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MMO Insider: April 2024 Alpha & Beta Testing Roundup
May 9, 2024
Last month saw a flurry of MMORPGs in testing! In this video, we delve into all the MMORPGs that went through pre-Alpha, Alpha, and Beta testing in April 2024. We'll evaluate their progress, highlight the most exciting titles, and share which games are worth keeping an eye on over the next few years.
Featuring:
@playthroneandliberty
@playpaxdei
@triunestudio
@AbyssMMORPG
@EverCraftOnline
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0:00
Welcome to MMO Insider, your go-to source for exclusive insights into the hottest up
0:12
and coming MMORPGs. We're here to dive into these new adventures, test the gameplay and
0:18
deliver the inside scoop directly to you. April was a whirlwind month for MMORPG testing, particularly for some of the indie MMOs slated
0:28
for launch in the next two years. We had the chance to dive into quite a few games and
0:34
now it's time to unveil the inside scoop on each one. Keep in mind that many of these
0:39
MMOs are still in early stages of development, such as pre-alpha, so the full potential is
0:45
yet to unfold. We'll break down where things currently stand and share our excitement levels
0:51
for each title. I'd love to hear your thoughts too, let me know in the comments below what you've
0:56
been playing and which upcoming MMOs have you most excited. So Throne and Liberty held a confidential closed playtest this month which I had the
1:06
opportunity to join. Although I can't disclose any details due to the NDA, I will say that
1:12
this highly anticipated multi-platform MMORPG remains firmly on my radar. With a western
1:19
release expected this year, I look forward to getting more playtime very soon
1:25
My excitement level for this game is a 4 out of 5
1:29
Next we've got Pax Day. Unfortunately I missed out on Pax Day testing in April for
1:33
the second time in a row. Despite this, it's high on my watchlist as the concept looks
1:39
promising and the game brings intriguing elements to the table. However, feedback from some
1:45
testers and friends has me very cautious. The game is heavily focused on crafting, requiring
1:51
significant teamwork and potentially large guilds to progress efficiently. The extensive time investment needed for crafting and skill advancement could be a slog for solo players
2:03
and the combat has been described as lackluster. While I appreciate teamwork orientated MMORPGs
2:11
Pax Day's groin heavy approach and uninspiring combat are definitely concerning. My excitement
2:17
level for Pax Day is a 2 out of 5. Now we're looking at Eternal Tombs. April kicked off with an early look into Eternal
2:25
Tombs, an MMORPG that promises some fascinating ideas and potentially unique features, particularly
2:33
with the Live Tombmasters, which are staff members who create dynamic events within the
2:39
game world. This strictly non-pay to win title has been on my radar for a while, but I kind
2:45
of mistakenly anticipated a closer to ready game than what we actually saw. Instead, this
2:51
pre-alpha playtest revealed that it's still in quite early development, so significant
2:56
changes are likely before its anticipated 2025 launch. Visually, Eternal Tombs offers attractive environments with intricate detail, however
3:06
the limited draw distance even on ultra setting did distract from the immersion. Moving the
3:11
camera also caused noticeable framerate drops, hinting at optimization issues that extended
3:17
to long load screens as well. The developers aimed to launch with 30 zones and 19 raids
3:24
I did spend several hours exploring one of the beginner zones which introduced the lore
3:29
and set the stage. However, some aspects didn't make much sense, particularly how the player
3:35
character is meant to be the saviour, but arrives with no gear or supplies. The fully
3:40
voiced NPCs also struggled to be heard over the distracting background noise. I initially
3:45
had doubts about the combat system from early trailers, but found it strategic and engaging
3:51
but slower paced than expected. Targeting enemies was tricky until I discovered the
3:56
C key for highlighting them. A frustrating aspect was being immobilized or rooted by
4:02
very distant enemies, particularly enemies like boars, and when I tried to evade them
4:07
and run away from them, they were able to throw things at me and immobilize me, leading to multiple deaths. The inability to sprint was somewhat annoying, but I managed to compensate
4:16
this with a creative jump plus dodge technique. Progression was significantly impacted by
4:22
the presence of just two other players in this area, which limited available enemies
4:28
and loot drops that were essential for quest advancement. Fortunately, the developers promptly
4:34
patched enemy spawn rates the next day, increasing both spawn rates, respawn timers and loot
4:40
drops, so kudos to them. The initial gear acquisition was confusing with essential equipment
4:45
buried in vendor menus without any guidance. Exploring the world revealed both graphical
4:51
inconsistencies and fascinating environmental interactions like climbing on buildings or getting stuck swimming in the water. The difficulty curve was steep, with low level enemies posing
5:03
significant challenges. This created an overcrowded starting zone, limiting progression. The developers
5:09
did quickly address this feedback, reducing the difficulty of early enemies to help players
5:14
move out of these zones much faster. After hours of gameplay, the challenging pace and
5:19
learning curve revealed the potential of Eternal Tombs, though it appears to demand significant
5:26
time investment and seem tailored to a more niche audience emphasizing hardcore gameplay
5:32
While this playtest didn't quite meet my high expectations, the developers are actively
5:37
addressing these issues and I have feedback directly to them, and the dynamic world, raids
5:43
and live tombmasters still have me intrigued. With bi-weekly testing sessions on the horizon
5:48
and significant updates planned, I am excited to dive back into Eternal Tombs and explore
5:54
the features that originally caught my attention. My excitement level for Eternal Tombs is a
5:59
3.5 out of 5. Next we went to test Abyss and I had the chance to playtest Abyss online this month, a pre-alpha
6:08
MMORPG that promises an expansive open world experience where players can forge their own
6:14
path as heroes. My first session was a simple exploration around a castle, which I didn't
6:20
record, but I later revisited allowing me to explore more of the game's systems due
6:24
to active patching during the testing phase. Upon entering the game, players start with a template character, meaning character creation
6:32
hasn't been implemented yet. The biome I loaded into was visually appealing, with a surprising
6:38
level of detail in the plants, the grass, water and shadows. However, the gameplay itself
6:43
felt quite sparse, with limited activities available. I noticed another player and decided
6:49
to engage in combat to test out the skills. Equipping a weapon was a challenge since they
6:54
didn't appear on the character model, leaving me uncertain whether they were properly equipped
6:59
The combat system is relatively simple with 6 skills linked to the equipped gear. Weapons
7:05
and armour determine the available abilities, reflecting the classless combat design. I
7:11
appreciated the action combat system and found the streamlined skill set appealing, but invisible
7:16
weapons distracted from the immersion. Dodging and jumping added some strategic flair, though
7:22
the overall system still needs refinement. Building represented similar challenges. I did notice an unfinished structure and attempted
7:31
to contribute, but struggled to figure out the controls. Once I figured out how to gather
7:35
materials which were already in my inventory and how to build, I found the idea of open
7:41
world structures intriguing as long as they aren't permanent, which could clog up the
7:45
landscape if abandoned by inactive players. Camera, UI and movement issues hampered the
7:51
building experience. The character would sometimes walk sideways and the cursor aimed completely
7:57
inaccurately. The arrow keys used for rotating and placing items only partially functioned
8:03
After changing the zoom on my camera I could finally place objects at a distance, but it
8:07
was difficult because the whole system didn't seem to function properly and when you've got an object floating above your head you're not able to place that anywhere
8:14
With limited gameplay options I explored the weapons animations before roaming the empty
8:18
zone in search of enemies. I didn't happen to find any enemies and reaching the maps
8:23
boundaries led me to fall through the world. Despite the issues, Abyss Online aims to deliver
8:28
a rich, lore-driven story, player-based economy and immersive multiplayer features such as
8:34
co-op quests and intense PvP battles. Taking all this into account, Early Access was planned for release on May 7th 2024, which
8:46
has now been delayed for a few days. The game still feels like it's in very early
8:50
development phase and far from being playable. I am hesitant to invest in Early Access given
8:57
how incomplete the game currently appears and that you will have to buy the game in
9:02
Early Access. This approach hasn't bode well for other MMORPGs in recent years and
9:08
so this is a major concern for me. My excitement level for this game is a 1.5 out of 5
9:14
Although I was late to join the party for Evercraft Online, I managed to catch the tail
9:18
end of their recent early alpha test. The game embraces a block-based aesthetic which
9:24
carries a nostalgic vibe while emphasising gameplay quality. Character creation kicks off the experience offering a variety of races and classes. While I couldn't try them all
9:36
it's clear that each choice impacts your character's playstyle. I selected an Ogre
9:41
to change things up and found myself starting in Osgul, which was the Ogre City. This zone
9:46
seemed well designed so I explored to figure out my next move. However, the absence of
9:51
a map or compass was frustrating as instructions to head east by NPCs for quests felt very
9:59
vague without any direction indicators. Evercraft features a tab-target combat system that's
10:06
intentionally slow-paced, focusing on strategic, impactful encounters rather than rapid, chaotic skirmishes. You select an enemy, turn on auto-attack and then juggle the cooldowns of your skills
10:18
while managing resources. Combat meshes well with the game's aesthetic, reinforcing teamwork
10:24
since enemies just a couple of levels higher prove to be a real challenge. The camera angle
10:30
poses significant issues, often obscuring enemies and forcing me to switch to first-person
10:35
view for proper aiming, gathering and looting. Targeting and attacking were cumbersome, sometimes
10:41
leaving my character immobile despite highlighting an enemy due to a slight misalignment. This
10:47
will need a bit of refinement to make it a bit better for the player. Although I didn't have much time in Evercraft Online, it shows significant potential and
10:54
it seems to emphasize team-based play, exploration and character development. Compared to other
11:00
MMOs at this alpha stage, it seems relatively far along. Interestingly, this game might
11:06
appeal to children, drawing a younger audience into the MMORPG scene. As a parent, I often
11:12
find my gaming preferences don't have any interest from my kids, but Evercraft Online
11:17
could bridge that gap. It holds the potential to introduce a new generation to the genre
11:23
if marketed to a broader audience and made into a family-friendly game. I could definitely
11:29
see myself playing this with my kids if it's done right. Because of this, my excitement level for Evercraft Online is a 3 out of 5
11:37
And that wraps up my April MMORPG testing. It was a packed month and I had a blast exploring
11:43
these games. In May we'll be testing The Quinfall, an exciting opportunity since this
11:48
game hasn't had any open testing yet and given the controversy that surfaced in January
11:53
it will be interesting to see how it plays. I also have plans to test Ardvita in early
11:58
May and Call of the Punk at the end of May. And if you're aware of any other MMORPGs
12:03
testing in May, let me know in the comments so we can get invited and check those out
12:08
I hope you enjoyed the video. This was the MMO Insider for April 2024
12:12
Thank you very much for watching and I'll see you next time. Bye bye for now
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