The Early Access phase of the sandbox MMORPG Legends of Aria is expected to launch on March 21. We will explain 5 things you should know before the launch.
With the Buy2Play MMORPG Legends of Aria, the developers from the indie studio Citadel aim to create a spiritual successor to the classic Ultima Online. The alpha and beta phases have already demonstrated that this could indeed be successful, as Legends of Aria shows a strong resemblance to Ultima Online.
The Early Access phase starting on March 21 will reveal where the differences lie and whether this game principle still works today.
1. Legends of Aria plays with nostalgia, is not a AAA title
Even though the graphics of the MMORPG has improved significantly in recent months, it cannot compete with many other genre representatives. This is partly due to the perspective.
- The isometric view from above does not allow for the same level of detail as a third-person view.
- Furthermore, the development team does not have the budget to provide overwhelming graphics. Although the Kickstarter campaign in 2014 was successful, it only brought in around $105,000. This is not enough to create a AAA game.
The choice of the ISO perspective is not by chance. It allows for the creation of an MMORPG in the style of Ultima Online on a low budget, which even shows similarities at first glance.
Legends of Aria primarily targets those who grew up with Ultima Online. The game principle, the perspective, the freedoms – all of this appeals especially to UO fans.
Of course, everyone else is also invited to take a look at the sandbox MMORPG. However, one can tell from the title who the target audience is meant to be. Anyone who wishes for a new Ultima Online and wants to experience an MMORPG in this style should feel right at home.
2. Player freedom is at the forefront in the sandbox
Just like in Ultima Online, quests are hardly a topic in Legends of Aria. You are meant to find your own path in the game world of Celador. Therefore, the developers place great importance on player freedoms.
- You can become a trader
- You can be a blacksmith
- You experience your own adventures as a wanderer in the wilderness and dungeons
- You build yourself a big house
- You participate in the economy of the game world
- You build an empire
- You compete with other players in special PvP zones
- You simply explore the world together with friends and live a kind of second life there
- PvE is more prominent than one might expect
The previous test phases have revealed that players are missing a bit of content. While it is fun to explore the world, fight monsters in the dungeons, and participate in the economy, for many this is currently not enough.
A sandbox MMORPG needs to motivate players in the long term. Players must always have something to do. Especially regarding endgame content, there are still many open questions.
3. Legends of Aria was formerly Shards Online, private worlds exist
LoA was announced under the title Shards Online, as the main focus of the game should be on allowing players to create their own worlds. This is still the case today.
It is possible that you can purchase the ability to create a shard. This is essentially a private world that you create yourself, where you can even set the rules. Should there be PvP? Do you want to introduce quests? What is the story in your shard? Other players then visit your world and experience adventures there.
It was not until late in the development of the MMORPG that the team decided to offer a large world called Celador, where players can venture.
Celador offers you both PvE and PvP opportunities and aims to be a home for those who do not wish to create their own shard. Thus, LoA targets both sandbox fans looking for a new “home” and players who enjoy creating their own worlds.
4. Development is still ongoing
It must be emphasized that the launch of Legends of Aria will still be an Early Access phase. From everything heard so far from the alphas and betas, the MMORPG will still be a rough diamond. Some problems can be expected; not everything will run smoothly.
You must be aware of this if you want to play LoA. It is not a finished product yet, and the state is likely still quite “early”.
The team has set itself the goal of continually developing and improving Legends of Aria. You can therefore expect many updates.
This also means that some game elements you see at the start of the Early Access phase may not necessarily remain in the game. There may be larger changes and adjustments. This is simply part of the development phase of an MMORPG.
5. Legends of Aria will be a niche game
Legends of Aria is not a AAA MMORPG. The graphics alone will likely not appeal to everyone. Furthermore, sandbox games have it tough anyway, as many MMORPG fans are calling for the “next big World of Warcraft”. LoA is definitely not that.
Also, players who want to experience quick success will probably not be happy with LoA. Just improving your character takes a long time. You increase skills by using them, and by the time you have trained all skills, a lot of time may pass.
If you want to play, you should be aware that you have to invest a lot of time to progress in the game world. Just as it used to be in MMORPGs and especially in Ultima Online.
However, this allows you to build a much greater bond with your character and the game world and eventually gives you the feeling of truly achieving something. LoA is not a casual game.
Perhaps these points will help you decide whether you want to enter the world of the sandbox MMORPG Legends of Aria starting March 21. The Early Access phase will then start via Steam.
