A new action RPG is to be financed via Kickstarter, aiming to impress with an exciting gameplay concept. A round lasts only about 20 minutes but includes almost everything you would otherwise experience in an MMORPG.
What kind of game is this? Project Shadow is an online action RPG, created by the German 3D artist Efgeni Bischoff. You will not only fight other players in PvP battles on a large map, but also face monsters.
In the finale, you can expect a big final battle that you need to prepare for.
- Up to 50 players act per match on the large map.
- You can team up with other players to proceed cooperatively.
- You fight not only against other players in PvP but also take on monsters like demons, skeletons, and dragons. This is called PvPvE gameplay.
- Rounds last about 20 minutes.
- Events occur during a match. A dragon can appear and thwart your plans.
- You complete quests where you learn more about the lore of the game world.
- You must search the large map for powerful items. You do not improve your hero through skills but upgrade your weapon. For that, there are gems and a “level tree.”
- There are no classes. Your weapons determine your role with one normal and 3 special abilities.
Who is behind the project? Behind Project Shadow is 3D artist Efgeni Bischoff, who has previously worked for well-known development studios such as Crytek, 343 Industries, Guerrilla Games, and id Software. He wants to fulfill a dream with Project Shadow.
What is special about the game? The action RPG is structured similarly to a battle royale game and may remind you a bit of CoD: Warzone with a fantasy setting. You must quickly acquire better equipment in rounds while fighting against players and monsters to survive the final battle. All of this takes place in a fantasy world.
Project Shadow is designed to provide quick fun, as rounds do not last too long, similar to the online game Hunter’s Arena Legends.
How is the game financed? Efgeni Bischoff has started a Kickstarter campaign through which you can support Project Shadow. The crowdfunding runs until June 12, and by then, 800,000 euros are to be raised.
Does the game really look like it does in the video and images? Efgeni Bischoff explains that it is currently just a visual pitch created with Unreal Engine 4. While the game should look roughly like this according to the developer’s vision, what has been shown is not gameplay yet.
What is missing for a “real” MMORPG? Project Shadow fundamentally relies on core elements of an MMORPG:
- Fights in PvE and PvP
- Many players
- Quests
- Lore
However, there is no persistent game world and no skills through which you improve. However, things like a city as a hub and deeper quests with story NPCs are already planned as stretch goals for the crowdfunding campaign.
Later, there could even be an open world.
When is Project Shadow expected to be released? The release is currently planned for February 2022. Which platforms the game will be released on is not yet determined.
In the MeinMMO list of the 15 exciting MMORPGs we expect only after 2020, we present more online role-playing games that are not expected to be released this year.
