George R. R. Martin, From Software team up for Norse RPG

From Software's weird and bizarre visual flair will mix with the flowing prose of one of the best fantasy writers in the business, reports indicate.

Famed A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin is helping From Software create a new open-world RPG with Norse mythology themes, sources tell Games Radar and Gematsu. The game will be centered in Norse mythology, giving From Software lots of source material to adapt with its otherworldly style, and will likely draw from George R. R. Martin's expansive knowledge of knights, myths and legends.

Key sources say Hideki Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin are working closely on the ambitious game. The game is codenamed GR--an abbreviation for Great Rune--and the game will be announce during Microsoft's E3 2019 next month. Whether or not the RPG is a Microsoft exclusive remains to be seen. The project is supposedly massive in scope and will be more expansive, complete with big tribal conflicts and longer-winded exploration. Horse-riding is reportedly involved and conquest may play a pivotal role; players may launch huge army-scale attacks on kingdoms to usurp thrones.

In a recent blog post, George R. R. Martin confirmed he's helping make a game in From Software's native land of Japan: "I've consulted on a video game out of Japan," Martin said, short but succinct.

Great Rune appears to be one of the two major games From Software is currently developing following its samurai souls game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

If these reports are true, then we can expect Great Rune to be an exceptionally gritty and brutal game. And we could expect hulking boss battles against mythological monstrosities.

I've read all of the A Song of Ice and Fire books released thus far, and they're absolutely filled with mayhem, blood, intrigue, deception, and a grand sweeping lore that embodies the true spirit of fantasy while delivering the immensely dark history of the medieval period. From Software's games are quite gritty and strange in their own right, blending otherworldly horror with historical remnants from our real-world.

In a very real sense, From Software could be making a Game of Thrones set in the Norse era...but with their own darkly enchanting twist. The Norse mythology themes will give FromSoft lots of free reign to warp and break the in-game world in exciting new ways. There's also a possibility that Great Rune will have online elements of some kind outside of the typical PVP/PVE action found in previous Dark Souls games.

Bandai Namco is set to publish the game this time around, as From Software's stint with Activision was a one-time deal because of rights issues.

Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference goes live on Sunday, June 9 at 1PM PST / 4PM EST.