The MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen seems to be capturing the interest of many MMO fans – including us at Mein MMO. Let’s take a look at why this is the case.
Actually, whenever an article about Pantheon is posted, we register a relatively high interest in the indie MMORPG on Mein MMO. And there are longer discussions about the title.
Pantheon seems to strike a chord with players. Is it the classic gameplay? The focus on PvE? We’ll take a closer look at this.
What is Pantheon actually?
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is supposed to be a classic MMORPG that aims to bring players back to the early days of the genre. It is being developed by Brad McQuaid, who was also significantly involved in the design of Everquest and developed Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.
The focus in Pantheon is on PvE adventures that you experience together in a group. You explore a vast world, complete quests, and battle monsters in the wilderness or in dungeons. The emphasis is on group content and leveraging the strengths of your class within a team.
Pantheon is supposed to play like a classic MMORPG, but is also expanded with some modern comfort features to avoid appearing “dated”.
What do players hope for from Pantheon?
MMORPGs have changed over time. For example, there are many single-player contents that must be completed solo. PvP elements often find their way into the game world. But many wish for a player experience like one could have during the early days of the genre:
- Group adventures
- Focus on PvE
- Team play
- A deep lore
- Exciting adventures and quests
- Huge dungeons
- Tactical and classic monster battles
- Repeatable content that still offers new challenges
What could Pantheon become?
Best Case: In the best case, Brad McQuaid achieves a stroke of genius. He hits exactly the nerve of the players who wish for a classic gaming experience and builds a community of veterans who take the game seriously. This could lead to a very good community.
Worst Case: Since the development has been plagued by significant financial issues, the worst-case scenario would be that the development studio runs out of money. We don’t assume that and therefore think that Pantheon can only cater to a small niche of hardcore MMORPG fans in the worst case, while all others might feel put off by the classic gameplay.
The graphics – is that still acceptable today?
Pantheon uses the Unity engine and often relies on the Unity Asset Store for assets. Therefore, the game looks similar in some screenshots and videos to the recently released Shroud of the Avatar which also uses the Unity engine and frequently draws on models from the asset store.
One of the common criticisms of Pantheon is the graphics, which many feel are not good enough. Although Pantheon is not ugly, modern MMORPGs do look significantly better graphically. This could especially deter graphics-sensitive players.
Our community member Henk says: “Sounds very interesting but looks pretty outdated and lame again … Too bad, I doubt I will warm up to it.”
nyso adds: “Wow! The combat system is already tiring me out and the graphics are okay now, but in five years, it will scream ‘badly aged’ again. I predict a flop.”
In contrast, IchhassePvP states: “Then you’re clearly not part of the target audience of such a deliberately very, very old-school MMORPG.”
What does the Mein-MMO community think about Pantheon?
Pantheon is a very hot topic and there are different opinions about the game. Here are some examples:
Wumme: “PvE how boring”
Ahmbor: “That sounds great 🙂 Another cozy, quiet MMORPG :)”
Ectheltawar: “How nice it would be to get an MMO that shares the visions that once underpinned Vanguard. What some forget here is that Pantheon is probably not designed to appeal to a million-player audience. It is meant to appeal to a very specific type of player. If that’s not for you, you may quietly move on and accept that you’re simply not part of the target audience.”
Starthilfer: “Old school is nice and all, but it looks like the movement patterns and combat system are from 20 years ago. I’m a huge fan of multiplayer dungeons like ESO or WoW, but I just can’t get on board with this. I think one should also move with the times and represent fights in a more action-packed way. Fluid, harmonious movements should also be doable.”
Bamux: “Everquest 1 with modern graphics, I’ll buy it 🙂 Yes, the combat system looks outdated and probably is when the game launches. But it speaks to me because I know how well it worked in Everquest.”
Kendrick Young: “Classic PvE” – Oh man, when I read that…. Primitive button-smashing, where you circle the opponent – that will surely be fun over time…. sounds like a mobile game.”
When will Pantheon be released?
Pantheon will most likely not launch in 2018. The team is very small and has big goals. Currently, an alpha is taking place. If we’re lucky, the beta will still start in 2018. We do not expect a release before 2019.
Mein-MMO thinks: Pantheon seems to resonate with a specific target audience. Of course, not everyone can appreciate the old school, but there are enough players who fondly remember the times of Everquest and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.
These players want to relive such an MMO and Pantheon could fulfill that wish for them. If some modern features are added that do not dilute the classic feeling, it could be conceivable that Pantheon could also appeal to “younger” players as a target audience.
