Wartales

Wartales is a tactical RPG set in an open medieval world. You lead a band of mercenaries through a land shaped by bandits, debt and power struggles after a devastating plague. Rather than saving the world as a chosen hero, your crew has to survive, complete contracts and earn money.

Every journey calls for decisions about fights, supplies and the makeup of your group. You recruit companions, find equipment, discover ruins and build a camp that becomes crucial on longer expeditions.

Wartales launched in early access on PC on Dec 1, 2021. The full PC version came out on Apr 12, 2023. Nintendo Switch followed on Sep 14, 2023, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on Oct 31, 2023.

The first console versions came after the PC version left early access. The dates separate standalone platform releases from games that are only playable through compatibility features.

Wartales launched natively on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The Xbox version is optimised for Series X|S and includes Smart Delivery. The Microsoft version also supports Xbox Play Anywhere.

The Nintendo Switch version is not a separate Switch 2 release. A native PlayStation version has not been announced. For the PC version, Steam lists Windows as the OS.

Battles in Wartales are turn-based. Position, equipment and the order of actions often decide whether your mercenaries survive the fight. Different weapons and skills let you pin enemies down, flank them or take them out one by one.

Outside of battles, the group moves freely across a large map. Towns offer quest givers and traders, while mines, ruins and graves hold new loot and dangers. You decide which quests to pursue.

Pirates of Belerion has added an island region to Wartales since Dec 14, 2023, along with the ability to fit out a ship and sail between islands. The expansion also introduces its own sea battles and conflicts with pirates.

Other separately sold expansions and contract content include The Skelmar Invasion, The Tavern Opens!, The Pits, The Beast Hunt, The Fief and The Curse of Rigel. This content requires the base game and is not part of its original release.

The PC minimum requirements call for an Intel Core i5 at 2.5 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5, 8 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 1050 or Radeon RX 550, and 30 GB of storage space.

For the recommended configuration, Steam lists an Intel Core i7 at 2.8 GHz or Ryzen 7, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon RX 5600. The original specs include Windows 7, while the Steam client now supports at least Windows 10.

The mercenary band consists of characters with different specializations, weapons and personalities. New companions expand combat options but also raise the costs of pay, food and equipment.

Experience, skills and suitable items make individual members more valuable over time. A well-balanced group can overcome tough enemies, while poorly prepared outings risk losing experienced companions.

The camp is the mercenaries' place of retreat. There the group rests, restocks and uses items or facilities that were made or upgraded for the next journey.

Travel uses up supplies. Food, wages and other resources tie the battles to a lasting economic task: the group must earn enough to cover its growing needs.

In Wartales, equipment can not only be bought but also improved and made through crafting. Different activities help adapt weapons, consumables and camp equipment to the needs of the group.

Work outside of combat is therefore part of character development. Whoever gathers resources and expands the camp's facilities can prepare longer and harder journeys.

Wartales is set about a century after the collapse of the Edoran Empire. A severe plague has shaken the former order. Armed groups, bandits and local rulers shape life in the regions.

While exploring, you find inhabited places as well as abandoned mines and old graves. The story unfolds mainly through encounters, regional conflicts and the decisions of your mercenaries.

The group earns money through contracts and bounties. Sometimes you protect travelers or residents, sometimes you hunt wanted criminals or face dangerous enemies.

Choosing quests affects the route across the open map and the supply of the mercenaries. A high possible reward can justify a long march and difficult battles, but it also costs supplies.

Up to four people can play Wartales online together. Participants lead their group through the open world, plan battles and vote on which quests and journeys to tackle next.

Money, loot and resources are managed in the shared game. Co-op mode complements the single-player game without fundamentally replacing the turn-based combat or the survival of the group.

Wartales offers German menus and subtitles. Steam lists nine supported languages in total, including English, French, German and Spanish. The English version also has voice acting.

The PC version supports controllers and Steam Deck. For the Xbox version, Microsoft also lists accessibility features and support for Xbox Play Anywhere.