Nightingale Hands-On Preview: "Exciting Opportunities For Expansion"

2024's slate of game releases so far has skewed in the survival crafting direction, with and both quickly attracting large and dedicated communities. The newest early access title that's set to join these ranks is , a Victorian gaslamp fantasy twist on the concept developed by Inflexion Games. This time, the big selling point comes from putting procedural generation in the hands of the players through a unique realm traversal system that aims to keep the gameplay and environment fresh.

Screen Rant had the opportunity to check out this mechanic and more in a virtual hands-on preview of, which helped showcase both what the game does differently and which aspects of the survival crafting experience fall in line with genre standards. This includes the cooperative PvE multiplayer, which is likely to be a primary draw for many players. The preview build isn't completely up-to-date with the version set to launch on February 20, but it provided a substantial look at the features currently included in the game.

The historical inspiration of made itself clear at the very start of the preview, with character creation that dolls up waxy, malleable models in frock coats and offers backgrounds like Academic and Ne'er-do-well. The fantastical elements muscle their way into the picture soon after through an otherworldly creature named Puck, who shows up to guide the player through the basics of crafting, fighting, and crossing the Fae Realms. With flavorfully indulgent dialogue and the right amount of mystique, Puck makes a strong first impression on behalf of the unique character and flavor of the game.

It doesn't take long, however, for to settle into a more commonplace early game. Starting out from the bottom in the Fae Realms is much like it is anywhere else, requiring players to build up an inventory of the survival basics and get to work on a makeshift camp. For anyone with survival crafting experience, it should all be very familiar. Some recipes to flesh out crafting can be