Summary
inXile Entertainment is known mainly for its CPRGs, with ones likeWasteland(a precursor to theFalloutseries) andTorment: Tides of Numenera. But its next upcoming title,Clockwork Revolution, marks a big shift from the developer’s previous projects, as it is an action-oriented FPS RPG. After being first revealed at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase before going a little quiet,Clockwork Revolutionrecently returned in a big way with a new trailer shown at the latest Showcase during this year’s Summer Game Fest.
Clockwork Revolution’s steampunk fantasy settinglooks to be a little bitBioShockwith a dab ofDishonored, while having its own distinct vibes and inXile’s patented sense of humor. Part of the focus of the new trailer was the story setup that then flowed into showing off some of the game’s character creation. And it cleverly makes use of a well-worn facet fromThe Elder Scrolls: OblivionandSkyrimin this area.
inXile did not announce a firm release date forClockwork Revolution, with the trailer only stating that it would be coming “in due time.” It is confirmed to be arriving on Game Pass day-one.
Clockwork Revolution’s Character Creator Looks Like a Hilarious Take on Oblivion and Skyrim’s
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Skyrim Use the Same Famous Framework for Character Creation
As has become widely known and often parodied by fans, both recentmainlineElder Scrollsgamessee players start from the same exact position—a seemingly random prisoner in the clutches of the ruling empire. After a brief intro, fans can then tailor an avatar to their liking in the creation process. Of course, no matter what race or appearances players pick, in both cases, this prisoner is destined to become the Hero of Kvatch inOblivionandSkyrim’s Dragonborn, respectively. Bethesda invoking this origin for the player character twice in a row for its flagship series has made it the stuff of memes since, however, and the sentiment is sometimes that it may be wearing a little thin.
To be fair,SkyrimandObliviondo offer an extensive range of customization options.Oblivion Remastered’s character creatorwas further overhauled and modernized to a highly polished sheen. It still retained much of the old-school charm, though, allowing fans to create an array of characters from the truly bizarre and off-putting to the most chiseled peak of physical beauty. It seemsClockwork Revolutionis set on continuing this tradition, but with a highly entertaining twist.
How Clockwork Revolution’s Character Creator Pokes Fun at Skyrim and Oblivion’s
Across all of its games, inXile is known to inject a lot of wacky and offbeat humor along with its more serious plots and themes. In thelatest trailer forClockwork Revolution, an antagonistic figure known as “The Knob” storms into what appears to be the local constabulary to register a complaint about a theft. This crime was orchestrated by the player’s character, Morgan Vanet, as a voiceover describes their heist and subsequent getaway.
When a mechanical police officer requests that The Knob describe the culprit, this leads to showing a bit ofClockwork Revolution’s character generation. As various attributes are selected and changed, The Knob alters his description, going through gender, physical body type, facial hair (or lack thereof) and other traits. Just as inSkyrimandOblivion,Clockwork Revolution’s protagonistis indeed a criminal. Only here, the narrative method and reason given for fans to design their characters is a clever reversal ofThe Elder Scrolls' recognized use.
Another factor that adds perhaps an almost meta-layer to this is the fact that inXile wasacquired by Xbox Game Studiosin 2018, while Bethesda was brought into the fold in 2021. With both studios now under Microsoft’s banner, it creates a bit of playful teasing specifically between their incorporation of character creators.Clockwork Revolutionthus promises a fun take on this along with its interesting setting and story.
