The Chinese developer studio Changyou has been working on an MMORPG called Project Z for some time. New details reveal: It will be very classic.
Many MMORPG fans lament that the genre has changed. Gone are the classic features like tab-targeting in battles, away from content that can only be completed by groups, and away from a level of difficulty that makes it a rewarding experience to level up.
For many veterans, MMORPGs have become too easy and too action-oriented.
A return to classic MMOs
However, Changyou wants to return to the roots with the MMO Project Z and provide players with an experience like those during the early days of, for example, World of Warcraft.
The developers describe their game as a “classic MMO,” but also mention games like Archeage, Lost Ark, and Lineage Eternal as inspiration. You will create a hero from various classes, the English names of which are not yet known. However, it seems to involve the traditional roles of tank, healer, and damage dealer. Each class can be played by any gender, and you will be able to customize your hero extensively.
Tactical battles and many quests
With this hero, you will explore a vast world together with friends, which will be divided into zones. There you will fight hordes of monsters or encounter NPCs who have quests for you. It will be possible to walk directly to the destination using “Autorun”.
In terms of missions, Project Z is somewhat inspired by Guild Wars and Final Fantasy 14 and aims to offer you epic quest events. The developers deliberately do not want to create an action MMORPG, but rather a classic experience, which is also reflected in the combat system. This runs through tab-targeting and auto-attacks.
This feels somewhat familiar…
In the vast world of Project Z, a multitude of activities await you. These include dungeons where you search for treasures and face monsters – including powerful bosses – fishing, crafting, housing, and much more. Currently, nothing is known about PvP.
However, there is also some not-so-good news. Firstly, it is still unclear whether and when Project Z will be released in this country. A closed beta recently started in China. Secondly, it seems the developers have borrowed assets from other games.
The background music sounds from AION and Skyrim, and some icons come from World of Warcraft and Archeage. Whether these are still placeholders is currently uncertain. Nevertheless, fans of classic MMORPGs should keep an eye on Project Z.
