relics buried in far-flung ruins. Vaunted will give players control of three scrappy frenemies–Dyse, Gendril, and Kyvaath–and pit them against ruthless rivals, monstrous aliens, and giant robots as they embark on expeditions across the galaxy.
One of the twists on the typical turn-based formula is that Vaunted has no initiative-based order. Players will control who goes when, alternating with enemies as a skirmish unfolds, and they can use incoming fire and precision aiming when they launch a counterattack. Squad options include skill trees, randomized upgrades, loadout choices, and diverse build options, and the story is told from each of the main characters’ perspectives. This, in turn, creates an unreliable narrator experience, as each hero tells their own version of events, and players will shape what really happened on the battlefield.
The narrative gameplay mechanic also allows you to rewrite the current chapter from a different perspective when a hero dies, unlocking opportunities for unique conversations, new loot, skills, and secrets. Vaunted is the debut title from Lost Lake Games, a studio that includes industry veterans who have worked on everything from StarCraft to Guild Wars. While it doesn’t have a release date yet, Vaunted will be launching for PC first, and it’ll be a day-one release through Xbox Game Pass.
