Tarae: The Unbound Developers Bet on Eastern Folklore to Stand Out from Western Action RPGs Like Diablo

Among the standout titles I experienced at gamescom was Tarae: The Unbound, a fresh action RPG from South Korean studio Boundary, published by Krafton, the company behind PUBG. While much of the gameplay will feel instantly familiar to Diablo enthusiasts, it's the game's visual identity that the developers hope will carve out a unique niche in the genre.

Set in East Asia between the 15th and 17th centuries—unlike the medieval European settings of most action RPGs, including Diablo—Tarae: The Unbound draws heavily from Eastern aesthetics and folklore. This influence permeates everything from character classes to enemy designs and battle arenas. The most striking examples are the boss fights, which number over 80 at launch. These encounters blend Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese mythological elements into designs I've never seen in an action RPG before.

As a longtime Diablo fan, I slipped into Tarae: The Unbound's rhythm without a hitch. My fingers found the number keys for abilities, my thumb hovered over the space bar for dodges, and my mouse clicked through the satisfyingly weighty combat. The camera can be pulled back to reveal nearly the entire battlefield, letting you spot incoming waves from afar. There's a steady flow of loot to manage, a variety of skills to choose from, and, naturally, deep build customization.

So far, it sounds very Diablo. But after speaking with Boundary's CEO Inyoung Koo, art director Byung Ho Park, and creative lead Myung Sang Ryu in a post-demo interview, it's clear they believe Tarae: The Unbound has much more to offer.

The game features six classes, each reimagined from Eastern traditions: the Samurai melee specialist, the Tiger Hunter (who uses guns, traps, and summons animals), the Manshin (a Korean shaman channeling spirits), the Geomancer (an area-of-effect damage dealer), the Kunoichi (a ninja), and the Warfiend (a brawler). The campaign spans six acts, each containing three or four chapters. Rather than an open world, this is a linear experience with a guided narrative.

"The playstyles are very different," Boundary emphasized. "Choosing a different class will truly feel like a different game." Once you complete the campaign with one character, you can jump into the endgame with any class without starting over.

The developers highlighted a 'balance' in combat, which I found largely stems from the god system. Eight gods, some friendly and some hostile, can either aid or hinder you in battle, and you'll need to adapt to these modifiers throughout the campaign. This reflects the overarching theme of yin and yang—opposing forces shaping both story and gameplay.

"East Asia is our inspiration," Boundary explained. "We wanted to capture the most beautiful aspects of the region, using Buddhist cosmology as our foundation—the six realms of rebirth." These include the human realm, the Asura realm, the beast realm, the hungry ghost realm, and the hell realm. In the endgame, you'll cross between these realms for epic battles.

Boundary and Krafton face the challenge of convincing Western players to step away from their go-to action RPGs, especially given the time investments involved. Yet the team is confident they have something compelling.

"There are plenty of action RPGs on the market, but most are rooted in medieval Western settings," Boundary pitched. "Tarae is an Eastern dark fantasy action RPG with its own charm. And I mentioned the combat—the balance here differs from existing RPGs. So we hope you'll come and try it."

Boundary plans to support the game with seasonal content drops, introducing new characters each season and annual DLC expansions that add new regions. "We're in it for the long haul," they said.

Tarae: The Unbound is slated for release on PC and consoles in 2027.