Fantasy games have always been about the chosen hero foretold by prophecy, the lone knight wandering the wilderness saving the every-man from any number of horrific beast. Outward [official site] aims to change that, casting you as an average medieval Joe, riddled with lice and a touch of the plague.

Alright, chances are it’s not going to be that true to life, but if you’ve been itching for a survival game in a medieval fantasy setting, Outward might be what you’re looking for.

Outward most recently made an appearance at PAX West this year, and got a trailer to mark the occasion:



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The game plops you in the wilderness, and it’s up to you to survive, managing your basic needs while making sure you don’t get gobbled up by a monster. You don’t have to go alone, though—there’re both local and online co-op modes with splitscreen functionality.

If a battle does go sour, it doesn’t necessarily mean your game is finished. You might wake up as a prisoner or find yourself abandoned in the woods, your belongings stolen. That might be forgiving, but it’s worth noting that the game is always auto-saving, meaning if you make a decision you regret, there’s no going back.

Say what you will of some of the animations, but the game overall looks quite nice. It’s great to see a blend of European, Middle Eastern, and East Asian influences, hopefully setting Outward apart from the usual Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones western fantasy samey-ness.

Outward is still in development, but was granted the Greenlight seal of approval by the Steam community, so expect to see more there in the future. Nine Dots haven’t set a release date, saying it “Won’t be before 2017 for sure though.”