My apologies for taking so long to push an update. Life outside of Akhena has been very busy lately. Hopefully I can spend more time on game dev in 2025. -Andrew

• Multiple small bug fixes and improvements.
• Some work on maps like Caylen Grove and Fort Gamber.
• Added the Red Letterhouse interior in Upper Cliffdon.

[ 2025-01-14 11:00:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Akhena: Age of Evil is a large open-world JRPG with a western "CRPG" atmosphere and story. The primary gameplay loop being the exploration of a vast and dangerous world with a relatively rich history, and a light to moderate dose of "magik", yet rooted in gritty plausible realism. The story and characters are inspired by classic books like A Song of Ice and Fire and The First Law series, where morality is nuanced and defined by cultural bias. And "evil" is merely a manifestation of duty, entitlement, or wayward good intentions.

Akhena's brutal history is filled with cultural distrust and vicious racism the Free War put a sharp end to the ancient kingdoms of Akhena. For over 1000 years the mighty Kitmera (anthropomorphic felines) have been the indisputable rulers of the continent. The Word of God, the sacred religious texts, declares that the Kitmera and their loyal nobility are the anointed guardians over the continent and all it's harmera (human-like) inhabitants. The Kitmera rule with a firm but compassionate hand, yet they grapple with the decision of whether or not to outlaw the seditious religions that bring their legitimacy into question.

36 primary playable characters

Six classes for each of the three harmera races, and two genders for each
The story will also include over 70 recruitable characters as part of the four main quest lines. In early access there are only a handful of recruitable characters but all the main characters are ready to play.

7 factions

Four main Kitmera kingdoms ruled by the nobility, each kingdom having it's own independent crime/reputation system. Plus three underground factions operating within those kingdoms and beyond. Note: during early access only the Aeland Kingdom is available.

Over 400 base gear items

160+ weapons, 140+ armours, and 100+ jewellery items.
Weapons, armour, and jewellery effects are randomly generated.
Item rarity scales with the player's level.

Over 80 unique enemies

60 of them can be tamed/controlled with the appropriate magik.
16 of the enemies are rare and illusive.
Enemy levels scale with the player's level.

46 Consumable items

Various consumables can be found scattered around the world, and food and potions can also be crafted at kitchens and apothecary cauldrons respectively.

Thievery mechanics

Lockpicking, pickpocketing, and sneaking.

Environmental effects

Day/Night system with gameplay implications.
Biome-affected weather effects.