Vaunted Combines Tactical Combat With History Rewriting When Your Mercenaries Fall
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Lost Lake Games has revealed Vaunted, a tactical sci-fi RPG where the death of a main mercenary forces you to rewrite the story from a different perspective, unlocking new dialogue, secrets, and loot.
Lost Lake Games has announced Vaunted, a tactical RPG that blends real-time action mechanics with strategic turn-based planning. Led by industry veteran James Phinney, the studio is drawing inspiration from titles like Valkyria Chronicles alongside classic space westerns. Players control a trio of morally flexible space mercenaries named Dyse, Gendril, and Kyvaath, who follow a traditional heavy, thief, and mage setup while working off a debt to an angry benefactor. Combat involves blasting through alien and robotic hordes using active firing and dodging alongside calculated tactical positioning.
Beyond the combat loop, the game introduces a compelling narrative mechanic centered on unreliable perspectives. During Mass Effect style dialogue scenes, players choose how to respond, which dictates which version of events becomes accepted history among the crew. If you fail to prepare your squad properly and one of the three main mercenaries dies mid-game, you get a chance to rewrite the current chapter from a surviving character perspective. This unlocks entirely new conversations, unique loot, skills, and secrets, giving real mechanical weight to keeping your favorite merc alive.
For players who enjoy deep system tinkering, the title also features robust gear upgrades, skill management, and recruitable companions to round out your squad. While the tactical skirmishes look solid, the narrative consequences of character permadeath and unreliable narrators are what truly set this project apart from standard sci-fi looter shooters. Originally reported by Mark Warren at Rock Paper Shotgun, Vaunted is currently scheduled for release in 2026 and is available to wishlist on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Tags: Vaunted, Lost Lake Games, Tactical RPG, PC Gaming, Gaming News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun