Legend of Grimrock 2 introduces Ratlings, a new playable race

There are few creatures more ubiquitous in RPGs than rats, but it's not often we get the opportunity to play as one. And maybe calling it an "opportunity" is a bit of a stretch, but however you want to look at it, you'll be able to do it, more or less, in Legend of Grimrock 2 , which today unveiled an all-new playable race known as "Ratlings."

It's clear that Ratlings aren't everybody's favorite species, as even developer Almost Human describes them as "weak and disease-ridden on the surface." They also suffer a punishing -4 penalty to their strength attribute, which would seem to make them of limited use in a stand-up fight. But they're quintessential survivors: Immune to disease, handy with mechanics and able to bear an extra 15 kilograms of weight in their inventories.

Ratlings will also appear in the game as NPCs, having arrived on the isle of Nex as members of pirate galley crews. "They have nested in the western parts of the island, but they often wander about the island but carefully avoid 'The Boss'," the studio wrote . "Whenever you smell gunpowder in the air, you're sure to know there's Ratling pirates around."

Of course, Ratlings aren't the only beastly race in the game: There are also Insectoids, Lizardmen and Minotaurs, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. But the addition of the Rat to the pack does mean that it's now possible to assemble an entirely non-human party of unique characters, and I'm actually really looking forward to that.

Legend of Grimrock 2 is slated for release later this year.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.