The new VR MMORPG Zenith: The Last City (PC, PS-VR) launched in Early Access on Steam on January 27. So many players stormed the MMORPG that the servers quickly crashed. However, fan opinions are mixed.
What kind of game is Zenith? Primarily, Zenith: The Last City is an MMORPG, just like many others. However, it is completely focused on Virtual Reality and cannot be played without such a headset.
The game is set in a futuristic world that has a slight problem with monsters. Here, classic high fantasy meets sci-fi, resulting in an interesting design concept.
In some places, the game stylistically feels a bit like Overwatch, although the intensity of the colors is different.
Zenith launched on January 27 in Early Access and has been playable for €22.49 since then. However, as many features are yet to come, it currently offers an experience with not a lot of gameplay content.
Nonetheless, you can expect an open world, combat, 5 different classes, and many social aspects of an MMORPG, all completely in VR.
How many players can it excite? Recently, the well-known MMORPG streamer Asmongold commented that VR games are the future of the genre. Shortly afterward, Zenith launches and attracts some players.
According to the SteamDB website, 4,629 people played the brand-new MMORPG at launch, with over 18,000 watching on Twitch. Those are quite good numbers for a VR game, which might have even increased further.
However, the developers apparently did not expect so many fans, which caused the servers to crash shortly afterward. This led to a login failure on the EU servers.
You can see the first gameplay from the game here:
When is the game expected to be finished? According to the developers’ roadmap, Zenith is supposed to be in Early Access for about a year before it fully launches. Many bugs are expected to be fixed, and at least one more class is to be integrated into the game before the final release.
Additionally, the developers plan to add crafting, player housing, dungeons, and PvP.
“The thing is just not finished yet”
Opinions about the game are divided: Zenith: The Last City has an active fanbase that has funded the game over the years. The MMORPG does not come from a large publisher but from an indie studio via Kickstarter.
Fans who have been following the game for extended periods seem to be satisfied with what they can now play. The communication from the studio has mostly been good, and the developers have regularly shared progress updates.
This has led to reviews on Steam currently standing at “Very Positive.” 87% of the 476 reviews find the VR MMORPG good and enjoy it even in its current Early Access state.
However, many voices on reddit and YouTube claim that the game feels too unfinished even for an Early Access title. Many systems seem to be functioning improperly and crashes and bugs seem to dampen the enjoyment of the game.
The accusation from many fans is that Zenith launched too early and needs more time to reach a truly playable state.
What do the fans say? In the two camps, there are some valid comments.
- DalekSEC writes (via reddit): “The game went from ‘Oh, I have to buy this’ to ‘I’ll wait… a long time’. After I read into it and watched some videos, the game just looks so empty and superficial. I understand that developing it is more complex due to the VR focus. But I think they should have waited a few more months to refine the basic systems.”
- The user intcleastwood says (via Steam): “The potential of this game is incredible. The fighting and cooking worked even better than I expected. Yes, many systems are still empty and function sluggishly. But I really felt like I was IN an MMO, and I would pay that €23 again and again. […] Watching this game develop will make VR history. The first steps have been taken, now they just need to develop this potential.”
- Completely positive is MonkeyMayCry on Steam: “This is the future of gaming… I’m just saying. This is really fun.”
What do you think of VR MMORPGs? Have you played one already or will you take a look at Zenith? Do you have a VR headset at home and use it regularly, or is that still not for you? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
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