R16 Interactive is still working on Tale’s Edge, an action RPG that already looks like one of the most ambitious projects in the indie role-playing scene. The dark fantasy game blends the Brothers Grimm, 19th-century European folklore, and the Robin Hood myth, while promising that killing will not be a simple combat choice, but something that reshapes the protagonist’s personality, behavior, and the way the world reacts to her.
We need many more fantasy RPGs based on the folklore of the Brothers Grimm and, more broadly, on 19th-century European fantasy. Game Republic’s Folklore and American McGee’s Alice games still stand out as memorable examples of that tradition, and now Tale’s Edge arrives looking ready to surprise everyone. R16 Interactive’s first action RPG aims to stand out in a crowded genre with a proposition as ambitious as it is unsettling: allowing the player to kill absolutely any NPC in the world, but with the understanding that the consequences can completely transform the character.
In this case, the game draws inspiration from classic tales and folk stories like Little Red Riding Hood, while also twisting them together with the story of Robin Hood. The protagonist is none other than Little Red Riding Hood herself, but eight years after the events of the original tale, meaning after she freed her grandmother and the hunter from the wolf. Here, Little Red Riding Hood travels through the kingdom in search of the hunter who saved her and raised her after the classic events of the story. The journey takes place in a world inspired by fairy tales, though not in an open-world structure, but in a more confined and focused one.
What is not as constrained is the story, or at least the way we progress through it. According to its creators, the idea is to explore a world with a very Metroidvania-like structure, where players will meet multiple characters in a branching narrative full of choices. The studio points to a systemic style reminiscent of Fable on Steam, adding that “the way you play, interact, and survive encounters changes their behavior.” The idea is that the world does not revolve around you. Instead, you move through it and transform it as you make one decision or another, with every choice pushing the environment and the protagonist’s path in a different direction.
Killing Enemies or NPCs Has Very Harsh Consequences in Tale’s Edge
Among those decisions, killing sits at the core of the experience. In the studio’s new developer diary, titled The Enemies You Spare Come Back, the team focuses particularly on the idea of “killing” as a design element. As creative director Robert Heller explains, Little Red Riding Hood begins the adventure having never killed anyone, but the way the player approaches each encounter will radically change her personality. If players avoid killing and choose to incapacitate enemies or resolve conflicts with words, she will grow into a serene and calculating warrior; if they opt for unrestrained violence, her behavior will become increasingly cold, brutal, and even disturbing.
What is most striking is that this transformation is not limited to stats or abilities. R16 Interactive refers to a “tonal progression,” a system that modifies animations, body posture, facial expressions, and even the protagonist’s voice acting. Executions are a clear example: stabbing an enemy can evolve into much more savage and cruel animations as Little Red Riding Hood succumbs to violence.
To build this vision, the studio even enlisted the help of a former Navy SEAL as a consultant, aiming to represent “the cost of taking a life” more credibly. In fact, the game places special emphasis on the first murder: that moment marks a point of no return that can forever change the character’s trajectory and how the world perceives her. Saving enemies earns respect among NPCs; massacring them transforms Little Red Riding Hood into a feared and hunted figure.
A highly interesting project that, unfortunately, still lacks a confirmed release date, although its Steam page is offering an early access test to try out these systems. If it lives up to expectations, Tale’s Edge could become one of the most unique and interesting RPGs on the market.
Source: 3DJuegos
