Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is a high-fantasy MMORPG that’s been in development for nearly a decade. My interest in the game was piqued by its focus on dungeon and group content, and I was eager to see if it could live up to its promise. Recently, the developers opened the doors for a testing session, gearing up for the game’s early access launch in December. I managed to secure a key and spent about three hours exploring this world.

This isn’t my first time in Pantheon; I won access last year and, frankly, my initial experience left me disappointed. Despite my past reservations, I jumped in again to give it a fair shot, hoping to see some significant improvements.

Visually, Pantheon has improved since I last played. The graphics have received a much-needed upgrade, and the game now looks far better than its previously outdated appearance. This visual improvement is a good sign, showing that the developers are actively working on enhancing the game’s appeal.

Upon loading into the game, you find yourself in a town area. After a bit of wandering, I located an NPC who handed out some quests. Unfortunately, these were mostly fetch quests, and the game doesn’t provide clear directions on where to find the required items. It took me over an hour and a half just to find my first Maple Tree. I hope they scale up the availability of materials in starter zones for the launch; otherwise, with thousands of players on the same quest, progression will be painfully slow.

Navigating quests is challenging due to the lack of an in-game map. While there is a compass, it doesn’t offer much guidance. Initially, this was frustrating, and I found myself jotting down notes on what I needed for each quest. Over time, this system encouraged exploration, which I began to appreciate, although I’m more accustomed to games providing clear guidance.

One major roadblock in Pantheon is inventory space. Starting with a mere 10-slot inventory is frustrating, especially when you’re tasked with gathering numerous items. Buying additional slots from the quest NPC is prohibitively expensive early on. This issue is compounded by the fact that enemies drop a lot of loot, making it hard to manage what to keep. Frequent trips back to NPCs to sell or store items are necessary, which disrupts the flow of gameplay. However, killing goblins occasionally rewards you with bags for extra storage and sometimes new gear, which is a small consolation.

Combat in Pantheon starts off incredibly slow since you don’t have many skills initially. Additionally, some skills require a resource to use, which you need to build up first. This made early combat dull and difficult, as I often had only one skill that I couldn’t even use due to the resource requirement. Initially, combat was manageable, but suddenly I found myself dying repeatedly, unable to defeat any enemies.

After some frustrating deaths, I noticed multiple buffs in the top corner of my screen during my second attempt. These buffs made a significant difference, allowing me to defeat enemies and level up, unlocking more skills. I discovered a portal to a new area with plenty of enemies and fewer players, which helped me progress faster. Despite these improvements, I found some skills redundant and combat animations lacking.

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is set to enter Early Access in four months, after almost a decade in development. Given this timeline, I had high expectations for a polished experience. Unfortunately, Pantheon feels more like a rough sketch than a masterpiece. My second playthrough was more enjoyable, and I made substantial progress, but the game still feels unfinished.

The beginner experience needs significant improvement, as it currently feels tedious and unenjoyable, even for those expecting a retro-style MMO. As a long-time player of MMOs and RPGs, I want to see Pantheon succeed, but there are too many pain points early on. The game lacks polish, a coherent story, and essential features that could deter new players.

I remain hopeful for Pantheon’s future but cautiously so. The developers have shown they can make improvements, but they need to address these fundamental issues to ensure the game’s success.