Fans of large worlds, action-packed battles, and social MMO experiences can look forward to a potential highlight this year. Honor of Kings: World has revealed not only strengths but also weaknesses during the playtest.
We have already given you several good reasons why you should keep an eye on Honor of Kings: World despite various “Red Flags”. In between, we hint at some areas in the article on the strengths of the MMO Lite that did not appeal to us during the first playtest in May – and that is what this is about.
The open-world spinoff of Honor of Kings clearly shows its origins in many ways and thus brings certain Asian peculiarities, which a part of the Western community tolerates only to a certain extent. Unfortunately, this also includes the payment model, which may seem comparatively harmless, but still has its pain points.
There is currently no official release of Honor of Kings: World for the West. What is clear is that at least one more playtest is to follow. Our previous impressions come from the leveling phase. We have not yet been able to play the endgame at max level.
A video preview of Honor of Kings: World can be found on the YouTube channel of MeinMMO and below:
Reason 1: The “MMO Lite” Identity Crisis
Huge, persistent open world where you can see other characters. Social features such as chat, trade, and the ability to form groups. Cooperative and competitive content like particularly challenging bosses, mini-games, or PvP. From a distance, Honor of Kings: World seems like an MMORPG at first glance.
At best, HoK:W is an MMO Lite that strongly focuses on the single-player experience. Any cooperative, PvP, or MMO experiences are primarily one thing: optional. Meanwhile, the new game from Tencent further develops the comparable system from Where Winds Meet.
While the multiplayer in Where Winds Meet is strictly separated from the solo experience, you will see a small number of characters as specters in your world in Honor of Kings: World and can directly interact with them: chat, trade, or invite them to a group.
However, the “massively” feeling of true MMORPGs is missing. Just like some essential features like guilds. This is more like Genshin Impact with more multiplayer/MMO elements. Anyone looking for a pure solo or MMO experience, but nothing in between, might bounce off Honor of Kings: World quite early and hit uninstall.
The same danger exists for all MMO fans hoping for a typical endgame of raids, dungeons, and PvP seasons. Our impression is that the long-term focus of Honor of Kings: World is on exploring the world, experiencing the story, and continuously unlocking new champions and cosmetic items. Long-term goals for organized groups are currently in short supply.
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