This week certainly didn’t see anything monumental release, but what we received instead are 4 games, with at least one of them that is completely wacky. It’s never a dull moment with our weekly MMO Launch Spotlight. Let’s check them out.
Blade Mistress
Do you remember Blade Mistress? Probably not, but we do. Blade Mistress originally released way back in 2002, and on March 8th, 2024, the game has just re-released complete with the early 2000’s graphics that enticed players more than 20 years ago. The game has attempted a resurgence a few times over the years, and now it looks like we’re on to the latest one.
This retro MMORPG is known for their old school sandbox style gameplay, and necessary group gameplay. This is definitely a blast from the past. Considering the game wasn’t overwhelmingly popular 20 years ago, fans of retro games may find some nostalgia here anyways. As it’s free to play, you can head on over to Steam and jump in to relive the MMO days of yore.
Ragnarok Origin: ROO
Probably the biggest release this week is Ragnarok Origin: ROO which released on Android and Apple’s app stores February 28th, and I missed it in last week’s spotlight, so I’ve added it here. Ragnarok Origin: ROO by Gravity Game Vision is a sequel to Ragnarok Online and has some updated graphics, PvP and GvG warfare, and an expansive open world.
With over 1 million pre-registrations on Android alone, the game will certainly see a huge influx of players despite some of the early reviews noting that Ragnarok Origins has been experiencing a multitude of performance issues, such as glitches, stuttering, and trouble loading zones. Who doesn’t love MMO launch week? Usually MMO launch players, but Ragnarok Online fan’s can’t be sticklers. Check this one out on the app store of your choice or download the game directly on their website for PC.
Growtopia
Are you ready to be a grower and a show’er? Well in Growtopia by Ubisoft Abu Dhabi, you’ll be able to play with “millions” of players in a “massive” 2D world. Growtopia is nuts. You can become pretty much anyone you want to be, whether it’s a mech, a dragon winged rainbow haired weirdo, or even a Super Saiyan.
But wait, there’s more, if you’re not sold on simply creating whatever 2D character you can dream of, you can also build pretty much anything too. Not unlike Terraria you can build out your world however you see fit, but on a scale like never before. Growtopia is cross-platform on PC and Mobile, and just released on Steam March 7th, 2024. Unfortunately, the current review score is mostly negative. It seems that a large number of bots have taken over the game, and spam people constantly with spam messages attempting to scam you.
Also, there has been some issues with utilizing crossplay accounts on the Steam version, and a lot of what’s going on in-game right now revolves around gambling. Take some time to peruse the negative reviews before you decide to jump in. However, playing devil’s advocate, there are over 1.3 million reviews on the Play store, many of which are positive, so I think there seems to be some fun to be had here, if you can get past the scams.
CyberFight
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Released into an alpha build March 5th, 2024, CyberFight by ACEIT is – well actually I’m not sure what it is. There are cats skating around, fighting each other with car sound effects. Getting defeated in the arena will drop you like a sack of ragdoll potatoes. And for some reason there’s a cartoon goose that shows up sometimes.
The multiplayer arena battles supposedly require some quick skating skills, and knowing where the best powerups are, but aside from that, it seems like a barebones indie Battle Royale with skating cats. You can play the game right now on Steam if you want, and if you do, I beg you to jump into the comments and regale us with your experience.
