After 12 years of development (including 4 in Early Access) Kenshi, the single player RPG set in a vast and atmospheric ‘Sword-Punk’ style open world, launches for PC on Thursday 6 December 2018.
Kenshi’s expansive mix of RPG elements, squad-based control and city-building features have earned it thousands of Recommended Steam reviews and Very Positive overall and recent scores. Kenshi’s gameplay is completely free-roaming and open: enjoy the freedom and potential to do whatever you want.
Set in an unrelenting world of bloodthirsty cannibals, starving bandits, brutal slavers and wild beasts, survival alone is a gruelling struggle… You are not the chosen one. You’re not great and powerful. You don’t have more ‘hit points’ than everyone else. You are not the centre of the universe, and you are not special. Unless you work for it.
“I don’t like being told what to do or how to play”, says Chris Hunt, CEO and head developer of Lo-Fi Games. “I don’t want to be given quests, I don’t want to be given a pre-made character that’s already kinda stronger than everyone else to start with. What fun is that? What I really love in a game is when you can take a nameless, weak character under your wing and train them up until they’re the strongest character you have”.
“All the games that really inspired me were the disappointments. You know when you see an announcement for a game, and it seems like your dream game! You can’t wait for it, you imagine all the things you’re gonna do, how you’re going to play it – then it comes out, and you play it, and it’s the most disappointing piece of dumbed-down mindless trash ever. Or maybe just not what you expected. Every time that has happened to me, I became a better game developer, and gained more inspiration to work harder”.
“I just made Kenshi because I wanted to play it, and if loads of people don’t like it, screw it. I think that’s the best attitude to have if you want to make something great, because you’re not trying to please everyone or tone things down”.
What is Kenshi?
- Open-ended sandbox RPG – Totally freeform gameplay with no linear story and no level requirements to unlock new items and features. Be good, be evil, be a businessman, be a thief, live in a town, live in the desert, travel alone, travel in hordes, build a fortress, raze a city – Kenshi will never seek to limit you or restrict your personal play style.
- The largest RPG world since Daggerfall – With no gated zones and a seamless map stretching over 870 square kilometres.
- Mods to customise your characters and surroundings – A highly active player community already with over 1,500 fan-made mods to personalise your playthrough.
- Detailed squad-based gameplay – Create, recruit and develop multi-character squads and factions from scratch.
- Build a base to house your squad – Research new technologies, upgrade your defences and craft new gear.
- Unashamedly hardcore – Harsh and unforgiving game world of constant challenge and reward. There are no ‘hero’ characters with artificially stronger stats.
- Absolutely no level-scaling – The world does not level up with you and shops don’t change their items depending on your level.
- Realistic medical system brings surprising survival gameplay – Damage location matters (leg injuries slow you down, arm injuries limit ability to fight), injuries take time to heal, no magical health potions exist and severed limbs need prosthetic replacements.
- Aid or oppose the various factions in the world – Form alliances or start wars. Strive for the strength and wealth necessary to survive in the harsh desert.
