When it comes to blockbuster video games in 2023, there's certainly no shortage.
Immortals of Aveum is the next big game off the block, boasting epic battles with fast-paced fantasy action and dragons.
It's been described as Call of Duty with magic, but the game's creator and founder of Ascendant Studios, Bret Robbins, says it's much more than that.
"I can say firsthand this game is pretty different. It's a broader, more expansive experience ... it's its own beast," he told 9news.com.au.
"I founded the company five years ago and it was just me. I had a few pages of notes about what I wanted to make, so I started building up the team, and we started prototyping - it's been a long journey."
Robbins said they were mid-development when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, but there was a silver lining.
"We had to figure out how to keep working through that, and then a year and a half ago we signed with EA as a publishing partner, which is a huge milestone for us," he said.
The game was due for release in July but was delayed a month, something Robbins says was necessary to ensure the game was at its best.
"People understand that these are really big efforts that take a lot of time," Robbins said, confirming they delayed the game's initial release to polish and make sure there were no major bugs for launch.
"I'm really happy that we took the extra time. I think it made a huge difference. And it's our first game as a studio. First impressions are everything so I want to make sure it was the best possible version of Immortals of Aveum we can make," he said.
Immortals of Aveum is out now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Watch more from our interview in the video above.
