The developers of the studio Epitome aim to deliver a next-generation MMORPG that sets new standards in “massively” experience and AI utilization. A demo is now available on Steam. MeinMMO’s genre expert Karsten Scholz has tried it out.
If you saw my tier list for MMORPGs of the future at the Grindfest 2026, you know that I am very skeptical about Epitome despite the impressive Kickstarter success. In other words: The online RPG from the studio of the same name has landed in my C-tier. C-tier as in “When these games release, they will go down in history as a flop or major disappointment in the world of MMORPGs”.
The main reason for my skepticism: The plans for the next-gen MMORPG are ambitious. They want to create a huge, immersive world where over 33,000 players should move at the same time without being split across multiple layers, phases, instances, or channels. The developers promise vibrant cities and epic battles.
How many other studios have been able to provide such a “massively” player experience with comparable player numbers over the past three decades without the servers or players’ PCs crashing? None! On top of that, Epitome also wants to offer next-gen graphics, with dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and other player-driven features.
I will believe it when I am in the middle of a battle and have playable frames.
My skepticism is also fueled by Epitome’s focus on AI content. NPCs are supposed to act like dynamic individuals thanks to advanced AI and respond directly to your choices within free-text conversations. The developers also speak of AI-generated quests and supporting AI companions. To me, that sounds creepy. I expect generic content without soul.
The first demo of Epitome
What is the first impression of Epitome? A demo is now available on Steam that anyone interested can download and play. The scope includes a fairly linear tutorial with the warrior class, a visit to a town where the AI of the NPCs is showcased, and a final section with the agile ninja.
During the short download, I feared something comparably bad like the early access version of “The Quinfall”, which also promised enormous ambitions but then made an unplayable crash landing. Spoiler: My first hour with Epitome wasn’t that bad.
On the contrary, I was positively surprised in the first seconds. The fully voiced narrator guiding through the tutorial does not sound like a generic 08/15 AI but goes all out. Sometimes he whispers, sometimes he jokes, sometimes he comments directly on the gameplay. That’s good! I didn’t expect that.
Even the first steps with the warrior felt good. The character responds directly to my inputs. Jumps and quick turns do not immediately cause drops in the frame rate. In the alpha of Stars Reach, I had very different experiences. So, I would like to see it continue like this in the demo!
Some impressions from the demo of Epitome:
Then the first disillusionment set in: However, the positive first impression should be increasingly clouded by minor and major issues:
- The demo emphasizes that Epitome is still in alpha. This is not part of the later, final game (hopefully). It feels as if someone played around with the engine’s editor and temporarily threw some enemies and NPCs into an otherwise empty game section. Everything still doesn’t really fit together. Why am I fighting against mountain goats and deer in a long cave with tent camps?
- Important information in the tutorial sometimes comes too late or is missing. It wasn’t until a few minutes of experimenting that I realized I could use active skills but couldn’t attack enemies with the left mouse button when I was in cursor mode rather than combat mode.
- The fights and attacks lack impact. When you sweep through a horde, it feels like you’re slicing through air. The maneuvers of a miniboss were also hard to read, although the objective was to avoid his attacks. The developers probably realized this themselves and put a lot of healing potions in the inventory.
- As soon as you reach certain objectives in the tutorial, the narrator starts his next text. During this phase, you cannot move. The recording also cannot be canceled, although the text can be read in a fixed window. You have to wait until he finishes. This slows down the tempo.
- The big boss in the first open-world area is a trap, and death is pretty much unavoidable (two or three hits are enough). The respawn puts you in the demo city.
- If you want to use Epitome’s voice AI feature in the demo, you must be a creator and have made at least one video or stream about the game.
- The conversations with the NPCs do not work in a comprehensible or correct manner yet. At one point, we are supposed to talk about runes with a guardian and are already sent away with a click. The next NPC is supposed to sharpen a sword for us. He only reacted to us when we asked him about the service. The quest tracking then wants us to drop the weapon and pull it out at the blacksmith. He himself asks us to place the weapon on the anvil. Neither works. Therefore, the demo was over for me.
What is my conclusion about the demo? Epitome seems very raw in its demo, and what is shown may only partially represent the final gaming experience. All the more so because I did not encounter a single one of the potentially 33,000 fellow players who are supposed to be roaming on a server at best.
The fairly generic selection of enemies and locations, the free-text conversations with NPCs instead of fixed dialogue options, and the large distance between the status quo of the demo and the enormous ambitious goals keep me very skeptical about Epitome.
Have you perhaps also played the demo? How did you find the first steps with the warrior? And did you also have problems with the quest at the blacksmith? Feel free to let me know in the comments! Epitome is of course not the only online RPG that is financed through crowdfunding: 26 Kickstarter MMORPGs that asked for your money – a frustrating balance after 14 years
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