Absolver is a beautiful, mysterious action game without any guns

I think at some point we’ve all wanted to wear a mysterious mask and fight strangers in a mythical realm — thankfully Absolver is on its way. The first game from Sloclap, a new studio made up of former Ubisoft Paris developers, Absolver is described as an “online combat RPG” with a focus on up-close, melee combat, which helps it stand out in a world full of competitive shooters.

“We think the world would be a much better place if there were no guns,” says creative lead Pierre de Margerie. “Then we could finally focus on important things, like sword fighting and how to kill a man with one punch.”

Absolver will let you build up a fighter to battle against other players online, as well as create a team to fight through dungeons. Just as exciting as its real-time combat, though, is its sense of style. Absolver takes place in a eerily beautiful world; a mysterious place full of lots of Proper Nouns. Here’s how Sloclap describes the setup:

Absolver puts players behind the mask of a Prospect, who has taken a sacred vow and chosen to join the Absolvers, an elite corps of combatants fighting to maintain stability in the world. Monitored by the Guides, the new rulers of the fallen Adal Empire, players will wander these forsaken lands and encounter other Prospects online in order to learn their place in this world and eventually become Absolvers.

Unfortunately, it’ll be some time before you’ll get to explore that world. Absolver isn’t slated to launch until 2017, when it’ll hit PC and unspecified consoles.