Don't look to Mage Knight: Apocalypse to change the nature of action-RPGs, but be ready for it to have the genre deeply refined. This is an action-RPG, no question, but a lot of effort has been spent making the story behind why you're massacring your way through the forces of evil compelling. The first five chapters focus on each of the characters' starting areas and their various back stories allowing a solo player to see each of the other characters fight alongside them as they clear an area of evil, and allowing a multiplayer game to see everyone's starting zone in its highly detailed glory.