"Falconer" is a dream for PC gamers who grew up on aerial combat games like "Red Baron" and "TIE Fighter" or RPGs like "Skyrim" that play with politics, culture, and history on a fantasy grand stage. This is the best of both worlds.

You pilot a giant falcon in a post-apocalyptic maritime world called Ulsey and engage in nasty dogfights with things like dragons and flying eels. A gameplay demo and an interview with the sole developer, Thomas Sala, follows.

But there are others, like you, who pilot falcons, albeit with vastly different motivations, and the Falconeer campaign takes you on a tour of them all in this brand new trailer that arrived in my inbox along with the Wiki equivalent of lore, The Mancer, a specialist faction that looks after ancient knowledge and technology, is introduced.

Check out screenshots and concept art of their birds and fleet below. The atmosphere is eerie and industrial gothic. I especially love the bulbous crab ship. It's fantastic.

The Northern Imperium may be the largest sphere of influence in the Ursea, but this imposing empire derives most of its power from the military might of the Manser Order. It's a privilege to sit in the undersea vaults of ancient knowledge, isn't it? You can expect fancy equipment for their falcons. They are not to be underestimated. They use this power to enforce their chosen permissions and adherence to the rules. Every time they lose a battle (which is seldom), the entire ursy technological landscape has changed.

They are also big scavengers. With such advanced technology, recovering lost technology from ancient civilizations swallowed by the sea is not such a difficult task. Still difficult, but plausible, and increasingly important if Mansur wants to hang on to Ulsey. It seems to be the faction I want to be or destroy altogether.

We also see some of Mansur's key locations that we will fly to in "Falconia."

One of the great vaults of the Manser cult, a treasure trove of lost knowledge and technology. It takes upon itself all mechanisms and knowledge, giving it a mighty power. Houses of the Imperium, both large and small, come to the aid of the Order. The Basilica provides a home for the Seekers, the fortunate freelancers who are allowed to acquire the ancient treasures in the name of the Order.

The Reach symbolizes the power and authority of the Order of Mansur, which investigates and prosecutes every noble and vassal of the Imperium. From here, a large fleet of Knights is equipped and sent on expeditions throughout the Ursee. The statue of Oberon, the largest known to exist in Ulsey, symbolizes the eternal quest of the Order of Mansur for liberation from this world, as stated in the myth of Oberon.

Stargazer, also an ancient place for the Mansers. It is a relic from the days when they once studied the stars that would guide them to the heavens. Although now abandoned, it retains a rich legacy for learning and serves as the premier academy for acolytes joining the Order

I am very excited to see how much character and history is incorporated into the aerial combat game. (Sorry, Ace Combat fans.) It's a genre I haven't dabbled in for a while, but the RPG framework and strong world-building will be just what I need to make an epic comeback, and The Falconeer has no specific release date, but is slated for release sometime this year. Just in case, I'll dust off my old Logitech flight stick.