Last weekend, the Open Beta for the survival title “Citadel: Forged With Fire” ran for two days. I checked out the open beta phase and in this article, I’ll show you how the mix of an open game world combined with magic plays out.
Oh yes, I spent countless hours back then exploring the vast game world in Skyrim and clipping the wings of dragons with powerful spells. Those were the days!
This week, a new sandbox MMO called Citadel: Forged with Fire will be released. The game is supposed to be a mix of survival and role-playing elements. The trailer for Citadel looks promising, and there will even be flying broomsticks.
When I saw the short video and witnessed the wild broom chases, I couldn’t help but think a bit about the good old times. We used to sit in the cinema in the evenings with a pack of popcorn watching the latest “Harry Potter” movies.
Citadel: Forged with Fire – Starting in Lava
When I found myself at the start screen after countless attempts to join a server, the game reminded me a bit of ARK: Survival Evolved.
After joining, you can customize your character from a small selection of customization options. You can even paint your nails however you like.
Then it’s off to the map to choose your starting point. I picked the left point and immediately found myself in glowing lava. Maybe I’ll become a powerful wizard throwing fireballs around. Okay, enough daydreaming!
Citadel: Forged with Fire – An Open Game World with Magic
In the vast world – which is wonderfully named “Ignus” – it is up to you what exactly you want to do.
You can explore dark caves, defeat wild beasts, or throw spells at your competitors. Those who have explored the map a bit can build their own four walls from hundreds of different elements.
Here, you must – just like in ARK – gather the necessary materials and craft items. The more you play and the higher you level up, the more blueprints for additional stuff you unlock.
What’s also cool is: You can surround your fortress with magical shields that provide protection from hostile forces.
Citadel: Forged with Fire – “Expecto Patronum”
The main focus of Citadel is on the use of spells. You can learn a variety of different abilities and play with the elements. Whether you freeze your enemies with fiery projectiles or powerful ice spears: it’s up to you.
You can even hurl a fortress through the air using telekinesis. Your magical skills will also help you tame foreign beasts and let them fight by your side. Your companions have their own level system and grow alongside you through the many adventures.
Citadel: Forged with Fire – Into Battle
The MMO also offers a survival aspect. In Citadel, you must be on guard against hostile players and various monsters, fighting for survival.
Players have the option to band together and go to war against other factions. You can destroy enemy buildings or loot them. Those who prefer to go solo and not fight for fame and glory can play on one of the PvE servers offered by Citadel.
Citadel: Forged with Fire – Conclusion:
Is the game worth it? I must preface this by saying that my review is based on the beta phase and several things may have changed by the early access release.
At the time of playing, all servers were empty for me and I spent almost half an hour trying to join a server, as the game kept throwing me back to the starting screen.
The start on Ignus did not go smoothly. Citadel runs very unstable for me, even though I meet the system requirements. In terms of gameplay, everything feels like a mix of an MMO and ARK. You can build a house, go hunting, or further improve your wizard. This system is actually quite polished.
What I don’t like: You can lift and destroy entire buildings using telekinesis. Make sure to equip your house with a magic shield after building it; otherwise, your masterpiece can disappear faster on PvP servers than you can blink!
What I like: Citadel brings a fresh wind with its wizard setting to the survival game genre. Flying on a broom is also a novelty that we haven’t seen before – except in the “Harry Potter” games, of course.
The main issue Citadel struggles with the most is performance. The developers still need to tweak some aspects to make the game run more smoothly on the screen.
Personally, I don’t find the 22.99 bucks (on sale until August 3rd for 18.39 Euro) worth it just yet, and I’ll wait a bit until the performance improves. Until then, I’ll continue to pass the time in ARK, which currently offers the better overall package.
This text is by our guest author Dennis Zühlke.
You can purchase Citadel: Forged with Fire on Steam in Early Access
Also interesting: 9 Recommended Survival MMOs 2017
