The Drakantosdevs have created a special channel on their official discord dedicated to the lore and characters of the upcoming pixel art MMO. Make sure you give it a follow if you want to stay up to date on all the Drakantos news. The devs have been busy filling this new section with character art, gifs, and back story. After sifting through the updates, I am disappointed that there isn’t more, but remain hyped for the release. There is still no release date, but I’ll keep you posted when the information becomes available. Make sure you check out my original post if you want a more detailed first impression.
I am going to post what is available because I want to help promote it. This game looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the art, and the bit of gameplay I’ve seen looks interesting. I can’t wait for its release, but until then, I’ll be following it closely. Make sure you add it to your Wishlist and follow the Discord!
If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
The second closed beta for Taris Land: Mystery of the Hollows is coming to PC and Android devices on November 15. Make sure you head over to the official site to sign up! I’ve already signed up, so fingers crossed I get accepted.
The Beta will last about two weeks in 16 countries and will support eight languages: English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Here are the official start times per region:
North American Server: November 15, 2023 at 8:00 (UTC−4)
South American Server: November 15, 2023 at 9:00 (UTC−3)
European Server: November 15, 2023 at 14:00 (UTC+2)
Asian Server: November 16, 2023 at 9:00 (UTC+8)
Make sure you check out the official FAQ and Discord if you have any other questions about the playtest.
Taris Land: Mystery of the Hollows is an MMORPG coming to PC and mobile devices (Android and IOS). I love the aesthetic of this game, and anything that I can play on my phone is a nice plus. I know people bash mobile gaming, but sometimes, I want to be away from my desk and don’t want to have a lot of extra hardware.
I’ve written about this game before and won’t be repeating too much. I recommend you check out my previous post or go to the official page for more details.
The second playtest will include the nine original classes (Warrior, Priest, Mage, Ranger, Barbarian Fighter, Paladin, and Bard) and introduce two new ones: Shadow Swordsman and a mysterious new class.
The new class looks like a druid to me, but here’s the teaser so you can speculate:
The playtest will feature two raids, a bunch of story quests, the Dark Invasion mode, and the Inscribed Skill Stone system. There will be enough to keep players, new and old, busy for the two weeks of the playtest.
Make sure you keep an open mind going into the beta. This isn’t a finished product, and the game isn’t going to be perfect. This will be a test to make the game better, and I feel like it’s the perfect opportunity for fans to help shape a game they’re going to devote their time to. Just make sure you submit your feedback as soon as the option becomes available.
I am very excited because I love MMO’s and would love a new one to sink some time into. I just hope this game isn’t too grindy and the cash shop isn’t predatory. I’ve signed up, make sure you do too, and I hope to see you in Tarisland!
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
I’ve been following Drakantos closely because I am very excited about its release. Drakantos is a free-to-play pixel art MMO coming to PC and mobile devices. The art is cute, and the bit of gameplay I’ve seen has me interested. No release date has been set yet, so make sure you join the official Discord so you are always up to date.
The October Devlog just dropped, and I recommend you check it out to share in my excitement. We got some new animations, screenshots, and some gameplay footage.
If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Make sure you add Drakantos to your wishlist!
Yura Teaser
We got a teaser for Yura, and if it doesn’t get you hyped for the game, nothing will. Combat looks so good and the voice acting is fantastic! Make sure you check out the official discord if you want to get some back story!
Mounts
An MMO needs its mounts, and Drakantos will have mounts, and characters that can transform into their own! We got a teaser of the animation, and I am satisfied:
Screenshots
We also got to see a new screenshot of the world, and I love the art! This world looks so good!
UI Preview
We also got a screenshot of the UI. It’s clean, and I dig the character art.
I’ve been excited about Drakantossince learning about it at GDC. Drakantos is a free-to-play pixel art MMO coming to PC and mobile devices. Instead of classes, players can choose from a roster of 21 unique characters to set off on their adventure. I love the art, the voice acting sounds amazing, and what I’ve seen of the story has me curious. I’ve written about the game in previous posts. Make sure you check those out if you want more details. If you’ve enjoyed these updates, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!
Well, developers just dropped a gameplay trailer, and I can’t help but stay excited for the release. If you are a fan of early-era Runescape, this game may be for you. The gameplay looks relaxing, but there seems to be enough challenge involved to keep it engaging. The boss fights to look like a ton of fun, and it looks like there is an emphasis on party play. I am always in favor of a game that helps foster a strong community. It is too early to tell from the images and video how good this game will be, but I am interested. Hopefully, we get a demo soon. I’ll be following Drakanto’s development closely to report on any major updates, but you should join the official Discord so you are always up to date. Don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist!
