crea-ture Studios and Nacon are working on a Metroidvania-style action-adventure game where being a werewolf is not decoration, but the backbone of the gameplay. Hopefully, the publisher’s bankruptcy proceedings will not knock the project flat, because the shapeshifting concept looks genuinely promising.

Awaken your rage. What can two students do in the face of the apocalypse? When Taylor’s environmental activist friend is gunned down before his eyes, his true nature is revealed in a tsunami of blood. He becomes a monster, a werewolf, and a champion of the Earth. Thus begins a quest for vengeance and identity across the wilds of Alaska. Howl at the moon, tear Gaia’s enemies apart, and avenge a dying world. That is what you can do.

You can dynamically shift between three forms, each offering unique abilities for combat and exploration. Homid is the human form, excelling with ranged weapons, firearms, and crossbows, while also using the kyoketsu shoge to take advantage of its mobility. Lupus is the wolf form: agile and fast, ideal for exploration, stealth, and silent takedowns. Crinos is the war form, unleashing devastation in close combat through Rage-fueled combos, smashing through obstacles, and granting access to new areas. You must change form to explore the world, and as you evolve, you become increasingly effective at destroying your enemies.

Players should prepare for brutal, visceral combat where every blow leaves a mark. From Lethe Lab mercenaries to Pentex machines and other supernatural entities, enemies adapt to your fighting style and force you to choose the right form at the right moment. You can explore and collect mystical roots to deepen your bond with Gaia and unlock new powers. The organic progression system allows you to build your own character from hundreds of possible Gift combinations.

The wilds of Alaska are vast, layered, and deeply interconnected, with paths that only open as you evolve. As a Garou, you grow into your power, shift between forms, earn new abilities, and unlock traversal and combat options that allow you to revisit and re-explore previously unreachable areas, pushing deeper into places that were once closed off. Every discovery opens new routes, challenges, and prey. You follow the spread of corruption through the land and uncover its source. You are not alone: others will join the fight. You can expand your werewolf den by rescuing allies from your enemies. Every character added to your ranks allows you to craft and upgrade equipment or Gifts, helping your progression throughout the game.

Louis Lamarche, creative director and president of crea-ture Studios, also discussed the game. The team is a small indie studio based in Quebec, and the game is an action-adventure title based on the 5th edition of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The developers were strongly inspired by classic action-adventure games, and the brand attracted them because the character’s shapeshifting design naturally carries Metroidvania elements. In a classic action-adventure game, the character has tools. Here, the character has tools and forms, and players can constantly and dynamically shift between those forms to solve exploration and combat challenges.

The drone is a good example of enemy design that demands multiple forms. When it flies above your head, you can slash away with Crinos melee attacks as much as you like, but you will never hit it. It obviously charges at you, giving you a chance to use melee combat, but that is not the perfect solution. The best solution is to shift into human form and use a ranged weapon to take it down. It is much easier to hit something flying above your head when using a ranged weapon. This shows how enemy types are built around shapeshifting.

In the boss room, Blair, the director of Leaf Lab, pulls us in hoping to destroy us. This is a good opportunity to use several shapeshifts, because this boss cannot be killed without using multiple forms. In the gameplay footage, progressing through this section of Leaf Lab requires the Lupus form, as it is far more agile, makes it easier to navigate different platforms, jumps farther, and moves faster through certain traversal systems. It is up to the player to use the right forms during exploration as well.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn will be released in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Source: Gematsu