Alta, the creative minds behind A Township Tale (2021), have pulled back the curtain on their latest project in development, REAVE. This dungeon-crawler extraction game is still very much a work in progress, but they’ve given us a glimpse of its evolving systems, a new dungeon, and an intriguing new foe.
In their latest developer log, Alta showcased a range of upgraded systems and environments, including the game’s largest space yet—’The Fallen Bastion’. This massive room presents a mix of open areas and tight corridors, coupled with both well-lit spaces and shadowy corners perfect for surprises. As Sean Ellis, the lead environment artist, explains, "We’ve got a mix of open areas and cramped spots, as well as bright and dark sections to allow for both player ambushes and hiding from enemies."
At the heart of this area lies a mystical pedestal, which players can use to initiate a boss battle. For testing purposes, this features a massive spider, part of the ongoing refinement process. The team reassures us, saying, “This spider is temporary, helping us simulate true boss fights as we work on more tailored encounters.”
Alta’s team is making significant adjustments and enhancements to many of the previously shown areas. According to their dev log, these spaces might undergo considerable changes or be completely replaced moving forward.
They’ve also introduced a new enemy model, which will update the placeholder skeleton models. These enemies vary in difficulty, influenced by their equipped weapons and armor.
In keeping with the game’s extraction genre, REAVE introduces an in-world currency known as ‘Echoes’. This currency can be gathered in a special vessel that gradually fills over time. Players earn Echoes by defeating enemies and scavenging their surroundings. These can be utilized to unlock loot rooms and to facilitate dungeon extractions, allowing players to return to a social hub where they can offload their plunder.
If you’re eager to get involved, the chance to be a tester is available through the game’s Discord community, which occasionally opens up limited testing slots. Although there’s no official release date yet, Alta has confirmed that REAVE is being developed for Quest 2 and newer devices, as well as PC VR headsets.
