The series of next-gen MMOs with stunning graphics from Asia continues. There is good news for Kingdom under Fire 2, a mix of action MMO and strategy game reminiscent of titles from the Dynasty Warriors series: a publisher has been found for China.
Kingdom under Fire 2 will be published by ChangYou for the Chinese market. ChangYou has already secured the rights to Bless Online and Project Black Sheep. Because a war is raging not only on the battlefields of fantasy worlds but also in the business world. But it’s not about items or territories; it’s about the Chinese market. ChangYou intends to challenge the dominant player Tencent Games with an armada of new, stunningly beautiful games. The success of the massive corporation Tencent is based in the gaming sector on casual games and side-scrollers that are almost completely unknown in Europe.
Currently, there are 3 classes to choose from in Kingdom under Fire 2:
- The Berserker is a melee fighter with a monstrous one-handed sword and magical firepower in his left paw. Visually, he at least resembles a Chaos Warrior from the Warhammer Online universe.
- The Gunslinger is an elegant and delicate swordsman who carries a massive pistol as a ranged option. His combat style seems like a cross between a French musketeer and an efficient killing machine, straight out of Game of Thrones.
- Spellswords are dark elves who, lightly dressed, aggressively and magically enhanced, sweep through the ranks of enemies, attacking them with a sword and various magical powers. They somewhat resemble a warrior amazon with a decent hint of a Marvel superhero.
Kingdom under Fire 2 is – before anyone gets sweaty palms – like many other of these next-gen Asia games still in a development stage. An English version of the game is in open beta in Southeast Asia. According to information from mmoculture, there will later be a Playstation 4 version. Currently, new character classes are being worked on. Originally, the game was supposed to be released around 2010 but was likely stuck for a long time in varying states of crisis, related to uncertain working conditions, strong competition, and market adjustments (in Southeast Asia, one would likely have faced shipwreck with the hardware requirements at the planned release time). The news of a solid publisher for the vast Chinese market and the launch of the open beta should calm the spirits and may help bring Kingdom under Fire 2 into calmer waters.
The mix of an action MMO combat system (so nothing tab-based) with strategy elements looks promising in the trailer and recalls games from the Dynasty Warriors series. Most of the time, it seems that one seeks to slash through nameless foot soldiers of the opposing armies.
