The Hawaiian island of Oahu is a popular tourist destination in real life, but the new open world adventure Nightmarchers transforms it into a magical hellscape. Indie developer Wyrmbyte has created a postapocalyptic version of the tropical island where myths come to life. In 2018, it’ll launch in early access for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on BrightLocker, a platform for games that are still in development.
Nightmarchers plays on a Hawaiian legend of the same name, which describes a band of ghostly warriors that patrol the islands. The main character Kai has been resurrected on Oahu after it’s been ripped from time and space, and he must defeat a cult worshipping Kamapua’a, a god that’s depicted as malevolent and corrupted in Nightmarchers’ lore. Players will be able to join different factions of characters living on the island, build bases, and unlock mystical skills and abilities. The map is a re-creation of 500 square miles of actual Oahu terrain, and the studio drew inspiration for the story from different aspects of Hawaiian folklore.
“At Wyrmbyte, we want to deliver quality games that present a fun and adrenaline-charged experience while honoring different religions and lore from around the world,” said Scott Brown, Wyrmbyte’s president, in a press release. “Nightmarchers is our first step in this direction so it was important to us that we accurately represent and honor the Hawaiian culture and its legendary landmarks and stories.”
By launching the game on BrightLocker, the team will be able to communicate directly with players throughout early access.