The Tale of Bistun Arrives Next Month Offering A Great Look Into Persian Literature

Written by Brandon Hofer on June 15, 2022

News: A new action-adventure game is on the way from a team of Iranian developers that want to share a story they heard growing up.

Polish games publisher IMGN.PRO, in partnership with Black Cube Games, has revealed their story-rich action-adventure game The Tale of Bistun releases for Windows PC and Xbox consoles on July 13, 2022. Inspired by the 12th-century tragic romance poem “Khosrow and Shirin”, The Tale of Bistun offers audiences a deep cut into culturally-significant Persian literature and folklore, with exciting gameplay and beautiful lands to explore.

On the craggy slopes of Mount Bistun, a stone carver awakens with no memory of who he is nor how he came to be there. He soon discovers that a blight is squeezing the life out of nature, tainting the local wildlife and turning it hostile. Encouraged by a strange, pleading whisper, the man journeys between the real world and the mysterious place of forgotten memories, known as the Revelations Realm, in search of answers. But a colossal ancient evil is watching, waiting, and it is not pleased that its plans are being disrupted. All the while, an omniscient narrator recounts the man’s every step and details his innermost thoughts. But who is he? And how does he know so much about the befuddled stone carver?

“As a studio composed of Iranian game developers, we are eager to share a piece of our history and culture with gamers through The Tale of Bistun,” said Amin Shahidi, Black Cube Games team lead, animator, and game designer. “Many of us grew up with this classic story and the desire to adapt it into a video game comes straight from our hearts. We’re excited to partner with IMGN.PRO to bring The Tale of Bistun to the world next month!”

In The Tale of Bistun, players explore a beautifully realized and vibrant world based on ancient Persian mythology. They’ll explore a range of stunning biomes and ascend the scenic slopes of Mount Bistun that, while beautiful, have been ravaged by a deadly blight and are now filled with monstrous beasts and deadly foes. In order to succeed in this quest, you will need to utilize a range of powerful melee attacks in fast-paced combat, using devastating special abilities to cut through foes and show the world that you are no simple stone-carver, but a mighty force to be reckoned with.

Popular voice actor Marc Thompson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars: Visions, Pokémon) lends his talents to the game as the omniscient narrator. In this role, he guides players through their harrowing journey.

The Tale of Bistun releases for Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Game Store, and on Xbox One and Series S | X through ID@Xbox on July 13, 2022. Pre-orders open later this month. Fans can additionally wishlist the game on Steam and download a demo here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/916140/The_Tale_of_Bistun.