Our preview of Project Windless Krafton Montreal presented its open-world role-playing game set in the universe of The Bird That Drinks Tears for the first time at State of Play. vorgestellt. At the center is not a human, not an elf decal, but a nine-foot-tall Rekon – a warlike, humanoid rooster with a sword.
Creative Director Patrik Méthé explained this decision to PCGamer in surprisingly matter-of-fact terms: During the job interviews, "every single" candidate had wanted to play exactly this character.All of them – and we were like, OK“That sounds almost banal, but it makes strategic sense.”
The Rekon is more than just a visual gimmick.
The Hero King isn't just a marketing gimmick. In the lore canon, he's considered a mythical figure whose deeds have been glorified for centuries. This gives the studio considerable freedom, since no one is alive today who knows his story firsthand. Méthé openly states that they wanted to avoid copying the novel too closely and thereby making compromises in gameplay.
Technically, the Rekon primarily means different parameters. He is stronger, faster, jumps higher, and can withstand significantly more enemies than a typical open-world protagonist. According to the studio, the Hero King should be able to take on dozens of enemies simultaneously.
This is precisely where the real challenge lies. Project WindlessThe combat system must reflect this physical dominance while still generating tension. New technology is needed, according to Méthé, to accurately represent this scaling. Details are still lacking, leaving it unclear how the studio will reconcile performance and AI logic.
Myth as narrative reassurance
Choosing a legendary hero solves a structural problem in many licensed games. Because the Hero King is historically idealized, the game can allow decisions that are later only passed down as "legend." Players thus create their own version of the story while maintaining the canon.
This is cleverly constructed, but it carries a risk. If too much room for interpretation remains, the character can lose depth. A strong protagonist needs flaws, not just status. The fact that Rekons are solitary nomads in the lore, while the Hero King acts as a leader, at least provides potential for conflict.
The studio declined to confirm whether romance options or individual customizations like facial hair growth are included. Much remains unclear. Even the famous "tear-drinking" mechanic is, according to the developers, meant metaphorically, representing the burden of leadership, not bizarre fantasy physics.
Project Windless The game focuses entirely on an unusual main character. The Rekon visually and mechanically sets the game apart from generic fantasy RPGs, while the mythological framework allows for creative freedom. If the technology, balancing, or story fail, all that remains of the grand entrance is a curious visual appearance.
