Iconic British heavy metal band Iron Maiden reveals that it will be releasing a free-to-play mobile RPG named Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast in summer 2016.
The history of video games is littered with titles with varied source material. When it comes to RPGs, however, fantasy fiction generally holds sway when a game draws inspiration for its content from something that already exists. However, a new title currently in development looks ready to buck the trend, with British heavy metal band Iron Maiden being used as its source.
The band revealed the news of the RPG’s production in a statement today, as well as confirming that the game will be named Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast. Iron Maiden explained that the game is an "action-packed, free-to-play RPG steeped in Iron Maiden mythology." The game is set to be released as soon as this summer, and will be available on iOS and Android. More information can be found over on the Legacy of the Beast website.
Fans of the band will no doubt be familiar with Eddie, the mascot of Iron Maiden, and in Legacy of the Beast Eddie will be the player character. According to the game’s description, the mobile title will allow the player to "explore new worlds, travel through time, and battle a cast of dramatic and engaging characters drawn from the expansive catalogue of Maiden’s albums and art." Meanwhile, the songs of the band will also be used, after being "adapted" for the game by engineer Tony Newton.
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast is being developed my Roadhouse Interactive. The studio, which also created Warhammer mobile title Warhammer 40,000: Carnage, is apparently thrilled about working on the game. Better yet, Roadhouse CEO James Hursthouse feels that "Maiden’s music, lyrics, and cast of characters" provides a fantastic base for a "deep RPG experience."
There have certainly been stranger choices for video game source material over the years. Candy brand Mars once funded the creation of a Skittles-themed RPG in the form of Darkened Skye for PC and Gamecube. Meanwhile, other rock bands have also stepped into the video game realm, with Aerosmith releasing arcade shooter Revolution X in 1994.
This mobile title is not the first time that Iron Maiden has entered the video game fray, either. In 1999, Ed Hunter was released, an on-rails shoot ‘em up that came accompanied with a Greatest Hits of the band, whilst last year also saw the launch of the browser-based Speed of Light. The growth of mobile, however, gives Iron Maiden a whole new way to reach a gaming audience, with founding member and bassist Steve Harris stating that the mobile market will allow the title to be "even more accessible to maiden fans everywhere." Let’s hope that the title adds a bit of metal fun to the realm of mobile free-to-play games.
Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast will be released in the summer for iOS and Android.
Source: Iron Maiden