Paragon
What kind of game was it? Paragon was a mix of a third-person shooter and a MOBA. The game featured slick, realistic 3D graphics and a fast-paced gameplay experience. Additionally, the setting was science fiction, which was rarely seen in the MOBA genre.
By the way, the game was developed by Epic Games, who initially aimed to create the next big hit with Paragon but ultimately ended up with Fortnite instead.
What was so great about it? Highlights of Paragon were the slick, high-gloss graphics and the combat system.
The graphics were unusual for the genre as they relied on elaborately rendered, realistic graphics rather than the colorful, exaggerated comic style typically seen in the genre.
Each of the numerous characters was carefully designed and had special abilities. Just because the heroes looked realistic, they still had some pretty crazy skills. For example, there was a quirky K-Pop singer who summoned pink, holographic wolves that danced around her and exploded upon contact with enemies.
In combat, Paragon felt more like an arena shooter than a classic MOBA. Anyone coming directly from games like LoL or DotA 2 had to adjust first.
Why did it have to die? Indeed, Paragon was never the big hit that Epic had hoped for. The game just never gained traction. It was cumbersome and not very friendly for newcomers. Additionally, frequent drastic changes confused existing players.
The final blow for Paragon ironically came from within its own ranks. Surprisingly, the subsequently implemented PvP version of Fortnite, called “Fortnite: Battle Royale”, became a massive hit for Epic.
Soon, the best developers from other projects at Epic were pulled away and assigned to Fortnite. This significantly depleted the Paragon team, and further updates were delayed. In the end, Epic decided to shut down Paragon.
However, due to the enormous success of Fortnite, they had enough money to generously compensate all players. Additionally, the developers gave away all assets from Paragon, which were worth 12 million dollars. From these freely accessible assets, a new game called Overprime is expected to emerge.
Evolve
What kind of game was it? In Evolve, a team of four hunters fought against a gigantic beast in an asymmetric PvP battle. The hunters were all unique characters, each with their own skills and gear. The monster, in turn, started as a relatively small creature and had to indulge in innocent wildlife first.
The more prey it could eat, the larger and more powerful the beast became. The hunters had to act quickly and intelligently in this asymmetric shooter, cutting off the beast from its food sources and chasing it through the jungle before it grew too large and powerful.
What was so great about it? The asymmetric gameplay described above was the major hit in Evolve. Over time, the initially weak monster became stronger, so the roles would reverse, and the hunters became the hunted. It created an intense game of cat and mouse with many surprising twists.
Overall, Evolve was focused on the unabashed expression of power fantasy. Initially, the technically superior hunters with their weapons and skills held the advantageous position. However, in the end, the monster became nearly unstoppable.
The feeling of playing a monster was fantastic. Every attack felt powerful, and every moment as a hunter was filled with tension.
Victory or defeat often lay just a small click away, and it always came down to which side could outsmart the other and use the available weapons/abilities in combination with the environment to their advantage.
Additionally, there was a cool versus campaign mode where you played across multiple maps and modes.
Why did it have to die? Evolve struggled, among other things, with catastrophic marketing from the publisher and the fact that as a hunter, you necessarily needed a team of four friends to have any chance of success.
With random players, it was nearly impossible to defeat a monster that had some idea of what it was doing. As a result, player numbers eventually dwindled to marginal levels, and even a shift to free-to-play and some controversial gameplay changes did not help.
In September 2018, Evolve was finally shut down. To this day, our editorial demon Cortyn fondly remembers Evolve:
Evolve is the one love in gaming that I can’t let go of. Whenever I see the artworks for the game or the game itself in my Steam library, my heart feels heavy. No other game has ever captivated me this much. I didn’t play a monster. I was the monster. And every other asymmetric game since then has only been a lesser substitute for my love for Evolve.
Cortyn, demon in the service of MeinMMO
So much for our top list of tragically deceased MMOs that we would have loved to have around longer. But what about you? Are there online games that you miss and believe should never have died? Let us know in the comments below this article.
As a little incentive, here’s an article about a poll on dead online games you would like to see return: 5 dead MMORPGs that you wish the most to be back
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