Bylina Hands-off Preview

Recently, we were invited to check out a presentation for the upcoming title Bylina. Developed by Far Far Games and published by Fulqrum Publishing, this new game set in Slavic myth will have you taking control of Falconet.

After dying in the Far Far Kingdom, our protagonist is resurrected and sets off to uncover the truth about his resurrection, save his own soul, and — perhaps most importantly — save the world. You'll take control of the young Bogatyr as you set off on a hack'n'slash-like adventure across the land.

In combat, you'll face various types of regular and mythological creatures, using a mixture of weapons and spells to defeat your foes. The battles are the main focus of the gameplay, as players will engage in a lot of fighting; showcased in my hands-off preview was the capability to use various spells as Falconet goes against a camp of bandits, embarking on a side quest.

As you level up, you progress via selecting blessings — three cards that you can pick from, giving you various passive bonuses to increase your capability. However, every three levels, you'll be forced to select a curse until your next one, giving you a bit of a downgrade and control over the challenges that you'll face.

Most of the focus was taken by the combat sequences, wherein there was a camp of bandits and a gargantuan boss foe, but that wasn't all we got to see. Some of the dialogue, mystical creatures, the unique armours, and even the world design were showcased, giving me a better, closer look at how it would all unfold.

Coming from a person who has no clue about anything Slavic, Bylina is looking like a good time! Taking place in such a dark world, the poems and tales of Slavic origin are often dark and don't only focus on good things, giving the setting of the world a much darker vibe that looks interesting. Despite that, however, Far Far Games takes the opportunity to incorporate humour in a way that, so far, felt organic and enjoyable.

Bylinais set to release sometime in 2025, and honestly, I'm genuinely looking forward to it. It'll be launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.