I have been a Steam member since 2009 and own about 150 games. I've played MMOs going all the way back to Ultima Online. I rarely write reviews, but I really feel this game deserves one.
In my opinion, the bones are here for this to develop into a fantastic MMO. At times it gives off Vanilla WoW vibes. You can clearly see where the developers borrowed systems from other MMOs, and honestly, that's not a bad thing at all.
At the time of writing this, I am level 15 of 20 (the current level cap). I've explored almost the entire map, unlocked every crafting skill, run group dungeons and solo content, and spent time paying attention to the world design, music, lighting, class synergy (both solo and in groups), world layering, and overall player immersion. The fact that the developers have already laid out a roadmap is also a huge plus.
## My Pros
### Character
It's simple enough to jump right into, but it starts becoming more complex fairly quickly (and by complex, I mean the possibilities for class depth). The weapon progression, combined with spell runes and talent trees, is a huge plus for me. We already know two more classes are coming, with promises of even more down the road. Then you add how characters can synergize in groups, and that's awesome. You can build on that foundation for years to come.
### Crafting
I debated putting this in Neutral, but I think it belongs here. It still needs room to grow, but there are already some great quality-of-life ideas, like automatically accessing crafting materials from your bank while you're at a crafting station. I also like how each crafting profession levels by creating increasingly complex items. It's straightforward without being overly simplistic, which is exactly how it should be. One thing to note: until the guild system arrives, it's very clear the developers want players to level all of the crafting professions. Several crafting trees and materials feed into one another, and I actually think that's a good design choice. Overall, crafting is in a good place for where the game currently is.
### Dungeons
They're just plain fun. Their simplicity gives them a refreshing charm. I also love the verticality. They're not built on a flat plane with endless left and right turns before reaching a boss room. As you level up, you can already see bosses becoming more mechanically interesting.
For the first 20 levels, I think they're designed very well. Anyone saying, "They're too easy, this game sucks," is missing the point. If this game eventually reaches a level cap of 50 or 60, these early level-20 dungeons are meant to teach players, not test them. You can already choose how difficult you want your run to be, and that's a really good sign.
### Open World Adventure
I hate jumping puzzles. Always have.
But this is the first MMO where I actually had fun doing them with friends. We laughed at each other's failures, talked through how different mechanics worked, and more than once said, "That's actually a clever design."
The world takes you through giant trees, underwater caves, mountains, massive beehives, castles, caverns, and more. It constantly encourages exploration, and that's really cool to see.
### Combat
I love the responsiveness, movement, and overall feel of combat. It's one of the biggest reasons I think this game has a real chance to succeed.
As your character gains abilities, combat never feels clunky or overloaded. It stays intuitive and snappy, making fights genuinely enjoyable. Could the spell effects and ability visuals be improved? Absolutely. But that's one of the easiest things to expand as the game grows.
## My Neutral
### Graphics
This game isn't going to melt your graphics card.
Like early WoW and many other MMOs, it's still in its infancy. People need to calm down expecting Unreal Engine 5-level visuals.
When I look at the environments, structures, and characters, I don't see a finished painting—I see one that's still being worked on. Like I said before, the game's bones are solid.
Could they add more fog, dust, cloud effects, environmental details, weathering on buildings, better mountain textures, and other immersive touches? Absolutely. That's not even an argument. But I've watched plenty of MMOs evolve over time, and if this is the worst this game ever looks, I think it's going to age very well.
### Sound Effects
They're not bad, but they're not great either.
There are stretches of the game where there's almost no ambient sound—no music, no wildlife, no environmental effects...nothing. It hurts immersion.
I still put this in Neutral because the game is young, and adding ambient audio is one of the easier things developers can improve over time.
## My Cons
### Enemies
This is probably my biggest criticism.
The enemy AI is rough. You can easily get enemies stuck on fences, buildings, gates, barrels, and other objects, then kill them without taking damage. That absolutely needs to be fixed.
Most of the time, enemies simply need the ability to jump like some already do, or certain objects need to be resized or repositioned to improve pathfinding.
This issue stands out a lot in the game's current state. I've personally submitted around 30 bug reports on AI pathing alone, including exact locations and suggestions for fixes. I've also sent feedback after every boss fight (I still have five more levels to go), explaining what worked, what didn't, and how the overall atmosphere felt.
### Quest Log / Map
It's not broken, but it's definitely one of the weakest parts of the game right now.
I can see what they're trying to accomplish, but it needs attention sooner rather than later.
Currently there's:
* No way to place your own map marker.
* No way to track quests outside of the world map.
* No easy way (for many quests) to reread objectives after accepting them.
* No way to toggle quests on or off, which makes the world map feel cluttered.
Is all of this fixable? Absolutely. But in its current state, it needs work.
### Chat
It technically works, but it feels clunky.
The "Local Chat" channel often feels like it's talking to players outside your immediate area. Honestly, just call it Zone Chat so everyone understands what it is.
Overall, the chat system needs some love before systems like Guilds and an Auction House are introduced.
### Music
There simply isn't enough variety.
As you travel around the world, you hear the same tracks over and over, which slowly hurts immersion. Sometimes the music is so quiet you barely notice it (yes, my volume is turned up), while other areas are almost completely silent.
Can this be improved? Of course. But hearing the same music loop for five-plus hours isn't ideal.
## Overall
This game has a foundation that checks a lot of boxes for me personally.
I'm having an absolute blast playing with friends I've been gaming with for over 25 years, and that says a lot. We all keep saying the same thing:
**"If the developers keep improving this MMO, it has a real shot at becoming a great one."**
They don't need to reinvent what they've already built—they just need to keep building on it. Make content difficult. Challenge players. Give people that feeling of accomplishment again.
Is the game worth the first 40 hours (through level 20)?
**Absolutely.**
If you're an MMO fan, this game deserves to be on your radar.
Have fun, y'all!
