With Ilysia, a development studio wants to immerse us even deeper into the virtual worlds of MMORPGs. Thanks to VR headsets, we can expect something similar to the popular anime series Sword Art Online.
What is Ilysia? Essentially, it is a rather classic MMORPG. You create a hero and explore a vast fantasy world with it. There, many enemies await you to fight, and you descend into dungeons where boss monsters lurk. Additionally, you also complete quests and can optionally engage in PvP battles.
- The world is 288 km² in size. You can explore it freely and even climb.
- You create a hero from individual skills that you assemble freely.
- PvP is optional. You can choose to engage and fight each other or completely ignore PvP. However, there are also areas where PvP is active.
- Many quests await you in the game world.
- Alongside large boss enemies, you will even encounter larger titans that you must climb in order to defeat.
- Airships, mounts, and even pets play a role.
- You own a caravan that essentially serves as a mobile home, which you can design freely.
- You search for new weapons and armor to improve yourself.
VR finds its way into the genre of MMORPGs
What is special about this new MMORPG? All of this is experienced with a VR headset on PC, with PSVR on the PlayStation 4, or with the standalone headset Oculus Quest. This means you can expect a virtual reality game that represents a full-fledged MMORPG. A VR headset is necessary to play.
Visually, you shouldn’t expect a wonder of art. Ilysia looks more like a slightly prettier Everquest. The performance on VR headsets, such as Oculus Quest, takes priority, which means some compromises must be made in graphics.
Nevertheless, the MMORPG is supposed to draw you much more into the game world. You are closer to the action and should feel like you are really acting in this world and not sitting at a computer.
What does this have to do with Sword Art Online? In the anime Sword Art Online, the players find themselves in a virtual fantasy world. They also play via VR and not traditionally on a computer or console. So it’s similar to what is the case in Ilysia.
Even Steam CEO Gabe Newell thinks that with VR, we are increasingly approaching virtual worlds like the Matrix or Sword Art Online. With Ilysia, we now see another step in this direction and perhaps even the beginning of the future for MMORPGs.
That it works and is very exciting has already been shown by the pre-alpha of Ilysia, in which some community members were able to participate:
When will the game be released? Ilysia is expected to enter Alpha 1 in spring or summer 2021. A beta is planned for autumn 2021. Whether the release will still take place in 2021 or only in 2022 is still unclear.
How to participate: If you are interested in a VR MMORPG, you can participate in the Kickstarter campaign. This runs until October 4, and the team has already raised more than half of the desired funding amount of 50,815 euros. Things look very good for the project. Interest is there, and it is likely that some stretch goals can be achieved.
With a contribution of 28 euros, you will gain access to the beta starting in autumn 2021. With 30 euros, you can join the slightly earlier starting alpha.
Do you want to try out a VR MMORPG now? Then check out the online game Zenith.
