With The Ragnarök (formerly Project Ragnarök), the Chinese company NetEase has announced a new AAA MMORPG. The game world is based on Norse mythology and is intended to appeal to players in the West as well. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch spoke with Ye Qian, the Senior Producer at NetEase, about the new game in the context of Find Your Next Game.
What makes The Ragnarök special? The new MMORPG offers you an open game world where you take on the role of a human summoned from Valhalla back to Midgard, which means Earth.
The focus of the story is Ragnarök, the battle between gods and giants, during which, according to mythology, the world will come to an end. However, in the game, it seems there is more to it than just a fight between good and evil. Ye Qian told us in the conversation that throughout the game, players will learn the secrets and truths behind Ragnarök and can then choose a side for or against the event.
NetEase intends to release the new MMORPG for PC, consoles, and smartphones. Crossplay will be fully supported, though there will be noticeable adjustments to the controls and gameplay of each platform.
We will tell you what makes The Ragnarök special and how we assess the game.
The Ragnarök is inspired by God of War – This is what it looks like
What can you expect in the game? Ye Qian reports in an interview with MeinMMO that The Ragnarök is supposed to be a AAA MMORPG that emphasizes challenges and exploration. It has been in development for over 4 years.
The game focuses on a lot of dynamics and movement. In the trailer, you can already see players climbing mountains or sliding down:
We took inspiration from successful RPGs like God of War, which are also well known to us. We used them as inspiration for our game.
You can climb and glide with wings, but also swim, dive, and use many other methods to explore the world.
Ye Qian in an interview with MeinMMO
The combat is also supposed to be dynamic, although it will differ somewhat from platform to platform.
God of War is a cult action series for PlayStation. The series is known for its important combat system, spectacular presentation, and dark story. PC players who have never heard of God of War and want to learn more can find a detailed review from the colleagues at GamePro.
How is the open world structured? In the open world, there are supposed to be no limits. Almost everything you can see, you can reach; you can climb mountain peaks or swim through huge lakes. Additionally, there will be a dynamic weather system, which is intended to make the game world more realistic. Loading screens are to be avoided.
In the game world, there will be safe zones where players only experience PvE. However, in other areas, there will be open PvP, with many incentives not to fight but to cooperate:
We do not give players any special incentives to kill each other or others just for fun. If players fight, it should happen because they stand on different sides of the event [the Ragnarök] and pursue different goals [than the opposing side].
There is no way to steal items from other players or similar. PvP should be an option but not a necessity.
Ye Qian in an interview with MeinMMO
In addition, there should be hidden treasure chests in the world that are not so easy to open. Either you need good skills with lockpicks or you throw the chest from a mountain and hope that it opens upon impact.
What about professions? In addition to lockpicking, there should be other life skills, including gathering wood, mining, and cooking at campfires. More details about this have not yet been revealed by the developers.
Ye Qian has over 10 years of experience in MMOs and has led teams for the games Westward Journey, Battle Song, and Land of Glory.
With The Ragnarök, another MMO is to follow that will be released internationally.
Dynamics, relationships with NPCs, and unique challenges
What distinguishes this MMORPG from others? In addition to dynamic movement, the NPCs are supposed to represent another unique feature of the game world. You can interact with these non-player characters, and you can even ask some of them to assist you in fighting a boss you cannot defeat alone.
The NPCs have a specific relationship with you. You can influence this positively or negatively. While one NPC may be favorable to your friend, you may have a negative relationship with them, causing them not to want to help you.
One way to lose reputation is by stealing from NPCs. According to Ye Qian, this is possible but risky.
Ragnarök also comes with a “taming system.” Almost all creatures should be able to be tamed, at least temporarily. This was already shown in the exclusive gameplay clip at the beginning of the article.
There, the player character is seen climbing a mountain while sitting on the monster it had previously fought in the trailer.
Some creatures can even be bound to you permanently and used as mounts.
Challenges instead of daily quests? The Ragnarök also aims to avoid daily quests. Instead, the MMORPG focuses on many unique challenges that become increasingly difficult the more you play:
The challenges are supposed to be one of the unique features of The Ragnarök. We have invested a lot of time into this feature to offer players something more exciting than the same old quests.
These are unique tasks that should present players with significant challenges by themselves. There will also be different rogue-like levels [procedurally generated levels] that players must master […].
If a level is too hard for you, you may need to improve your equipment or return to this challenge later. However, they can be restarted if you have lost a challenge.
Ye Qian in an interview with MeinMMO
How exactly these levels will look and whether there are other challenges has not been revealed.
When will The Ragnarök be released? In the interview with MeinMMO, this question could not yet be answered. However, new information is expected in the coming days.
A MMORPG on multiple platforms – Can this work?
This could become a problem: The Ragnarök is to be released for PC, consoles, and smartphones. Some players are therefore concerned that the game will focus first on mobile gamers and then port to the other platforms.
However, that is not supposed to be the case, Ye Qian told us:
We started with the highest level in our process and are trying to maintain that standard as much as possible across all devices […].
This is difficult, and we use many resources to ensure that players on all platforms are satisfied in the end.
Ye Qian in an interview with MeinMMO
The idea is that you should be able to play The Ragnarök with anyone, anywhere. That’s why NetEase also placed importance on the mobile version, which allows you to go to a friend’s house and play with him while he sits at his PC or console.
Are there differences between platforms? Yes, although the game offers crossplay, there will be differences in gameplay:
We are currently working to provide players on each platform with the best experience.
For some platforms, we will offer simpler targeting to help players. There will no longer be a complete action mode during combat, but more of a classic gaming experience.
However, this depends on the platform.
Ye Qian in an interview with MeinMMO
However, the developers still believe that no platform should have an advantage over another.
Why are console MMORPGs now coming from China? Game consoles actually have no significance in Asia, except in Japan. The largest gaming markets in Asia, South Korea and China, are primarily PC and mobile nations.
However, in recent years, Asia has understood how much money is in the console market. Korean companies have achieved remarkable success here, like Bluehole (PUBG) or Pearl Abyss (Black Desert).
This has led to efforts in Asia for several years to attract console players in Europe and North America as new customers who are affluent, open to microtransactions, and do not engage in piracy.
NetEase, as one of the major players in China, clearly wants to catch up with Pearl Abyss. Companies like NCSoft and Smilegate also apparently have plans to develop their new MMORPGs for western consoles.
What do we like about the MMORPG and what do we not like?
Potential: Very High, if everything is implemented as planned
The Ragnarök sounds like a real next-gen MMORPG with crossplay between platforms on paper. Many other MMORPGs that exist on PC, console, and smartphone fail at this hurdle when they cannot interact with each other or feel like mere ports.
However, some points sounded in the interview not yet refined but more like a concept. It is also unclear when the game will be released, even though it has been in development for 4 years, and how it will be financed.
But if the planned content like the dynamic movement system, interaction with NPCs, and challenging solo challenges are implemented, then The Ragnarök has the chance to become one of the most interesting new MMORPGs. They seem to be orienting themselves toward single-player games and the trend of solo content in MMORPGs. I, for one, will keep an eye on it.
Alexander Leitsch
Editor at MeinMMO and expert on MMORPGs
