From the RPG masters at inXile Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, the first-person role-playing game Clockwork Revolution has captured global attention since its debut with its unique steampunk aesthetic and ambitious time-travel mechanics. As the spiritual successor to the classic Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, this title, led by industry veterans, promises players a deep, reactive, and endlessly possible adventure through time. Are you ready to enter the grand Victorian-era city of Avalon and turn the gears of history yourself?

Delve into a Gritty and Gorgeous Steampunk World

The story of Clockwork Revolution unfolds in Avalon, 1895, a bustling metropolis filled with steam trains, grand airships, and clockwork automatons. Yet, beneath the city’s splendor lies a vast social chasm. Wealthy industrialists adorn themselves with ornate clockwork prosthetics, attended by mechanical servants, while the working class struggles in the impoverished district known as “The Tangle.” The game will take you deep into the city’s shadowy corners, allowing you to experience its struggles for survival and gang conflicts firsthand, immersing you in a more grounded and profound steampunk world.

You will play as a fully customizable character, Morgan Vanette. At the very start, you’ll forge your identity using an in-game character creation machine—jokingly called the “most expensive asset ever” by the developers—which dynamically alters its descriptions and dialogue based on your attribute allocation, integrating you deeply into the world from the outset. You will encounter a cast of colorful characters, from the disgruntled shopkeeper and syndicate boss “Uncle Alfie,” to the foul-mouthed automaton doll “Duke Pomphrey,” and the upper-class elitist “Lord Griswick.” Your choices will not only affect your relationships with them but may even determine their very survival.

Manipulate Time, Unleash the Butterfly Effect

The game’s core innovation lies in its unique time-travel mechanic. You discover that the city’s ruler, Lady Ironwood, has been manipulating history through time travel to consolidate her power. Armed with a device called the “Chronometer,” you gain the ability to travel back to the past and alter key events. Every choice you make will trigger a “butterfly effect,” not only changing the course of dialogue and the fate of characters but also visually reshaping entire sections of the city.

This isn’t just about narrative choices; it’s about tangible changes to the world. A character you save in the past might become a crucial ally in the present; a building you inadvertently destroy could leave an entire block unrecognizable. This unprecedented level of visual reactivity aims to give your decisions unparalleled weight. Every journey through time has the potential to bring earth-shattering changes to the Avalon of the present.

Deep RPG Systems Meet Thrilling First-Person Combat

While often compared to BioShock Infinite, Clockwork Revolution is deeply rooted in inXile’s legacy of profound role-playing games. The game promises deeply interconnected RPG systems, extensive skill trees, and a highly customizable weapon system. At the weapon workbench, you’ll upgrade and modify your firearms in hundreds of ways to create a truly unique arsenal.

To forge a fluid, exhilarating, and strategic first-person combat experience, the development team has recruited combat and encounter designers from top studios like Rockstar and Bungie. In addition to a variety of steampunk-inspired firearms and gadgets, you’ll wield time-bending abilities like “Slow” and “Reverse.” You can slow down enemies to effortlessly dodge a hail of bullets or “reverse” a destroyed piece of cover back to its pristine state, adding limitless possibilities to combat. These time powers are just as crucial for puzzle-solving, ensuring you feel the joy and power of manipulating time throughout your exploration of Avalon.

Anticipation and Outlook

As a major first-party title from Xbox Game Studios, Clockwork Revolution will launch day one on Xbox Game Pass. Although an official release date has not yet been announced—only that it will arrive “in due time”—the content shown so far has revealed its immense potential. Can inXile Entertainment successfully navigate such an ambitious time-travel narrative and elevate their acclaimed reactive RPG design to new heights in a first-person perspective? This ambitious project, blending deep role-playing, immersive simulation, and innovative time mechanics, is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated RPGs in years.