I’d never heard of Hawthorn until it crossed my social media channels this morning, but now I’m hooked. Near Studios revealed Hawthorn around seven months ago, dropping a short trailer on YouTube and following up with a broader gameplay trailer a month later.
Near Studios is made up of former developers from BioWare, Bethesda, and Naughty Dog, and their first game, Hawthorn, is the subject of a crowdfunding effort as we speak. Recently, Doug Cockle (Geralt, The Witcher series) revealed that he could be a featured character in the game if the Kickstarter reaches a lofty milestone.
It’s The Little Things
Hawthorn is nothing short of charming, allowing players to control forest creatures in an open-world (Kickstarter pending), sandbox RPG with farming and crafting mechanics. It’s a delightful take on a well-established concept, driving players down to the ground as a field mouse or up into the air as an owl, amongst others.
Here’s the gameplay trailer that was released around six months ago:
Set in the quaint lakeside village of Windermere, Hawthorn unravels at the player’s pace, and it can be explored either with friends or from a solo perspective.
Here’s the blurb of Hawthorn from Steam, where it can be wishlisted now:
Once upon a time, woodland creatures built a trading post in forgotten Windermere Valley, but now it is the haunt of varmints, fairy lights, and mysterious rumors about why this village was abandoned.
To you, however, this is a hope for a new life. Recruit villagers and grow a community. Defend against the elements and forest tricksters. Thrive and celebrate the seasons’ traditions. Rebuilding won’t be easy, but you and your newfound friends are up to the challenge.
This enchanting title allows players to experience a crafting, farming, and building title from a never-before-seen perspective, and the sandbox unfolds with random events, changing seasons, and dynamic weather patterns.
Doug Cockle of The Witcher recently uploaded a clip on social media revealing that Hawthorn will receive a fully-voiced main story if the Kickstarter milestone of $2,000,000 is secured. He’ll be stepping up to play a character in the village of Windermere, and he has promised that a cast of fantastic actors will join him.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can back the Kickstarter now and help Near Studios reach the completion of the roadmap.
Let me know if you’d be interested in playing Hawthorn over on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news about the sneaky PlayStation cameo in the new GTA 6 trailer
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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