Summary
One of the most surprising elements of Ascendant Studios’Immortals of Aveumis how the game doesn’t just put a fantasy spin on standard shooter tropes, but also provides a surprisingly nuanced look at the realities of war. Much like the real-world conflicts that have afflicted humanity throughout its existence, the history ofImmortals of Aveum’s Everwarreveals a battle where the lines between right and wrong quickly become muddled. This lends an unexpected level of gravitas to a conflict that many games might simply use as set dressing.
That’s not to say that the fantasy shooter is without its share of spectacle, though. ThroughoutImmortal of Aveum’s runtimeplayers will frequently find themselves in the midst of the same sorts of epic battles typically relegated to theCall of Dutytitles that clearly inspired it. But, as they dive deeper into the lore surrounding theImmortals of Aveum’s central conflict, players will quickly learn that the motivations behind the Everwar aren’t as clear-cut as they first appear and present some uncomfortable parallels with war in the real world.
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Immortals of Aveum’s Seemingly Straightforward Everwar Isn’t As Clear-Cut As It Looks
Players’ introduction toImmortals of Aveum’s Everwar sets up the sort of straightforward conflict typical of video games, one with obviousheroes and villainsand a clear-cut cause for their ongoing antagonism. Even at this early stage, though, the moral authority of the “good guys” of the kingdom of Lucium is called into question by the jarring class divide visible throughout the ramshackle bridge city of Seren where protagonist Jak resides. While Lucium and the Immortals are positioned as the forces of good fighting off the rampaging armies of Rasharn, the reality on the ground paints a less idealistic picture.
Taken together with exposition that reveals the Everwar to be one of ever-shifting alliances, not unlike the endless conflict of George Orwell’s1984, and it soon becomes apparent that not all is as seems. Although raging for millennia between the kingdoms of Aveum, the Everwar has turned into a war of attrition between Lucium and Rasharn fueled more by mutual hatred than by ideological conviction. The increasingly murky reasoning for the war is further called into question as protagonist and newly-appointedTriarch Magus Jaklearns more about the roots of the conflict and some of the truly horrific acts that have been carried out by both sides in order to secure victory.
Story spoilers ahead for Immortals of Aveum
The True Roots of the Everwar Have Uncomfortable Echoes of Real-World Conflicts
Though ostensibly fought to prevent Aveum from falling under despotic rule, it’s revealed to Jak by the Immortals’ General Kirkan that the Everwar is, effectively, a battle for resources. While both Lucium’s Immortals and the Rasharn forces under the control of the warlord Sandrakk claim to be fighting for a just cause, the reality is that each side simply wants control of Aveum’s magical leylines. Holding sway over the leylines would give the victor not only control over the world’s magic but also a way to permanently cement the rigid social stratification of Aveum’s populace.
This war for control ofAveum’s leylineshas led to atrocities on all sides in the pursuit of power and social control, and its long-forgotten beginnings tell an even darker story. The war over the leylines dates back to Aveum’s beginnings when humans’ never-ending lust for power led them to brutally slaughter the Aelori race, Aveum’s original inhabitants, before turning on each other. As has happened with depressing regularity throughout history in the real world, the truth about these past acts of violence and oppression was either suppressed by the powers that be in Aveum or rewritten to fit their own agendas.
When it’s not dazzling players with spectacular set pieces and technicolor-drenched magical shootouts,Immortals of Aveumactually has a lot to say about the realities of war. By presenting a surprisingly nuanced take on the causes and consequences of conflictImmortals of Aveum’s story stands out from standard shooters, giving players something to ponder long after the credits have rolled.
Immortals of Aveumis available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
