Bethesda, Brian Fargo crafting new co-op fantasy game

In 1984, Brian Fargo founded Interplay, the publisher of the first Fallout games. He left the company in 2002, two years before it licensed Fallout to Bethesda Softworks and five years before the Fallout IP was sold off outright.

Though Bethesda's and Interplay's current management are engaged in a nasty legal fight, the Fallout 3 developer today announced a deal with Fargo's studio inXile Entertainment (The Bard's Tale remake) to publish an all-new project. Titled Hunted: The Demon's Forge, the game will be a third-person "fantasy action" title with a heavy emphasis on cooperative play. It is being developed under the auspices of game director Michael "Maxx" Kaufman, who also worked on Kingpin: Life of Crime, Redneck Rampage, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge is in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Though Bethesda did not offer a launch window for the game, it offered some details on its official Web site. Players can take on the role of the master swordsman Caddoc or the ranged weapon expert E'lara, both of whom can wield magic spells. Gameplay will focus on cover combat and puzzle solving, coupled with exploration of dungeons, ruins, and urban areas.

As far as Hunted's story goes, Bethesda offered the following summary:

The dark ages have become corrupted. Heinous creatures have emerged from underground. Townsfolk across the land are disappearing. Upon the promise of their fortune in gold, mercenaries E'lara and Caddoc take on the daunting task of discovering where the innocent villagers have been taken. Their journey will lead them on a dark and twisted path where they will encounter death, slavery, and sacrifice. Travel deep within the world of Kala Moor…and to the secrets of The Demon's Forge.