Bleep bleep bleep, I am a robot? This is how my adventure in Otherland begins. A world made of bits and bytes. Let’s go with my first impression.
First, it must be noted that the MMORPG Otherland is currently still in Early Access; this means that the game will change further before it is “truly” released. It was originally developed in 2008 by RealU, but this process had to be interrupted due to financial difficulties. While fans thought Otherland would never appear, Drago Entertainment took over the further development of the online game at the end of 2014.
Otherland starts with a login window that logs me in and out almost every minute due to technical issues that the new developers still have to tackle. Frustrating because the graphics increase the anticipation for the game.
And now create your character…
But enough of that, because after a few attempts I can finally create a robot-like woman.
In customization mode, I set the gender, the height, the bust size (heh heh), and the weight. However, I can already see that there are also human designs available, which I apparently need to unlock first. Accessories or the like are not available, but I can decorate the robot with colored energy beams or change the color of the “skin” (for the robots, rather the material they are made of).
Afterwards, I get to face the tutorial and talk to a nicely-looking holographic man named Mr. Sallas. He explains to me the basic principles of the game (with the basic keys WASD I can move my character, I need to aim at enemies with the mouse). Finally, he introduces me to the four class systems.
Warrior, Marksman, Healer… Try everything!
Now, I walk through the first portal proudly and transform into a Warrior, next into an Assassin, Marksman, and finally, I take a look at the so-called Energizer (Healer). In the portals, I try out my specific skills on the monsters.
- The Warrior is the tank and specializes in melee combat with higher stamina.
- The Energizer, on the other hand, has low stamina and damage output but can heal.
- Those who prefer to deal high damage while keeping the enemy away from allies can choose the Assassin. However, the Assassin cannot take as much damage compared to the Warrior.
- The Marksman class is a wonderful option for anyone who enjoys fighting from a distance while maintaining control over enemy crowds from the background. Here, shotguns, bows, and crossbows come into play.
Action-based combat system – Tactics are required
I aim at the enemies with my mouse and click to attack. With the skills on keys 2, 3, and so on, I can deal more damage with special skills, heal myself, or boost my defense. However, I cannot actively dodge the enemy.
The enemies in the tutorial are even somewhat challenging. For each class tutorial, there is a “boss.” This boss is not defeated through mindless “button mashing” or clicking, but the player must also think tactically: Which skill should I use to destroy the “orbs” he sends? Only then will the boss become vulnerable again. Thus, the combat system can be described as an action-oriented fighting style that also requires tactical sense.
My health bar is only shown to me relatively late, and it is not explained what the skills do or how I can assign them to the individual keys. Moreover, there are also special attacks that need to be charged with Q and E beforehand. However, this does not always work, which is probably due to the Early Access version, which still has some technical problems.
That I have reached level 4 by now, I didn’t really notice, as the level up is not displayed to me. If I have had enough of the introduction to the class systems, I go through the portal again and am once again a blank slate. I quite like this idea. After the tutorial, one lands some years later – as the screen tells me – in Limbo, a place where all faulty parts of Otherland are stored. Thank you, am I faulty?
A small compass guides me past the first quest giver to a giant who shakes the ground beneath me. The stuttering is a bit annoying when I try to read my quest, but the graphics of the giant and the atmosphere it creates make up for that.
Impressive Worlds
The graphics can be considered really successful. In the training area, you can see “frozen” combat scenes. War events that have taken place in Otherland in the past (or future?) or will still take place. The graphics are based on the Unreal 3 Engine.
My little robot-like woman explores the world of Otherland while I sit in front of the screen and occasionally look up at the sky, eliciting some “Ohhh” sounds. Furthermore, the scenery does not only take place in a futuristic city or a highly modernized area, but also in grasslands and medieval-like regions.
Many of these different worlds exist in the game, including one where insects are larger than the character. The atmosphere reminds me of the movie “Tron” or the game “Portal”.
Crafting features are also present. It is possible to extract eDNA from the enemies and use it for recipes and items (or even for the creation of NPCs). You can also change your own appearance through it.
In the future, homeowners seem to have become uncool, as in Otherland you call a virtual apartment your own. This is called Uspace and can be decorated and customized according to individual style. Those who team up with other players also get the opportunity to form clans and participate in clan wars.
About the Background Story
The idea of the game comes from the titular book published by the American author Tad Williams in 1996. Three more titles from Otherland were released in subsequent years. The book, like the game, revolves around characters that exist in an advanced Internet (a virtual world) in which they can design their entire life: leisure activities, business activities, and social interactions.
Real life fades into the background and merges with the virtual world. Here I learn that Mr. Sellars (the hologram from the tutorial) is a victim of military experiments and has made it his life’s mission to defeat the founders of Otherland. The so-called Grail Brotherhood. They are power-hungry and have created the virtual world for one reason only: to achieve eternal life (da dam daaaam).
From unsuccessful interactions and initially monotonous quests
Some problems still exist in the Early Access version. The game often hangs, and during these times I can neither interact with people nor objects. The sounds in the background are not very refined for my taste and sound rather monotonous.
My first quests are not particularly imaginative: I have to collect energy and shadow essences; but after the successful collection actions, the tasks become more varied: “Distract the guard”, “eavesdrop on the conversation.” There are also currencies in the game: so-called bits (gold). These can be acquired by successfully completing quests and credits which are supposed to be available optionally.
What I find positive is that the functions are introduced gradually. In addition, the story takes a surprising turn right at the beginning when entering the city named Lambda for the first time. What that surprise is, however, I will not describe here (otherwise I take away the surprise!).
Conclusion: Impressions of “Otherland”
At first, I had, let’s say, a somewhat bumpy start, as the game is still in development and it didn’t really “warm up” with my computer.
But due to the graphics, the twists in the story, and the concept of the game itself, I was constantly motivated to explore the world of Otherland and progress with my robot-like lady. The class systems and the tutorial are well done, and in principle, I have not played an RPG in a futuristic style like this before. I just hope that the game is improved in some areas (the unsuccessful interactions, the constant logouts…).
The game costs €18.99 in the standard version, €27.99 for the deluxe version, and the collector’s edition can be purchased for €44.99. Here is the link to the Steam page of Otherland.
