The developer behind the hit video games Assassin’s Creed and Warhammer Online has launched a new fantasy inspired by Welsh folklore.

Tales from the Mabinogion puts players in charge of a wandering ancient king whose lands are plagued by a cursed purple fog, with the story told in Welsh with English subtitles

The language that inspired JR Tolkien was “fitting” said designer Stevan Anastasoff’s in comments on the game’s release.

The Mabinogion is the collection of Welsh folk tales about fabled beasts and monsters that gave rise to the literary figures of King Arthur and Merlin.

It became an early example of the fantasy fiction genre when an English translation was published in 1838, based on 12th and 13th century manuscripts preserving an earlier oral tradition of pre-Christian Celtic mythology.

In the new video game version, “a vengeful sorcerer unleashes a cursed fog upon the ancient Welsh kingdom of Dyfed, a warrior-king finds himself entangled with beasts from the mythical otherworld of Annwn,” explains the trailer.

“To save his realm, he embarks on a quest to uncover the origins of the curse - and unlock the secrets necessary to thwart its devastating grip.”