Yaga is an action role-playing title from Breadcrumbs Interactive that features lovingly animated visuals, Slavic folklore motifs, and plenty of room for player agency. Players control Ivan, a one-armed blacksmith who juggles his duty to the Tzar with his responsibilities to his village. Right when we started playing, we noticed that the environments resemble an oil painting with fascinating foliage and vibrant assets. The way Slavic lore organically informs the characters’ nature and varied items is also interesting. One of the game’s hallmark features is picking between distinct emotive responses to others’ questions, which affects dialogue and also Ivan’s reputation. Ivan’s character also informs the mechanics as he can craft items using a forge and equip gear onto his missing arm. We also caught a glimpse of some of the varied decisions. During our trial run, we encountered a tree that actually asked us for some resources. We had the opportunity to hand some materials over, turn it down, or even attack it. Yaga is slated for release on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2019.
