The Crowfall team recently wrapped up a busy outing at Gamescom 2017 where they discussed many of the recent updates to the game including castle building, skill trees, and art improvements. The big highlight came near the end of the conference with the reveal of a new trailer in which we see an unnamed women telling the story of her many lives in the Crowfall universe, that of soldier, villain, and hero. Ultimately she is reincarnated as a crow when felled in battle to begin her life anew. The trailer featured many of the things that had players excited for Crowfall back when the original kickstarter ended with great success, and has also helped breathe life into what some might say has been a stagnant game.
This footage sought to remind players that laying siege to castles, ruling kingdoms, and having entire monuments erected in their honor is all part of the Crowfall experience. Playing how you want to play and living different lives (literally) is a major aspect of the game and a source of allure for many hopeful players. Clocking in at just over a minute and a half the trailer succeeds in generating interest and leaving viewers wanting to see more. The ability to build and manage an eternal kingdom outside the main campaign of the game is highlighted briefly during the trailer, and it will be nice seeing more information on this feature as development progresses. The eternal kingdom is one of the major aspects of Crowfall that make it stand out, along with finite campaign worlds and the ability for your character to persist even as these worlds conclude. These systems are still likely to undergo significant revisions prior to release and despite the abundance of information available on the Crowfall website, the showing of game footage is a rare and exciting treat for those following the game.
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Crowfall has been in development for some time, with original kickstarter funding concluding in March of 2015. Since that time the game has been on several “most anticipated MMORPG” lists. As many are aware, the draw of kickstarter funding means that developers are not beholden to the deadlines and regulation that comes with working for a major developer. However, this also means that those who do participate in the campaign do so knowing they may be waiting for some time before getting to see the final product. A new trailer is a step in the right direction though and shows backers that progress is being made, however slow it may be, towards delivering that product.
MMORPGs have been going through something of a revolution lately and the market is ripe for a new set of fresh ideas to reinvent the genre. Years of sampling free-to-play/pay-to-win games, grinding fetch quests, and experiencing lackluster endgame have players ready to dive into something fresh and substantial. With the recent showing at Gamescom, Crowfall backers who have been patiently waiting are now reengaged and asking, when will we see more?
