The retro-style RPG Skald: Against The Black Priory is a game that almost creeps up on us in how good it is. Its VGA-style color palette and pixel—art graphics go back to the early days of CRPG history and continue to define the harken-genre even before the Fallout/Baldur's Gate heyday of the late 90s, paying homage to the often forgotten Ultima series. Skald is certainly a niche product, but Larian CEO Swen Vincke, one of the most prominent figures in the game, also has his backers.1

"This is what I've been waiting for," Vincke wrote on Twitter while sharing a trailer for Skald. "I just respect the ambition here and love how it looks."

Expanding his interest via email, Vincke said that although he had not yet had time to dive deeper into Skald, "the little things I've seen are deep into what Anders and his team have achieved

" It feels right from get go, which is quite an achievement for an RPG like this. I plan to fly to LA next week and play it the whole flight. My play time is limited, so that's probably the biggest compliment I can give."

Skald was on my radar, but Vincke's support and PCG Senior editor Robin Valentine's impression of the game shot it close to the top of my "to-play" list. Robin has had a lot of praise for Skald's blend of surreal Lovecraft horror and more Classico fantasy RPG fare, but its RPG system and tactical combat are far more welcoming than the 80s Rpg it inspired.

This is not the first time Larian has paid attention or support to a small studio project: Back in April, profane level designer Enrique Colinet revealed that Larian has endorsed the game at up to 1 1,000 levels on kickstarter.