With Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, a new MMORPG entered Early Access on Steam on December 13, 2024. By now, the first reviews from genre fans have highlighted one thing particularly positively.
What kind of MMORPG is it? When MeinMMO first reported on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen in May 2016, it was already clear that the new online role-playing game by industry veteran Brad McQuaid (EverQuest, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes) was aimed at fans of classic PC MMO experiences, focusing on PvE group challenges.
The team at Visionary Realms has remained true to this mission over the years, even when the leading industry veteran passed away in November 2019 at the age of just 50. Furthermore, there have been numerous setbacks during development.
For example, in March 2023, when the showcased gameplay footage from the pre-alpha was disappointing. Or the way the developers sometimes tried to squeeze money from alpha testers – with outrageous prices for limited access.
The Early Access trailer for Pantheon:
“Great throwback to classic MMOs”
How is the Early Access received? On Steam, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is rated “Mostly Positive” after the first days, with 72 percent of the over 320 reviews giving a positive conclusion. One thing in particular makes the game great: the player experience of old MMORPGs.
- sersi warns on Steam: “This game will definitely not be for everyone, so please check your expectations before diving in. […] In short, if you miss the old school MMOs, this game is worth your time and money. It’s not super pretty yet, but it will continue to grow and is already in a pretty solid place that is a lot of fun.”
- Zerobreaker13 raves on Steam: “The game is incredibly fun and is a great throwback to classic MMOs!”
- CappinPeanut summarizes on Reddit what to expect: “The game has the core features I want in an MMO, meaning it’s very reminiscent of an EverQuest-like game. There’s no map, you lose XP when you die, you siege mob spawns, and the monsters hit hard. It’s not a quest grind; it’s a mob grind. It’s EQ1.”
- Raelie is an EverQuest fan but disappointed (via Steam): “I was an EQ first wave player for 8 years, and I expected it to be similar. […] It looks and feels like a game that was developed in a few weeks and not in 10 years.”
If you want to take a look, unfortunately, you can’t just download Pantheon. The Early Access version currently costs 38.99 euros on Steam. According to the developers, the testing phase is expected to last at least two years. You can find more information about the game here: New Fantasy MMORPG focusing on PvE wants to return to the roots of the genre, launches in December on Steam
