Imperatum leaves Early Access on July 16th, bringing a sci-fi twist on Diablo gameplay and in-game bonuses for being healthy
Pro Social Games announced today that their sci-fi Diablo-style ARPG Imperatum will be leaving Early Access on July 16th. Additionally, Imperatum was announced for release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 later this year.
Imperatum is a loot-based dungeon crawler, with players exploring a number of science fiction settings in an attempt to solve a mystery arc that spans the entire game. According to the press release, Imperatum “game focuses on the core ARPG 'trinity' mechanics of fast-paced combat, deep character customization and tons of loot!” Sci-Fi Diablo feels like something that should already exist, but I can't think of a single example off-hand.
Pro Social made news earlier this year when they implemented a patch to Imperatum that encourages players to make healthy gaming choices. Wondering what this was all about, I poked around on their website and found the following on their FAQ page:
“Here at Pro Social Games we believe that gamers shouldn't have to sacrifice their health to be great at the games they love. So to that end our team have come up with two mechanics based on science to help gamers make healthier choices when playing. The first mechanic came from our study of the science of sedentary behavior. Basically, when you sit for long periods of time it affects your cardiovascular system. But walking around for just 10 minutes for every hour you spent seated will counteract those negative effects. So in the game we have an unobtrusive timer that will flash when the end of an hour of gaming is approaching and you can decide whether to take a break or not. If you do you will be rewarded with a random buff to experience or item loot quality and quantity that will more than make up for the time you spent away.
“The second mechanic came from the study of how light from the monitor affects your sleep. Basically staring at a monitor is like staring at a very dim sun. The light from the monitor triggers your body to remove melatonin, which is responsible for inducing sleep and repairing your body, from your blood stream. The end result being that over time you will get less restful sleep and your body will be less able to repair itself. The mechanic we are introducing to address this issue is a buff to experience, item quality and quantity while playing during daylight hours.
“We understand that some people work night shifts or are unable to get up and take a break. Which is why these mechanics can be toggled off in the options window. We just want to bring awareness to issues that are not directly addressed and many players, especially younger ones might not be aware of.”
What an awesome idea. Rewarding players for taking a break by offering buffs and loot? Why did no one think of this before? And the fact that they have made these systems completely optional shows that they are thinking about players personal preferences and not trying to shove the healthy options down anyone’s throat.
Pro Social Games seems like a pretty cool company, making some unique (and frankly brave) design choices in an attempt to move gaming in new directions. I am all for innovation in gaming, especially when it directly benefits the well-being of gamers. For that effort alone, Imperatum is deserving of a look. The fact that it looks like an awesome game is a bonus.
Imperatum is available right now in its Early Access form on Steam for $19.99.
