Graphics play a role in the gaming realm. However, especially in MMORPGs, gems of graphics are rare. Players wish for an online role-playing game where they can immerse themselves in stunning visuals, says MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits.
The hero group cautiously sneaks through the dim, enchanted forest. The gnarled branches of the trees cast eerie shadows through the light that filters down through the high canopy. There is rustling in the bushes, and a fox jumps out. It quickly disappears into the tall grass of a clearing.
Fog arises and dances around the heroes’ legs as the first ruins, overgrown with moss and ivy, come into view. Heroes are to explore the ancient ruins on behalf of the king.
The golden light of the sun reflects on the water of a now-decayed fountain and glitters on the metal armors and swords of the heroes. The place doesn’t look so terrible until suddenly a howl breaks the silence.
A gruesome beast leaps onto a rock. Its fur billows in the wind and drool drips from its long fangs. Its claws glisten in the sunlight as the creature charges at the heroes…
Such scenes could come from an MMORPG – if the graphics would allow this kind of visual.
- In World of Warcraft, for example, players are offered “only” comic graphics.
- Even the visually appealing Final Fantasy XIV is now almost seven years old and has to make compromises on graphics.
So what does an MMORPG look like that offers absolute high-end graphics according to the development time?
The Indie Problem
MMORPGs are still being developed. Some of them even make a good visual impression. However, these games often come from the indie scene and cannot rely on a large budget.
- For example, Camelot Unchained. The online role-playing game from City State Interactive uses its own engine and looks quite decent. However, the development has been dragging on for a long time. Moreover, the budget, even with around 10 million dollars, is very low for an MMORPG.
- Crowfall is set to be released soon and makes a good impression gameplay-wise, but graphically, the developers are adopting a comic style like in WoW. However, Crowfall has access to a very large budget for an indie game, as the developers have received multiple financial boosts from investors.
- Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is a title that generates a lot of interest as a PvE MMORPG. But graphically, it is not quite what one would expect from a game in 2020.
Indie games have a relatively low budget because there are no big investors behind them. Somewhere, savings must be made. The games are to convince through gameplay, so graphics are often compromised – or the development drags on for a long time like in the case of Camelot Unchained.
An indie MMORPG with interesting features and planned good graphics is very difficult to implement. As Chronicles of Elyria shows, this can end in disaster if the game has to be discontinued due to a lack of funding.
The AAA Problem
In recent years, no major MMORPGs from well-known game studios and financial support from large publishers have been announced.
The most promising titles like Blizzard’s Titan and Everquest Next were canceled years ago. It has simply become a significant risk to develop MMORPGs that require a high budget. Development costs for a AAA game can quickly reach millions.
Blizzard’s cancellation of Titan is said to have cost between 70 and 140 million US dollars, as analyst Michael Pachter stated in 2014 (via gamesindustry.biz).
Especially with MMORPGs, the development effort is significantly higher due to the large amount of content and complex multiplayer systems than with a single-player game. Additionally, the development costs of games have generally increased significantly in recent years, and major publishers like Amazon are attracting developers away with high salaries.
This means that developing a AAA MMORPG is incredibly expensive. Whether the game can find enough fans and be successful remains uncertain. Additional ongoing costs for game operations, maintenance, and new content are also a factor.
At least currently, major studios and publishers are unwilling to take this risk.
Except perhaps for Amazon Game Studios. They are working on New World. However, this is not a classic MMORPG. Quests play only a minor role and it could be described more as a type of survival sandbox with significant PvP elements. So, it’s rather not what MMORPG fans are hoping for, who speculate on something like WoW.
However, it is precisely these large developers and publishers that have the opportunity to create a major MMORPG with fantastic, up-to-date graphics. Yet, this is not happening at the moment.
With Ashes of Creation, we are looking forward to an MMORPG that looks great thanks to Unreal Engine 4, offers many interesting features, and has a large publisher in My.Games.
The Asian Problem
It would be wrong to say that there are no new MMORPGs that look really good.
However, they mostly come from Asia, which brings problems with it. Because Asian players perceive Pay2Win and microtransactions differently than Western players. In Asia, it is not unusual and not shameful to buy the super-sword for money. Here, such a thing would be a no-go.
If an Asian MMORPG is released here, it must first be adapted. There must be no Pay2Win elements, the in-game shop must not be prominent, and certain game elements such as gender-locking of classes deter local players.
An Asian import can work, as Black Desert Online shows, but even this game has faced challenges and repeatedly deals with Pay2Win allegations. Adapting an online game designed with such elements poses a significant challenge.
The MMORPG Bless Online also demonstrated that even Asian MMORPGs can take a long time to develop. Bless looked astonishing at the announcement but was outdated at release and could not convince in terms of gameplay. The cancellation followed just a few months after release.
The market for Asian online role-playing games shows that while there can still be large, visually impressive MMORPGs, they have a hard time on the Western market.
What do players actually wish for?
The desire for the next big MMORPG with good graphics, long-term motivation, and exciting gameplay elements is strong. It’s about being part of a AAA online role-playing game from the very beginning, which evolves and has longevity.
In essence, some players wish for a kind of World of Warcraft 2.0 or an Everquest Next. A large, Western MMORPG. It should be modern, utilizing the graphical capabilities of today. It should play well and be engaging, with complex and deep gameplay mechanics and lots of challenges.
MMORPGs with great graphics – The hope-bearers
Which games might meet these criteria? There are currently several titles on the horizon that might have the chance to satisfy players’ needs. These include:
- Lost Ark: The MMORPG from Smilegate makes a really good impression and could deliver everything fans of the genre wish for. Many contents, good graphics, focus on team play… Yet, when it will be released here is unclear and since it is an Asian MMORPG, the in-game shop plays a significant role, which just has to fit for Western players.
- Crimson Desert: The new online role-playing game from the creators of Black Desert looks stunning. It should definitely appeal to players graphically. However, very little is currently known about gameplay. It is also unclear when exactly it will be released. Furthermore, over Crimson Desert hangs the Damocles sword named “microtransactions”.
- Ashes of Creation: Essentially the hope-bearer. It is a Western MMORPG with fantastic graphics. The gameplay sounds very exciting and the budget of over 30 million dollars should be sufficient to create a really good online role-playing game. However, the development is just dragging on for too long, and player impatience is growing.
We from MeinMMO have also compiled the eight most promising new MMOs and MMORPGs for 2020 in a list for you. Maybe one of them will spark your interest.
The hope for an exciting online role-playing game that meets modern requirements is alive – even if it has been a long dry spell in recent years.
