A new VR massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is on the way, and it’s making some hefty promises.
Archgate: Pride & Accomplishment is a VR-exclusive title from Samdosoft. Unlike other attempts at the VR MMO such as Orbus Online, the game is played from a third-person perspective that aims to marry in-depth combat with social elements. Check out its ambitious (to say the least) trailer below.
As you can see, the game is set in a dark fantasy world in which players can team up to take on quests. But the developers want to go far beyond the conventional VR MMO.
“We set out to challenge and improve the current status quo in the gaming industry on multiple fronts,” Samdosoft says on the game’s website. “Archgate introduces roleplay-as-a-service, features permadeath regions, and places a strong emphasis on both player individuality and reputation.”
One of the game’s loftiest promises is that Samdosoft will employ game masters that can spawn enemies at will to give quests a more dynamic feel. The team also intends to use live actors to embody the game’s NPCs. We asked the studio how this was possible.
“We won’t need thousands of employees because the core systems like fighting for territory, politics, tournaments and day to day gameplay is built to work on its own,” the studio told us. “The moderators are a cherry on top making it unpredictable. Also we have a single-shard server infrastructure and we will limit the maximum number of maximum active subscriptions so we always know we can provide high quality experience for players in-game.”
On the game’s FAQ page the studio says player subscriptions will be available “In the order of thousands.” Elsewhere, Samdosoft wants to deliver political systems, crafting and housing, whilst doing away with less welcome elements like microtransactions.
Archgate is aiming for full release in 2021, with closed beta and alpha testing in 2020. For now, it’s in development for PC VR headsets, though the developer says it will look into bringing the game to PSVR, perhaps after PS5’s launch.
