The creators of RuneScape, Andrew and Paul Gower, have revealed Brighter Shores, a new point-and-click fantasy adventure MMORPG. And if you’re a fan of RuneScape, Brightet Shores looks like a game you’ll want to keep an eye on.
After starting Jagex in 1999, the Gower brothers focused their efforts on the studio’s first big release: RuneScape. The rest is history. RuneScape is still a very popular game today, both in its modern form and as Old School RuneScape. The Gowers left Jagex in 2010 and little was known about what they were up to until now. It turns out Andrew Gower was working as the lead designer on their new game, while Paul Gower was working as the narrative designer for it.
Check out the Brighter Shores reveal trailer for yourself below:
“Brighter Shores is an all-new adventure from award-winning MMORPG designer Andrew Gower,” the Brighter Shores Steam page description reads. “It is an enchanting point-and-click style RPG with hundreds of hours of gameplay, set in a land of magic and mysteries, with a huge number of professions to try, and something new to find around every corner.”
In retrospect, we can learn more about Brighter Shores through some of Andrew Gower’s tweets. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the team is planning to launch “our big game with 4 episodes to start with,” and that “the first 3 episodes are very playable now and just need a bit more testing/tuning,” back in November.
In Brighter Shores, players will be the newest recruit in the Hopeport town guard, looking to make a name for themselves. However, this turns out to be more challenging than anciticpated as a strange storm rages over the harbor while local goblins go into a frenzy.
“You will discover powerful magic sources and become one of the legendary classes of old: Cryoknight, Guardian, or Hammermage,” the game’s description reads. “Which is fortunate, because something is corrupting the deepest reaches of the nearby Hopefrost, and only through the strength of your newfound powers will you be able to deal with it.”
In-game professions include Fisher, Forager, Chef, Woodcutter, Miner, Alchemist, Stonemason, Merchant, and Blacksmith, but the team promises “many more.”
Developer Fen Research Ltd, with the Gower brothers at the lead, say, “The game will be constantly expanding, with new content being released in an episodic format,” noting that “each episode features its own unique side quests, professions and lands, as well as advancing the central story.”
There will be a free version of Brighter Shores to play, and a Premium Pass version. In the free version, players will only have access to Hopeport and Hopeforest. However, in the Premium Pass version, players will gain access to Hopeport, Hopeforest, Mine of Mantuban, and Crenopolis, as well as features like a unique character name, exclusive armor dyes, the ability to change names, and player-to-player trading.
As far as PC requirements and specifications, it seems this game won’t require too much power, similar to RuneScape. Check out the Steam page for more details on that.
Are you excited for Brighter Shores? Let us know in the comments below!