With Tarisland, a new MMORPG from the gaming giant Tencent is being released. It strongly resembles WoW. Now a YouTuber has released gameplay of the game, exciting many. Editor Alexander Leitsch from MeinMMO is suddenly really looking forward to Tarisland.
Tarisland was announced in early 2023, shortly after Blizzard announced the end of WoW in China. From the very beginning, many gamers referred to it as a “WoW clone” or “WoW replacement,” with Tencent itself contributing a lot to this.
The first trailer featured characters that strongly resembled Arthas and Alextrasza. Overall, it showcases a colorful look, resembling a mix of WoW and Genshin Impact. The class lineup, including Warrior, Paladin, Mage, Hunter, Priest, and a class with dual glaives that resembles a Demon Hunter, fueled further comparisons.
However, while Tarisland was initially laughed at, the first gameplay has now excited many, including myself. The game appears very dynamic and fun. Furthermore, there is a strong focus on the story, which is accompanied by many cutscenes. Much suggests that Tarisland could also become a success in the West.
A release and even the first beta tests have already been officially announced for our region.
Good graphics, fun bosses, and a nice atmosphere
In the video by Steparu, you can watch 20 minutes of gameplay from Tarisland. As a Hunter, he shoots his way through the tutorial and the first quests. Although the combat system relies on tab-targeting, the YouTuber can constantly move and reposition himself during attacks. This brings a lot of dynamism.
The animations of the abilities also look nice, although the attacks lack a bit of “weight”.
Just after a few minutes, you face the first boss, a huge dragon. This cannot be defeated alone but only as a raid group. You join a group of NPCs, who even conduct a ready check. A cute detail that immediately gives you an MMO feeling.
Overall, the fight against the boss is very varied. There are many AoE attacks, you have to hide behind a teammate’s shield for abilities, and adds spawn that the group must control. The nice thing: All mechanics are explained, so you learn in the tutorial what to pay attention to during fights.
Another video featuring an initial dungeon reinforces the diversity of the boss mechanics (via YouTube).
What I have liked from the beginning are the dark atmosphere and the many cutscenes that introduce new characters and the game world. The latter even have English subtitles in the test.
Also, the interface, the integrated DPS meter for raid groups, and the fact that you already possess six of the maximum eleven abilities at level 7 all make me feel positive. Everything appears very tidy and does not strongly resemble a mobile game, even though Tarisland is also set to be released for Android and iOS.
Additionally, there are many details around the MMORPG that I find positive:
- PvP does not occur in the open world, only in arenas and battlegrounds. For example, there is a 10v10 arena with Capture the Flag, reminiscent of Warsong in WoW.
- Dungeons and raids are expected to play an important role, which is already evident in the first boss fight.
- The gender lock that currently exists is to be lifted for the release in the West.
- Each class receives two trees with 40 to 81 talents each.
- There will be no autoplay or autorun.
- It is set to be free-to-play, and according to Tencent, there will be no pay-to-win.
- A new season is to start every 4-6 months, with new content, new dungeons, and new balancing. Additionally, new classes are to be introduced regularly.
Tarisland generates more hype than Throne and Liberty or Pantheon
Initially, I really thought that Tarisland was just a quick shot to provide some alternative for Chinese players of WoW. However, the first gameplay has changed my opinion a bit. While it does not feel like an AAA MMORPG that you absolutely must play, it resonates a bit with older titles that sought to compete with WoW around 2010, like Rift.
It seems a bit more dynamic and pretty than WoW, yet in terms of gameplay systems, it is far from being as developed. The small number of abilities or the lack of hit feedback can also be criticized.
But my interest is piqued, and currently, I have more hope for Tarisland than for Throne and Liberty, which has recently faced criticism and apparently focuses primarily on PvP, or the PvE game Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, which simply looks too old and clunky.
Perhaps it can bridge the gap for me until the release of significant titles like Ashes of Creation or the LoL MMORPG. But even if not, it at least looks like a very strong mobile title. And there are currently many games in that sector that are far from good.
What do you think of Tarisland? Does this MMORPG appeal to you, or do you prefer to stick with established games?
If you mainly like good combat systems, then you should keep an eye on Chrono Odyssey: A new MMORPG makes my dreams come true – Shows the best combat system ever in the trailer
