The Bornless presents itself as a “challenging FPS game similar to a Battle Royale”. This statement seems to track from what we’ve seen, and gamers who have some experience with something like Hunt: Showdown will have a pretty good idea of what to expect from The Bornless. With a storyline based on ancient texts (The Lesser Keys of Solomon), the game has enough material to not only build a foundation but also grow in the future. Its story is being written (already resulting in abook) and is being supported by the seasonalNFT releases. Each of the eight playable characters in The Bornless is represented by its own set of 666 NFTs. When all 8 collections are complete, there will be 5,328 available.

The game begins with eight players divided into teams of two and a fight for survival. With its lighting, map design, and sound, the game does an excellent job at creating a frightening atmosphere, and I can easily see this game getting under players' skin once it is completely published.

The gunplay, while solid, still has room for improvement to make it tighter and more precise. There are a few different types of guns and each gun’s associated sound is very satisfying and powerful. There is also a knife for when you need to resort to melee attacks. In addition to their primary weapons, players are also able to choose a special ability at the beginning of each round, which consists of abilities called “Spectral Sight”, “Sigil Shield”, and “Hellfire Grenade”.

These are all fairly standard FPS mechanics, but what makes The Bornless special is its implementation of the world hazard, which eliminates teams that are lagging behind. Fortnite has The Storm, Warzone has its Circle Collapse gas cloud, and The Bornless has Orobas.

As you fight off other players and explore the map, you’ll also need to collect a resource called Incense from the forest surrounding the play area. Then, this incense can be burned in cauldrons that are spread out across the map. Doing this earns your team points that translate to favor with Orobas, causing him to focus his ire on another team. The more incense you burn, the more danger opposing teams face. It’s worth noting that, like the hazards in Fortnite and Warzone, Orobas cannot be damaged or reasoned with. It is simply a demon that desires to feast on human souls, especially the ones who don’t pay tribute to him. This is an extremely interesting twist on the Battle Royale formula, and it fits the game’s theme and world perfectly. Cathedral Studios deserves special praise for this feature. The last team standing is the winner. If the match timer runs out, the match is over as well.

Players will also be able to gain Experience Points (XP) through their gameplay, and with it, they can progress through the skill tree and unlock abilities. These allow players to customize their experience based on their desired playstyle.