ArcheAge

ArcheAge is an MMORPG developed by a Korean studio, XL Games. Concept-wise it refers to the most famous representatives of the genre such as Ultima Online, Lineage II, and World of Warcraft. The story is based on a traditional conflict between two warring factions. It should be noted, however, that the story was created by a popular Korean novelist, Jeon Min-Hee.

ArcheAge takes the player into a fantasy world, which for centuries eight races ruled together. For unknown reasons, the ruling nations divided into two factions, which settled on separate continents. The history presented in the game takes place 2000 years after the event, and one of the objectives of the players will is to discover the cause of the eternal conflict.

As befits an MMORPG, the game begins with character creation. You can become a representative of one of the eight races. In addition to traditional men, elves and dwarves, the world is inhabited by less standard nations, including Ferres, the humanoid cats, or demonic warborns.

A slightly more complicated is the character class system. The players who do not like to play in the arduous task of matching skills may choose one of four premade professions: warrior, priest, mage, and rogue. For more demanding players, the developers prepared a system that allows you to create your own class. Ten schools of skills are available, each character can learn only three of them. In total, it gives up to 120 career paths. Moreover, the choice of the skills is not definitive. For a fee, you can replace one school with another, but it is connected with the necessity for re-development.

Another interesting solution introduced by a team of XL Games is continually changing world. Characters that are in different parts of the globe will see other constellations in the sky. Landscapes vary depending on the season. So in autumn the world turns yellow, and in winter the woods are covered with a layer of snow. The appearance of the world is also impacted by the players themselves. Thanks to the possibility to build houses, it is possible to create your own settlements or entire cities. Proponents of environmental protection can plant trees and other plants, which sometimes turn into lush forests.

All of these elements are presented in very well-made for an MMO visual design. The game uses CryEngine 3, created for Crysis 2. In addition to the detailed character models and elaborate environment, the developers implemented a quite advanced physics engine, allowing, for example, to move objects or to destroy elements of the environment.

Last updated on August 14, 2015