Project Windless reveals open-world action RPG where you play as a mythical warrior bird

Krafton revealed Project Windless earlier today at State of Play, and it is a stunning open-world action RPG where you play as Rekons, a mythical race of massive warrior birds. The developer, led by Patrik Methe (former Far Cry director), spent years perfecting this adaptation of the acclaimed Korean fantasy novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears. What sets this apart is the 1,000-year-old prequel storyline and combat designed for battles against hundreds of enemies at once.

Meet the Rekons: Humanoid Bird Warriors

Rekons are the game’s playable protagonist race, described as nomadic warriors with immense physical strength and size. These humanoid birds stand roughly 7 feet tall and wield dual swords with devastating force. What makes them compelling is their complexity. They are powerful yet solitary, with strong personal beliefs and a notable fear of water—a vulnerability that prevents them from being invincible. This psychological depth transforms them from simple protagonists into memorable characters with real limitations and motivations.

The design was revolutionary during prototyping. Developers immediately recognized that Rekons’ speed, reach, and physical presence were perfect for the game’s core fantasy. One-versus-many combat felt naturally suited to their warrior culture and anatomy. Their massive size creates presence on the battlefield, making every movement feel impactful against hordes of enemies.

Krafton spent significant time defining this race’s identity. Rather than following Western fantasy templates, The Bird That Drinks Tears inspired a darker, stranger, more human world where each race has complex histories and conflicting worldviews. Rekons fit perfectly into this universe as tragic, powerful beings.

Combat Designed for Epic Battles

Project Windless features some of the most ambitious large-scale battlefield scenarios in gaming. Players regularly face dozens or even hundreds of enemies simultaneously, powered by Krafton’s innovative Mass Technology. These crowds are not visual noise either—each enemy moves, flanks, and reacts dynamically to your actions, creating unpredictable spectacles that demand constant adaptation.

Combat emphasizes both tactical awareness and reflexes. Players must read battlefield situations, identify threats, and adapt strategies in real-time. Encounters range from cutting through swarms of soldiers to facing massive creatures that dominate entire battlefields. The game separates itself from button-mashing action by requiring genuine strategic thinking alongside skilled execution.

The Dynasty Warriors-like gameplay foundation receives fresh innovation through Rekon abilities and environmental interaction. Every encounter pushes players to react, improvise, and discover new combat approaches. Massive boss fights require different strategies than crowd control, forcing variety throughout the campaign.

Setting: A Thousand Years Before the Novels

Rather than adapting the novels’ original storyline directly, Krafton went back over 1,000 years in history. This forgotten age explores a turning point barely touched in the books: when the land was divided and tensions rose between kingdoms. As a player, you step into the role of a mythical figure whose actions will shape the birth of a new kingdom.

Game Element	Details
World Design	Open-world with minimal hand-holding and guidance
Player Freedom	Chart your own course, explore freely, forge alliances, wage wars
Narrative Setting	1,000 years before The Bird That Drinks Tears events
Story Type	Premium single-player experience with personal agency

“We made it an open world with as little hand-holding as possible. You are free to chart your own course, the world rarely forces you in a single direction. Whether you’re exploring on your own, delving into a hidden story, or preparing up for a massive battle, we want your journey to feel personal and authentic, full of unexpected moments.”

— Krafton Montreal Studio, PlayStation Blog

A World Inspired by Korean Fantasy

The source material, The Bird That Drinks Tears, represents a fundamental departure from Western fantasy conventions. When Krafton Montreal first discovered these novels, they immediately stood out. The world was stranger, darker, and more tragic than typical high fantasy. It felt ancient, lived-in, and full of mysterious places begging exploration.

The studio realized this universe naturally suited open-world exploration rather than linear storytelling. In Project Windless, players wander, discover, and lose themselves in mysteries. Conflicts are never clean or heroic. Each race has its own worldview and complex history. This maturity elevates Project Windless beyond typical action RPGs into something more psychologically grounded and narratively ambitious.

What Will Determine Your Legend?

Krafton describes Project Windless as your world, not theirs. The studio encourages curiosity, risk-taking, alliance-forging, and warfare as tools for creating your own story. Instead of linear set pieces, the world rewards exploration and experimental approaches. Your choices shape what kind of legend you become. Will you be an honorable warrior, a cunning strategist, a mercenary warlord, or something entirely unexpected? Project Windless will release on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro when development concludes, with no official launch date announced yet. The long development time already invested promises a deeply polished experience when it finally arrives.

Sources

• PlayStation Blog – Official Project Windless announcement and creative vision
• IGN – State of Play reveal details and developer background
• PC Gamer – Game design philosophy and character specifications