Vaunted

Vaunted is a tactical RPG set a millennium after the fall of the last galactic empire, when mercenaries and treasure hunters compete for imperial relics in ancient ruins. After a disastrous expedition leaves three mismatched scoundrels empty-handed, the syndicate that funded them demands answers. Captured by a benefactor and his armed thugs, the crew must explain what happened through the accounts of three unreliable narrators, whose lies and half-truths can branch the story in different directions.

Three versions of the story

You can switch between the perspectives of Dyse, Gendril and Kyvaath. Each tells events differently, creating distinct conversations, circumstances, opportunities, loot, skills and secrets across procedurally generated and hand-crafted missions. Conversations and decisions change according to who makes them, and the story continues when companions die. If a hero dies, you can rewrite the current chapter from another perspective; the same ambush, for example, might be sprung in Dyse’s account or avoided in Gendril’s.

• Dyse: a liar, thief and con artist who excels at flanking and finding loot, and is quick to make friends with Scientists and Outsiders.
• Gendril: a battle-scarred mercenary and consummate professional with underworld contacts and an arsenal for taking on any foe.
• Kyvaath: a ruthless young warlock, the last of her kind, from a destroyed world. Cybernetic enhancements empower her to wield a form of magic unseen for a millennium, and she is driven by ambition and vengeance.

Tactical combat

Combat combines turn-based planning with real-time action. You control who acts when, alternating activations with the enemy without fixed initiative orders. Use cover to dodge counterattacks, set overwatch angles, aim freely at enemy weaknesses, and use grenades to send foes flying into gunfire. You can also run, jump, duck for cover, use special abilities and spells, and respond to enemy actions by baiting them into traps.

The environment provides cover and weapons, as well as places to hide and move around the battlefield for flanking maneuvers and surprise attacks. You can fight the Syndicate, rival treasure hunters, mysterious alien lifeforms and giant flamethrower-wielding robots.

Crew and progression

You work with a ship full of criminals, mercenaries and bounty hunters, exploring their backstories and how they crossed paths with the three heroes. Equip companions with class-based gear such as sentry turrets, jetpacks, sniper rifles and handguns, then assemble a party for each mission. Heroes and companions level up individually according to their performance in combat, allowing them to fall behind or pull ahead as you develop builds, upgrades and character synergies.

Each hero builds a reputation through their decisions, which can affect later interactions and open new opportunities. As the story gains credibility, deaths let you spend that credibility on advantages tied to the three heroes, including carrying more grenades, keeping guns operational longer, and exploiting status effects beyond their usual limits.