I have been watching the Gamescom coverage a bit passively, but one title that has stood out and has gotten me excited is Tarisland. Tarislandis an MMORPG coming to PC and Mobile devices soon. No date has been announced yet, but there is a beta coming in November. I’ll be making an announcement as soon as I know more, but you can either sign up for updates on the official website or join the official Discord.
The art style looks heavily inspired by World of Warcraft, which I kind of like. The gameplay I’ve seen seems fine, but it is too early to tell if it will be any good. The game will feature seven classes: Ranger, Paladin, Warrior, Mage, Priest, Bard, and Barbarian Fighter. Each class offers two distinct styles styles of gameplay.
Barbarian Fighter
Mage
Priest
Paladin
There is some character customization, but it is limited to things like hair style and color. I would have preferred to play set characters like in Genshin Impact instead if the characters were cooler, but I think the goal is to allow customization through cosmetics. I can only hope the price tag for cosmetics isn’t too high because these characters will need cosmetics.
The game will have dungeons, raids, and pvp like in a traditional MMO, but it isn’t going to be pay to win according to the publishers. I will have to take them to task, but I appreciate the sentiment. The game will balance players through seasons where players will start at the same power level and will have the same opportunities as they level up. I assume there will be a battle pass, but they have said no power level will be tied to the cash shop so it might just be cosmetics.
I hope this game isn’t a terrible grind because what I’ve seen so far has me interested. I am always looking for an MMO to get into, and a game I can play anywhere is always a plus. I’ll probably roll a Bard or Priest because I love to support, but I’ve been enjoying the DPS life lately. I’ll be trying to get into this beta, and will be posting updates as I receive them. I just hope Tarisland can be the one that fills the void!
If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. You can also buy me a coffee
Bandai’s MMO, Blue Protocol, has officially launched in Japan. While there will be a Western release in the future, I can’t wait that long. So I turned on my VPN, made a Japanese account, and have been playing essentially since launch. If you’d like to play in the Japanese servers, I made a quick guide to get you started. Make sure you are using a good VPN or your account will get banned. I use Mozilla VPN to play Blue Protocol. This isn’t an endorsement. It is the VPN I use for everything, and it works great for me.
Before you get started, it might be helpful to install the MORT: English Translation tool if you don’t know how to read Japanese. It comes in handy for some of the less intuitive quests but isn’t essential for your enjoyment of the game. MORT is a third-party app that translates Japanese text to English almost instantly. It is easy to set up and simple to use. Keep in mind that running MORT does put a strain on your computer. While I did not experience any performance issues, it did make my computer run hot. It’s a great tool you can download it on the official site if needed.
The first challenge of any MMO is the character creation. I am not big on character creation and can’t speak on how in-depth it gets. The character designs are heavily anime-inspired, which was fine, and there were enough choices to create a character I was happy with. I was excited to see that Blue Protocol offers darker skin tones in their character creation. It may not seem like a huge deal, but younger me would have loved going on adventures as a brown guy.
Once I made my character and decided on a class, I loaded into one of the most beautiful MMO worlds I have ever played in. I am blown away by how good this game looks. The spells look cool without being too busy, the attack animations are cool, and I love the monster design. Even the early-level boars look good in this game. The attention to detail in this game is astounding. There is a day and night cycle that will allow you to sit through some beautiful sunsets. I loved watching the blow through the grass as I ran through the large open fields. Based on the early levels, Blue Protocol brings a beautiful and immersive world that you should check out at least once. I can go on, but you need to see for yourself.
The early level is similar to any other MMO. I won’t spend too much time talking about the early levels. The early-level quests do a great job of teaching players the fundamental mechanics at a solid pace. There is a healthy population of players to help you if you get stuck. Most of the early-level quests are intuitive and don’t need translating. I did get stuck trying to get to adventure rank 2 to progress through the story, but this video does a great job explaining what to do if you get stuck:
Combat is where this game wins me over. I played the Spellcaster and loved it. There are five playable classes in Blue Protocol: Aegis Fighter, Twin Striker, Blast Archer, Spellcaster, and Heavy Smasher. Don’t stress about your choice too hard because you can change between classes freely later in the game. Choose whatever appeals to you most. I have only played Spellcaster and can’t speak on gameplay for the rest of the classes.
