Every showcase needs a showstopper, and this Summer Game Fest delivered with Chronicles: Medieval. Backed by veterans from Assassin’s Creed, GTA, and Cyberpunk 2077—and narrated by Tom Hardy—this medieval sandbox blends action, politics, and large-scale strategy. But with ambitions this lofty, is Chronicles forging new ground or just chasing spectacle?
Raw Power Games might sound like an indie underdog, but look closer: its core team includes leads from some of the industry’s biggest franchises. That pedigree fuels high expectations for a game that isn’t “yet another open world.” Chronicles promises a mix of RPG depth, tactical warfare, and player-driven politics set in 14th–15th century Europe. And yes, Tom Hardy’s voice lends weight to the trailer, but a celebrity cameo can only do so much if the underlying mechanics don’t hold up.
Chronicles isn’t pushing a seamless, drop-your-controller-in-wonder open world. Instead, it adopts a structured “world map” approach—think Mount & Blade’s strategic layer crossed with the tight mission zones of a Total War campaign. This design choice sacrifices endless roamability for concentrated, meaningful encounters. If done right, players will spend less time wandering through filler content and more time making decisions that matter.
At its core, Chronicles is about personal ascent. You’ll craft a character—background, appearance, skillset—and navigate a world where allegiances shift, fortunes rise and fall, and one misstep could end your ambitions in a muddy ditch. Historical details aren’t just window dressing: Raw Power has partnered with HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) instructor Björn Rüther to refine swordplay beyond rote button-mashing. This isn’t a quick stab at “authentic combat”; it’s a concerted effort to simulate blade-to-blade impact, guard positions, and realistic parrying.
Chronicles aims to let you command skirmishes, siege fortresses, and field entire armies. Recruiting, training, and outfitting troops layer strategic depth atop personal RPG progression. Yet past titles have promised “living worlds” only to deliver static AI and scripted events. Here, the team touts its own Asgard tech—an in-house simulation framework built on Unreal Engine 5—to power dynamic unit behavior and shifting supply lines. Still, new technology is only as strong as its design. If AI routines or pathfinding falter, even the fanciest systems can feel hollow.
Long-term lifespan often hinges on mod support. Raw Power Games pledges extensive mod tools and early feedback loops for players. A well-modded community has kept games like Mount & Blade and Skyrim alive for years—and at its best, modding transforms a solid core into an endless sandbox. But community promises can fizzle if the dev team can’t keep up with suggestions or if early access becomes a bug-testing gauntlet rather than a collaborative process. The 2026 PC early access launch will be critical: will the studio open Pandora’s box of player ideas or retreat behind patch notes and “we hear you” statements?
Ambition meets reality when deadlines loom. A hundred-person team might be agile compared to AAA studios, but balancing scope and polish is always a tightrope. Critics will worry about feature creep—does a political intrigue system undercut combat balance? Can deep RPG choices coexist with large-scale siege mechanics? And then there’s the risk of early access burnout: if content arrives drip by drip rather than in robust chunks, impatience could sour initial goodwill.
On the flip side, some argue that structured world zones could feel restrictive compared to modern open worlds. Players craving seamless horse rides across rolling hills might find Chronicles’ approach too segmented. Others point out that celebrity voiceovers—Tom Hardy included—can raise expectations unfairly, spotlighting narrative at the expense of gameplay.
If you’re fatigued by sprawling fantasy epics or shallow choice trees, Chronicles: Medieval could be the antidote—a granular simulator of medieval life and warfare that rewards thoughtful planning as much as sword skills. The team’s background in blockbuster franchises brings technical expertise, but indie agility could spur innovative risk-taking. The key will be whether Raw Power balances its systems so that a diplomatic alliance feels as impactful as a well-timed cavalry flank.
The 2026 early access phase on PC will reveal whether Chronicles can back up its headline-grabbing trailer with a living, breathing sandbox. Watch for genuine transparency—detailed dev updates, visible community roadmaps, and flexible design pivots. If Raw Power can follow through, we may have a medieval sim that reshapes genre expectations rather than blending into them.
Chronicles: Medieval brings together top-tier talent, Tom Hardy’s narration, and a hybrid sandbox of action, politics, and strategy. With in-house simulation systems and promised mod support, it aims for depth over spectacle. The proof, however, rests on its 2026 early access rollout and the team’s ability to convert high-concept ideas into a polished, replayable experience.