The SF/Fantasy MMORPG Skyforge launches today in an Open Beta for everyone. We answer the most important questions, including: What is the first impression?
Our author Schuhmann has already spent countless hours in the world of Skyforge during the Closed Beta and now in Early Access for founders and answers the questions he believes you might have.
What is Skyforge? And what does “Lobby” game mean?
Skyforge is an MMORPG with a strong focus on instancing. It is a so-called “Lobby” game. It’s like standing in a corridor, with an adventure behind each door. The corridor itself is not an adventure. Previously, the corridor was an adventure; there were no doors, and everything took place in a large world.
In contrast, everything in Skyforge is portioned.
Is Skyforge really Free2Play?
Yes, the download is free, and there are no subscription costs involved. Players who invest money progress faster. Premium players receive a 50% bonus on everything – except for food for pets.
In the extensive skill tree, there are certain mechanisms that require premium currency: To use gems in the ether slots, Argents are needed. How pronounced this is, is still hard to tell at the moment. Experience shows that it only becomes clear in the endgame. Due to various limitations, even the most advanced players are currently somewhere in the mid-game: Players can only progress within certain limits each week.
Does Skyforge really start today?
Yes, it is officially an Open Beta. However, there will be no more wipes. On July 16th at 3:00 PM, the release in the West takes place. It is likely that there will still be an “official release” later this year, but anyone who starts then will find themselves among players who have had a lead for months.
That’s a bummer.
Update: Short correction … it starts at 4:00 PM. The Allods team announced this at short notice.
What is the kicker in Skyforge?
The kicker in Skyforge is the combat system and that players gradually earn access to different classes. Here, Skyforge follows a system similar to that of League of Legends. Everyone has 3 base classes, while advanced and expert classes must first be relatively laboriously “unlocked”.
The idea behind the skill tree is that players truly become more powerful than others in the world. They can ascend to God.
The good thing is: you stay with the same character, switch classes at the push of a button, and then play with a completely different style. You can also occasionally try out classes that you have not yet unlocked. Some missions grant double resources when completed in a specific class – that class is then “provided”.
How does it play?
After nearly 80 hours with the game, I would roughly say: You go alone or in groups of three into one of the always same instances, fight the always same bosses that sometimes feel like giant HP-sponge, and you search exactly for the resource you need to progress in prestige – that’s a kind of indicator for overall progress: It can be a spark for the “great Atlas”, another spark for the smaller class Atlas, resources to enhance “weapon upgrades”, or materials for the temple and followers, or simply credits. But basically, you know at all times: This is the resource I need next. And then you look at the global view: In which activity can I get it? And then you do exactly that.
So it is a relatively grindy game and sometimes also quite mindless, but that is something that many seek: A game they can play while their thoughts are elsewhere and where they can achieve a small progress with each hour of play.
It sounds terrible to say it like that: But it is not meant negatively. The systems are well-rounded and interlock. The progression is surprisingly logical, and the game feels good.
Variety comes from the different classes and skills – and you can expect them in PvP and endgame. However, it takes a while to get there. The different “Open World” zones are basically solo quest areas that you integrate like that.
What are the weaknesses?
I fear that the relatively stupid item system could become a problem. There are items, but they don’t really differ from each other. There are “4 rings”, a main and secondary weapon, and a few trophies. It seems, at least from my perspective, mostly about taking the items with the highest stats and that’s it. The typical “Oh, I want that item, it feels different, I need it at this level” feeling has not set in for me yet. The items simply lack “personality”.
Some are also annoyed that they have to play a “boring class” for a long time until they get the hero they have fallen in love with. There is indeed little to be done about that.
A bit of an adjustment is also that “Everyone looks the way they want; equipment is not displayed, only costumes count.” At first, I spontaneously thought: Oops, full tanks in underwear, that doesn’t fit.
Also, the group finder is not always useful. Often you end up in groups of three where one player is reluctant or falling significantly behind. As a DD, you often think: I could have done this alone, I would probably have been done by now. But this might also change soon when the higher instances come.
Can the game be recommended? Is Skyforge worth it?
Yes, definitely. Technically, it runs relatively stable and smooth so far. Skyforge looks very good. The instances are, at least when you play them for the first time, quite interesting and have nice ideas. And the combat system is simply fun. It is certainly a game that not everyone will stick with, but Skyforge is a game you should definitely check out to make the quieter summer months a bit shorter.
The early game and the first parts of the mid-game have their charm and appeal. What it will be like in the endgame is currently hard to say. The Closed Beta did not go that far.
They have already introduced large, complex plans – huge guild battles – but without having participated in them myself, I cannot say much about that.
It is therefore impossible to conclude whether the time investment is worthwhile in the long term or whether the game will still have something to offer come Christmas. In the sparse MMORPG year of 2015, at least in terms of new releases, it is a real gem.
It is clear, however: For fans of traditional MMORPGs, this is simply not for them. Those who, like many veterans, get a rash at the term “Lobby”, should simply stay away. The “RPG” in Skyforge’s MMORPG is written with a very thin pencil.
