Historical story-driven RPG, The Great Whale Road hitting Steam Early Access in late July

If you are a fan of games like The Banner Saga and Banished, then The Great Whale Road might just be up your alley. The game is pitched as a historical story-driven RPG that recounts the tale of the Danes from Úlfarrsted who traveled along the Danish, Saxon, Frisian and Frankish coasts.

The Great Whale Road starts players off on the coast of the North Sea where they will adventure, battle and manage their way to survive or die in the harsh lands of the great North. The game is split into two seasons, Summer and Winter, both of which offer their own unique challenges to the player's success.

In Summer, the player will travel the Whale Road, trading and fighting their way through to gather supplies to build up resources for the coming cold. As you travel, you will meet other groups of settlements, some of whom will be friendly (through which you can trade), others not so much. Once Winter begins, you will have to hunker down, while fending off enemy raids while trying not to starve or get sick from moldy grain.

Combat in The Great Whale Road takes place on both land and sea and is turn-based with grid movement. There are four character classes that the player's heroes will come in, Assault, Heavy, Skirmisher and Support, each of which is equipped with a unique weapon and armor set. Weapons can cause different side effects, like bleeding, broken bones and internal injuries, while the Armor sets will come with a variety of protection buffs that will counter these side effects.

The Great Whale Road will be heading to Steam Early Access on July 28th, 2016.