The MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen has been an online role-playing game that genre enthusiasts keep an eye on for 9 years. It aims to be a spiritual successor to classic PvE MMORPGs like Everquest and was originally created by Brad McQuaid, one of the founders of Everquest. However, for years, Pantheon has struggled with its outdated, unattractive graphics. That is set to change.
What is the appeal of Pantheon?
- Most new MMORPGs released since 2014 focus on sandbox elements and open PvP. For many studios, this is the only way to create an MMORPG with limited resources. Hardly any team dares to tackle the elaborate quests, instances, and raids that a PvE MMORPG would require.
- Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, however, wants to be the exact opposite: an MMORPG that focuses on PvE and group play. Progress in the game should feel significant and earned.
- Yet, although the game has always sounded exciting for MMORPG fans, there was a problem: the game looked old and unattractive since its reveal in 2014, and it only got worse over the years.
Pantheon will address criticism point 1: the graphics
This is now the announcement from the team: In a newsletter, the team announces that they are now focusing on 2 things (via pantheonmmo):
- They want to make the game playable around the clock
- They want to modernize the art style and graphics
The team says: ‘One of the top comments we regularly receive from the public is that our game looks old and unattractive. [With a graphic change] we have the opportunity to reach a broader and more contemporary audience.’
This is an example of the new graphics that the developers are showcasing:
What should the new graphics look like? The game should now appear more like a painting while retaining the rugged essence of Pantheon.
They already have a few images to showcase – a video presentation is set for September.
How is this being discussed? The comments on MMORPG sites regarding the announcement are unfortunately rather cynical (via mop): One commenter writes ‘Cool, then it will be ready for alpha in 2034, and the game can launch in 2089.’
Indeed, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is an MMORPG that many have been watching for a long time, but little progress is evident. Similar to Camelot Unchained, it’s a very ambitious project with limited resources that has been known for a long time but still seems far from being ‘fun to play’ or ‘released.’
This is a problem that plagues all “indie MMORPGs”; even the most promising ones like Ashes of Creation have an extremely long development time and repeatedly experience phases where there is little news about the game.
Nonetheless, a graphic renewal for Pantheon is certainly a good idea because the game previously simply did not look like an MMORPG of our time.
More about Pantheon:
The new MMORPG Pantheon is a great hope for PvE fans – promises 15 ‘Two Hour’ dungeons at launch
