The Abyssal Keep has just released some wild concept art, and it ranks super-high on my dark fantasy dungeon crawler scale. Imagine that child of Dark Souls and Diablo raised by Castlevania. Yeah- Definitely this kind of vibe.
The image depicts a massive Gothic-style fortress, adorned with silhouettes of jutting spires piercing through what one would think is an ominous blood-red sky. Chains hang from arcs like some kind of ancient torture chamber, meanwhile bathing in that eerie glow of intimidation saying, “boss fight incoming.”
Officially, we aren’t yet privy to what game this is for-could be DLC, could be a whole new IP. But from that moment on, the Internet has flipped completely on its head.
And that beautiful detail? The stages of erosion certainly give the impression that the stonework must have stood there for millennia or so before being painstakingly weathered by unspeakable horrors. Half of a bridge leading on to the main gate is, like, in shambles being another platform one would normally expect players to maneuver through in: classic.
These arches seem a bit foreign, almost organic- wrapping around harsh angles- as if the whole structure were alive. Or once was. Or wants to be again. Creepy.
Still, extremely weird that there has not been a reply yet! This is the kind of art that instantly leads to speculation. Where are the lore hunters? The guys who “zoomed in and found a hidden clue”? Probably everyone is just gaping at it with jaws open. Or maybe the sheer atmospheric dread caused this artist to just break the internet. Wouldn’t blame ’em.
Killing people slowly without context. Is there an existing franchise? A secret project? Just some passion pieces that are going to go viral and be picked up by the studio? With none of the studios tagged, nor any games, much of it remains a mystery-an enigma wrapped in an overly ominous castle.
What can be said for sure is that we’ll be included in case it is for a game. This is the kind of place that really should be known to harbor cursed loot, pitiful NPCs, and at least one optional boss that is sure to destroy your controller. The type of place where walls seem to whisper and your save points feel way too temporary in between bouts of existential dread.
There, mulling over the artwork and thinking about the soundtrack while we await more information. Probably one where many monks are chanting and suddenly there is a screech of violins. You know the vibe.
