3. Black Desert
Arguably the most eagerly awaited Korean MMORPG of the moment, developer Pearl Abyss' sandbox-style endeavor looks likely to launch this year in its home market, Korea, where it has been in open beta since last December, and also in Japan, where the same stage began last week. Russia appears next in line. The first closed test phase there is slated for the end of this month.
Last December, domestic publisher Daum Communications' announced it will open new offices to handle the game in North America and the EU. At that time, the company targeted a 2015 launch. Without any substantive evidence, my gut tells me that sometime next year is more likely. In any case, there's a decent amount of interest growing among gamers in both these regions, thanks in large part to the information that has been released in and from other parts of the world.
)
For me, and apparently for many other observers, the single most interesting element of Black Desert is its parkour system. Sometimes described as similar to those in Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed, it may have the potential to allow a type of interactivity with the environment that is unprecedented in MMOGs. That said, it's hard to sense how much fun it will be to move around like this after we've done it a few times – or a few hundred. I suppose the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.
This isn't to suggest the title is a one-trick pony. Some of its other notable features are a seamless world architecture, large-scale battles including castle sieges, mounted combat, an extensive crafting element, highly customizable instanced housing and more. The game will also have dragons. Details are still scarce, but it looks like they will appear unexpectedly to attack settlements and NPCs. In the screenshots I've seen, they are appropriately massive, imposing and cool.
2. Skyforge
As I noted in my previous list, games in which you can play as a god have always had an undefinable extra layer of appeal for me. As a result, I've had my eye on this title from the moment its underlying concept was revealed. Another key reason is that its lead development studio, Russian-based Allods Team, is one I've followed since even before its first project was announced, that being Allods Online, which ranks among the more prominent western-made F2P MMORPGs. My interest was then further heightened when another company I've tracked for years, Obsidian Entertainment, was brought in to help.
Skyforge has been in closed beta for a couple of months now. It's set in a world that blends elements of fantasy with science fiction influences, and where ancient mysteries exist alongside highly advanced, ultra-modern technologies. The players are immortals who can evolve into gods, gaining greater strength, power, resistances, physical stature and more. Advancement happens via an unusual and thus intriguing non-level-based system that appears to offer exceptional flexibility in terms of being able to switch among any classes you've unlocked. Combat appears to be quite action-oriented, and I think the look of the game is rather stylish.
As far as I know, an official launch date hasn't been announced. However, judging from what has been revealed to date, we aren't far from open beta. If so, and assuming no major delays, I suspect that Skyforge may be ready for live service as soon as late summer. Even if my estimated time frame is off by a few months, I expect the game to become increasingly visible as it ramps up toward release. And I'm sure my interest level will rise accordingly as I continue to learn more about what it will offer and how it will actually play.
Coincidentally, this list is scheduled for publication on the same day that Blizzard's so-called online team brawler will begin a brief open beta leading up to commercial launch in two weeks, on June 2. Unsurprisingly, at this point in time, it might be the most eagerly awaited upcoming game regardless of genre. So, although I'm only an irregular MOBA player rather than a dedicated aficionado, HotS is a very easy choice to occupy the top slot in this article.
I haven't been in the beta, but based on everything I've seen and heard, both public and private, the game will be fun to play. It will reportedly launch with a full complement of features including 30 customizable heroes taken from Blizzard's popular franchises, four classes, 130 skins, 14 available mounts and seven diverse maps. By the numbers, everything looks positive. But what I'm even more eager to see than HotS itself is whether it will be up to the challenge of repeating the formula that was so successful for World of Warcraft et al; i.e. not being first to the party but quickly becoming the undisputed guest of honor anyway.
I'm also curious to see how HotS will impact the industry if it becomes the type of monster hit that drives its entire category to a new level of popularity, especially in North America and the EU. For instance, I wonder if it can accelerate acceptance of the F2P business model. Will it lead to a rapid increase or maybe even an explosion in the number of MOBAs? What will other publishers do to get shares of the growing genre pie? Will they be able to react quickly enough to obtain meaningful slices? If you care about such matters, the next few months could be very, very interesting. If not, I simply hope the game lives up to your high expectations. And mine.
