I've previously harped a bit on Pathfinder Online's likelihood of success. As a MMO sandbox game with a couple mil to development and a modest design team, it didn't look to me a year ago like it stood much of a chance.
But you know what? I kind of think it does now.
There's some details about it here on Massively, and a video of recent footage is out and about now:
Now, the graphics here aren't all that exciting, but they are competent. The game looks a bit better than other known Unity Engine RPGs like Ravensword: Shadowlands (which I am playing and enjoy the Ouya version of). On my first view it drew an unhealthy comparison to Dungeon Lords (if you've ever played that game you'll know what I mean...also, I'm so very very sorry for you). The character animations need work; the graphics I can accept, they look good enough, but realistic motion these days is almost a necessity, and I can't imagine there aren't developer resources out there that have mocap packages they can buy, or something....anything. Right now it has a very Vanguard sort of feel to it, something I think is tripping off alarms in those who watch this and cringe.
The thing is, when Pathfinder Online was announced it sounded (to me) very pie in the sky. But a year later this sort of game is rapidly becoming the norm, if Steam's calvacade of indie survival games is anything to go by. I think Pathfinder Online is not actually even remotely in the genre of World of Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online...it's going to be sitting next to Rust, DazyZ and other survival/crafting group games that are springing up like flies on the triple A carcass of the gaming industry.
This sort of thing is great for the generation that loves this stuff. Personally it just means I have more free time and money to engage with other hobbies, because I really can't get into the competitive pvp-meets-crafting genre, but I really think Pathfinder Online has a chance to swing in and take the crown on this one...not to mention, its got the fantasy genre locked down here, since most crafting/competition pvp games are either very abstract or set in some sort of zombie or monster apocalypse.
After listening to an unhealthy amount of interviews and pre-reviews of the game it sounds too similar to EVE. MMOs are already a time suck, we don't need more EVE clones out there.
ReplyDeleteI've been kind of worried about that....with Dancey's connection to Eve, the temptation to reposition PO as a "Eve for fantasy" is about what I've been expecting it to end up being. Not my cup of tea either.
DeleteI think it was an interview with the Gamerstable podcast that he actually said that was their intent. Having a hard time remembering as that was over a year ago that I last listened to him saying that.
Delete"springing up like flies on the triple A carcass of the gaming industry."
ReplyDeletesuch a great line.