There are countless MMORPGs on the market and even more online games that have disappeared and can no longer be played. Some of them were quite promising. The MMO Ninelives died early in its development, but players are now mourning the dead MMO that you can still explore today.
What is Ninelives? Ninelives launched in October 2015 into a closed alpha and was supposed to be an open world online RPG by the small developer SmokyMonkeyS, consisting of only 2 developers. It was free, but had various items that could be purchased for real money.
In early 2016, the open alpha followed. Throughout 2016, there were several patches, new content, and bug fixes. However, it didn’t last long. In 2016, SmokyMonkeyS announced on its website that it would suspend the development of Ninelives. They did not have enough resources to continue developing the game.
The alpha servers, without multiplayer functions with other players, have remained up for now and are even still live today. A video on the subject is currently causing some players to miss the MMORPG with great potential.
An seemingly dead, yet fascinating world
What makes the game so fascinating? In a new YouTube video by eurothug4000, she presents the MMORPG that is indeed dead but can still be downloaded in an isolated version. She showcases her own journey through the game and why it is so fascinating.
The most interesting aspect of Ninelives is that it is isolated in its time and has a unique concept. In an interview with eurothug4000 (via tumblr.com), the developer Tota explained that he wanted to create a relaxed, freely accessible adventure for the players
.
This is also reflected in the action gameplay. You do not directly level your character, from which you can choose 4 races and 3 classes. You level individual skills, with which you build your build. Equipment items are also significantly freer
. All drops are random. If you’re lucky, you may receive a powerful item early in the game.
To navigate effectively through the unfinished open world, there are teleportation points, mounts, and a hot air balloon. Otherwise, the available quests are familiar tropes.
Another interesting aspect of the game is that there are hardly any guides or tutorials. You have to solve puzzles yourself.
Still a unique look to this day
What are the other interesting points? A major unique selling point of Ninelives is its aesthetics. There are no bright colors, but a dreary color choice that still works with light and small highlights. This creates a look reminiscent of titles like Final Fantasy 12, Ico, or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The developer explains he wanted to create an imaginary world that resembles reality a little, but is a bit different.
Why is this so fascinating? Because the unfinished version of Ninelives is playable, the game acts like a time capsule. You can explore the world, complete quests, and dream about how the game would have evolved and how it might have been back then. You are looking at an MMO that never actually existed.
Modern gaming standards that are usual nowadays are missing, but this allows the game to retain its uniqueness.
This still seems to fascinate many players, as a recent post on reddit shows:
- Pwhyu:
Just downloaded it. The graphics, the atmosphere, and the music are fantastic. Many of the controls feel like WoW, making it super easy to get into for a WoW player.
- Nikkuru1994:
The art style is amazing, so nostalgic and melancholic
- Mediocre-Most5850: I am currently playing it. It is such a cool world, and the quests do not feel meaningless because the atmosphere is so good […], making it feel nostalgic even though I have never played it.
It can be assumed that few players still have a steady interest in the game, as it is still playable. Also, individual updates in 2018 and 2019 show that players likely wander into the world of Ninelives regularly.
What else has the developer done? SmokyMonkeyS has released 2 more games. The action RPG Triglav can be played on various mobile platforms. You can find the game Garage: Bad Dream Adventure on Steam. Both games also have an interesting look, like Ninelives. However, most dead
MMOs can no longer be played today. Some of them can be found here: 19 dead MMORPGs that have outlived WoW
