The MMORPG Element Quest is a colorful 2D game that somewhat resembles the anime “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. It launched on November 24, 2021, as a free-to-play game on Steam but received mixed reviews. The game has since been taken down from the platform. The developers, however, have hinted at a potential return.
What kind of game was it? Element Quest is a 2D side-scroller and thus reminds one of the successful game MapleStory. The core of the game revolves around the different elements that give the character one of the typical RPG tasks:
- Fire focuses on damage
- Earth works with control and was a kind of tank
- Water takes on the role of healing
- Air is the hybrid class that masters damage, some support, and crowd control
Moreover, the developers emphasized that their game focuses on social aspects. With expeditions, there is a kind of dungeon system for groups of 3 to 5 players. However, these adventures are supposed to consist of randomly generated levels and boss fights. In particular, the boss fights with various mechanics are meant to be the heart of the game.
Element Quest also features an open game world that offers a day-night cycle. This cycle affects the available NPCs and merchants. The shop is completely free from pay-to-win and offers only cosmetic content for 7 to 15 euros, as well as additional character slots.
In a roadmap, the developers also announced further features, including two new elements, at least 3 new social hubs, a PvP system with a leaderboard, new expeditions, and mini-games in taverns.
A glimpse into the game is provided by this video from Indie Patron:
What has happened now? At the end of January, the developers announced the shutdown of the Steam version (via Steam). They admitted to several mistakes but also emphasized that the much negativity from players had demotivated them.
The MMORPG received 109 reviews on Steam, of which only 69% were positive. At peak times, only 30 users played simultaneously.
Element Quest made many mistakes that players heavily criticized
What were the problems of Element Quest? According to the developers, there were some aspects that led to the shutdown:
- Players viewed the MMORPG as a finished product rather than seeing the potential that the game could offer in the future. This led to much negativity.
- The developers, on the other hand, wanted to target too broad an audience, which caused them to neglect the quality of the game.
- They believed that by using Google Translate into different languages, players who do not speak English could still play their MMORPG, and thus the overall payers would increase.
- There was a lack of players because the developers did not know where and how to promote their game. There was apparently no collaboration with the press.
- The many negative comments led to the main developer leaving the game shortly after release.
- The game supposedly did not generate enough revenue, which is why the version on Steam was not profitable.
What happens to the game now? While the Steam and thus the PC version has been shut down, Element Quest is supposed to continue on mobile for now. A return to Steam is planned, but only under certain conditions. The developers write:
Hopefully, the game will be back in operation in the near future. With a better player experience, a smaller target audience, no localization, and perhaps under a different name.
Would you find a return of Element Quest interesting? Or did the MMORPG fail for good reason? Feel free to write it in the comments.
Element Quest is not the first MMO to announce its shutdown in 2022. One game has already completely died, and three others have announced their demise:
4 MMOs and online games whose death is already certain for 2022
