In 2011, the Korean developer NCSoft announced a new MMORPG called Lineage Eternal, but the implementation was postponed repeatedly. In 2022, it is set to be released globally under the name TL. Visually and in terms of gameplay, it strongly resembles the current hit Lost Ark.
What kind of game is this? TL is an MMORPG in isometric perspective and promises action-packed battles. You will fight against hordes of monsters, collect loot, and be able to destroy things in your environment. Everything looks rather gloomy and creepy in terms of graphics.
Other than that, it is only known that in the beta of 2016, there was a system where you could control different characters and switch between them, similar to what is currently the case in Lineage 2M. However, TL is supposed to be released for PC and the current consoles and will not get a mobile version.
Since the beta, the developer NCSoft – known for Lineage, Aion, and Blade & Soul – has only shared short status updates and has not released gameplay for years.
On February 14, NCSoft returned with a trailer presenting new titles for 2022. Among them is TL with a few short gameplay scenes (from second 50). In addition, the global release for the second half of 2022 was announced.
Lost Ark, just with a prettier open world?
What is shown in the trailer? The trailer shows some edited battles, including two giants that look like world bosses. It is striking that many players are running around these world bosses and the battlefield looks very vast and open.
At second 57, you can also see huge cliffs, the sea, and a harbor. Shortly after, there are images of a battle for a castle. The images give the impression that the areas are more open and vertical than in Lost Ark. However, whether this is really the case is unclear.
The areas, linear levels, and lack of verticality were, however, points of criticism that we expressed about Lost Ark:
Project TL was announced as Lineage Eternal and then taken offline
How did the development of the game go?
- Originally, TL was announced as Lineage Eternal and thus as a successor of the successful MMORPG series from Korea. Lineage is as big in Korea as WoW is in the West, but with significantly more offshoots.
- However, due to the poor reviews in the first tests of 2016 NCSoft decided to completely overhaul Lineage Eternal. Particularly the entry and the heavy grind were seen as problematic.
- In 2018, it was then announced that the MMORPG would continue to be developed under the name Project TL. Even then, it was said that there would be no mobile version, but that it would fully focus on PC and consoles. A new engine would also be used for the implementation.
Overall, TL is said to have already cost over 75 million euros in development.
Is there an exact date? NCSoft does not provide an exact date. However, there is a leak from the service “Geforce Now”, which gives the release of Project TL for July 21, 2022. However, this could be a placeholder date.
When will we learn more about TL? At the end of the teaser video, a text appears that says “03. 2022 coming soon”. So we can expect new information in March.
What do you think of the idea of TL? Is there really a need for a new MMORPG with an isometric perspective by the end of the year? Or are you satisfied with Lost Ark for now?
Why Lost Ark fascinates so many players, we have analyzed here:
Why Lost Ark is currently the biggest game in the world on Steam – The analysis
