The sandbox MMORPG Legends of Aria (LoA) will switch to a free-to-play model in a few days. Is it worth jumping in and checking out the MMORPG on Steam?
When will the switch to free-to-play happen? The sandbox MMORPG Legends of Aria can be played for free starting December 5th under the new title Legends of Aria: New Dawn. You will just need to download the MMORPG, for example via Steam, and you can start playing.
There are a few restrictions but also new features
What restrictions does the free-to-play version have? You can play almost everything for free, but there are restrictions in the following areas:
- You cannot own a plot of land or build a house.
- You cannot be a co-owner of a house.
- You cannot bid on properties in the auction house.
- The bank cannot be fully utilized.
- You cannot found a guild.
- You cannot earn loyalty points.
- You cannot add friends.
- You cannot play on community servers.
What else comes with the switch? A number of new features are planned:
- The wilderness introduces a new risk-versus-reward environment.
- Class changes for warriors include the bloodthirst resource and nine new powerful abilities.
- A new township feature that allows players to become citizens.
- You can form militias that participate in the conquest of the land of Celador.
- Three new world bosses, including the Fire Dancer, the Brood of the Nest Mother, and the Shapeshifter. As a reward for a victory, you can obtain new artifacts.
- Theft becomes more relevant.
- Resource missions will be added so you can search for valuable wood, ore, and fabric outside of heavily trafficked areas.
- Professions will be updated with new quests to unlock new passive abilities.
- The episodic content “Lands of Celador” will be added to provide Legends of Aria with new stories.
Is Legends of Aria worth it?
How is the MMORPG currently received? The launch of the Early Access version of Legends of Aria last August did not go well. The game felt unfinished, more unfinished than many other early-access MMORPGs.
Consequently, Legends of Aria could not attract too many players and the reviews on Steam were very mixed at first.
However, a lot has happened in recent months. LoA plays more smoothly and better, but still struggles with too little content and technical issues, including particularly severe lags.
The ratings over the past 30 days on Steam stand at 72% and Mostly Positive.
- reigam88 writes on Steam: “Totally gives me an Ultima Online feeling!”
- TigerKhanVegas says: “It reminds me of the original Ultima Online… yes, Ultima is still better, but this is still a fun continuation… much better than Shroud of the Avatar.”
- Soujo has a different opinion: “If you are a ganker, this game is for you. I cannot recommend it to any other player. It is just a gankbox.”
What do the player numbers look like? According to Steamcharts, there were on average 132 players online at the same time in the last 30 days.
At peak times, there were 251 players. However, it must be noted that LoA also has its own launcher through which some people play.
Fans of Ultima Online or sandbox MMORPGs should check it out
Is it worth playing in time for the free-to-play switch? If you used to play and loved Ultima Online, enjoy open PvP, or are looking for a sandbox MMORPG that offers you a lot of freedom, then you can definitely check out LoA on December 5th.
If you expect a technically flawless MMORPG with a large community and many quests, then Legends of Aria is probably not for you.
