In order to let beasts such as the gryphon use their surroundings to literally spread their wings, Garcia-Shelton explains that levels were designed with complementing each creature’s unique attributes in mind. For instance, battling a gryphon in an enclosed tunnel wouldn’t be much of a fight, but in a wide open cathedral where the winged monster can swoop through stained glass windows, things should certainly get interesting.

The all-star monster line up may be sporting some heavy hitters with the brains to match the brawn, but Deckard is also given an edge through the signet forged onto his hand upon opening Pandora’s Box. The signet feeds of off Animus energy, which can be collected from fallen monsters, and then used to heal the player, or fuel a powerful energy blast. Unlike the Black Order, the monsters of Legendary won’t be carrying any bandoliers of ammunition, which creates a balance that players must uphold by reserving bullets and working with Animus energy to help keep themselves alive. We asked what other effects a connection to a force like Pandora’s Box would have on a mortal such as Deckard, but Garcia-Shelton remained mysterious and only said that Deckard will learn more about the signet’s power as the story progresses.

Don’t think that the combat of Legendary will only involve switching back and forth between monsters and the Black Order, as the game truly shines when both forces are thrown into the same battlefield, creating gameplay that Spark Unlimited describes as “chaotic in all the right ways." Players will consistently come across situations involving the two groups, and have to decide which to attack first. Even more interesting is that both factions can be maneuvered against one another, but be careful, as making the wrong move can turn both monsters and Black Order against you at the same time! Garcia-Shelton explains that “the point is to have frequent value judgments that the player must make based on their weapons and their Animus inventory.”

The developer isn’t quite ready to discuss multiplayer yet, but they were able to confirm that monsters will have a presence. We know some of you might be eager for the chance to actually control a gryphon and tear apart some online opponents, but while playable monsters were considered, development constraints caused the mechanic to get scratched. “It was something we wanted to do, but we just don’t have the time to implement it due to the amount of programming, controls testing, and other factors that it would take to do it right,” says Garcia-Shelton.

Like Pandora’s Box, Legendary still contains great deal of mystery and surprises that have yet to be revealed. What is apparent is the game’s goal to be more than simply a “where are they now?” compilation of all your favorite mythical monsters. Spark Unlimited promises that when you do finally come face to face with a minotaur or werewolf, the ensuing fight will be as legendary as the creatures themselves.