Rend (July 31, 2018 – January 31, 2020)
Genre: Survival | Developer: Frostkeep Studios | Platforms: PC | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? Rend was a survival MMO with RPG elements that aimed to combine MMORPG and survival. The story and world were inspired by Norse mythology, while the graphics were comic-like and colorful.
In Rend, you could:
- explore a world in PvE
- fight with other players on PvP servers
- lead entire clan wars on faction war servers
In the wars, it was about rising to gods and fighting for glory and special items. The competitive aspect was particularly emphasized in Rend.
In Rend, you could also farm resources and build your own base. It was best done together with other players since you already belonged to one of the three clans when creating your character. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus found Rend quite enjoyable during his playtest.
What did it fail at? Rend launched in 2018 as an indie game in Early Access. However, it only attracted an average of 1,800 players in the first 30 days. But the players didn’t stick around for long.
According to the reviews, the game felt rushed and unfinished. There were also complaints that faction wars were heavily dominated by one side. The developers had put in too little effort to keep the game alive long-term.
Although Rend exited Early Access and celebrated its release in 2019, there were no updates afterwards. Player numbers continued to decline, and closure followed.
What are the best memories? On Steam, some users mourn the game. They found the concept of factions and seasons interesting. The game lasted until a team reached 100,000 points (about 1-2 months). Then there was a reset.
Also, the Norse mythology and the PvE challenges that Rend offered were said to be unique.
Many saw the game as a successful blend of survival, MMORPG, and MOBA. However, the unfinished state and the lack of updates led to significant player loss.
Are there alternatives or successors? There are now many survival games on Steam. We’ve compiled the best in a list:
