Albion Online (July 17, 2017)
Platform: PC, MAC, Android | Setting: Fantasy | Developer: Sandbox Interactive| Payment Model: Free2Play
What is Albion Online? The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online from Germany offers you a lot of freedom and, above all, a lot of PvP. In the game world, which you view from an isometric perspective, you gather resources, craft equipment, and can throw yourself into PvE dungeons or PvP battles.
Albion Online uses an interesting system where your equipment determines the role you take in the game. With sword and heavy armor, you become a melee fighter, but just changing your weapon and armor suddenly turns you into an archer or mage.
This is accompanied by the destiny board, where you can track your progress in using weapons or gathering resources.
How has the game developed? Albion Online initially had only a few players, partly due to being Buy2Play and experiencing server issues at launch.
However, since the transition to Free2Play in April 2019, player numbers have skyrocketed, peaking at 7,186 average players on Steam in May 2020 (via Steam Charts). The total player numbers are likely significantly higher due to the standalone client and versions for Mac and Android.
The MMORPG is also characterized by receiving regular updates. At the beginning of the year, the Queen update revised the complete endgame. Now, another update is set to be released in August that corrupts dungeons and allows players PvP within them, if they wish.
Is it still worth starting the game? If you are really excited about an MMORPG with PvP content, you should definitely check out Albion Online.
The game receives regular expansions, has solid player numbers, and has established itself in its niche. However, it is not for the faint of heart. In the highest areas, you can lose your entire equipment, which can be quite frustrating.