I love the magic mechanics of Blue Protocol. Spellcasters get a basic attack, a recharge action, 4 regular spell slots, and an ultimate. You have to stand still to cast a spell, but the kiting in this game feels so good. I never found myself standing still for too long, even when I was fighting low-level boars. What sets this game apart is how the mana regen mechanic. Mana either replenishes automatically after battles, with a spell you get early on, or with the recharge action. Combat becomes this fun game of managing your resources, kiting, and casting which I am all about now. Coming from the NGS magic system, combat took a bit of getting used to, but it is slowly becoming my favorite. I know for sure now that I will be a Spellcaster main.
I haven’t gotten too deep into the game, but I am enjoying the journey so far. The game looks great, runs perfectly, and it is a lot of fun. I don’t know how grindy it will be towards the end game. The early levels at least don’t haven’t felt grindy, although there are a bit too many fetch quests for my liking.
I have been searching for an MMO to replace the void Phantasy Star Online has left, and I think Blue Protocol might be the one. I have been enjoying it so much that I even stopped following the story because I want to enjoy it properly when it comes to the West. I do watch the cut scenes because the voice acting is fantastic. I will be playing Blue Protocol on the Japanese servers until the official Western release, or until I get banned for being American. Whichever comes first.
If you’ve been away from Destiny 2 for a while, it might be a good time to make your return, especially if you enjoyed its PVP. If you’ve never played Destiny 2, the base game is free-to-play, and the event is free to everyone. The Guardian Games pits its different classes against each other in a fun and limited event that runs for three weeks. The event will end on May 23rd, which should be plenty of time to grind out its unique cosmetics made available through the exclusive event card. The event card is available to all players, but there is a paid track for those who want to earn a bit more bling.
Players who participate in the games will have the opportunity to exchange their medallions for two exclusive weapons.
This year’s weapon is the Taraxippos, the game’s first legendary strand scout rifle.
Who wouldn’t want this colorful rifle?
Players can also earn last year’s The Title, a void machine gun with the unique perk, Repulsor Brace.
If you didn’t get a chance to win it last year, it’s a great time to start working towards it now.
You can also earn some other cool cosmetics like:
Armor
Ships and Sparrows
Ghost Shells
Emotes and Finishers
And Stuff from the Event Card
There is a lot to earn, so make sure you hop in today! The breakdown for earning medallions are as follows:
Activities that award you low-tier (Bronze or Silver) Medallions include Gambit and Quickplay Crucible matches, anything from the Vanguard playlists, as well as most Neptune activities and Defiant Battlegrounds. For high-tier (Gold and Platinum) Medallions, play Nightfalls, raids, dungeons, Competitive Crucible, Trials of Osiris, or Legend Defiant Battlegrounds.
You do not need the latest DLCs to participate in the event. While you might be at a disadvantage gear-wise, I never found it an issue as a free-to-play player. If it’s been a while or you’ve never played before, now is a great time to log in and start blinging out your guardian. Who knows? You might like the experience enough to stay.
To get started, talk to Eva Levante for access to the Guardian Games quest and your class item. I hope to see you there!
This year for the games, Bunjie has partnered with Direct Relief and the International Rescue Committee to host the Guardian Games Cup. All money raised will go to some great causes, so make sure you go to the official site to find out how to participate.
The Guardian Games are returning to Destiny 2, and now might be a great time to come back if you’ve been away. The event will pit guardians against each other as they compete to earn bragging rights and some pretty cool cosmetics. You won’t need the latest expansion to participate, so if you’ve been away for a while or are new to the title, it is completely free to play. Who knows, you might like the game enough to stay.
The Guardian Games begin on May 2nd and will run until the end of the Season of Defiance on May 23rd. To get started, speak with Eva Levante to unlock the Guardian Games quest and get your class item.
Participants will earn medals across the game or through PvP which they can exchange for exclusive cosmetics. More specifically:
Activities that award you low-tier (Bronze or Silver) Medallions include Gambit and Quickplay Crucible matches, anything from the Vanguard playlists, as well as most Neptune activities and Defiant Battlegrounds. For high-tier (Gold and Platinum) Medallions, play Nightfalls, raids, dungeons, Competitive Crucible, Trials of Osiris, or Legend Defiant Battlegrounds.
Use these medallions to unlock these year’s Guardian Games weapons:
The Traxippos – The first Legendary Strand Scout Rifle in the game
The Title – The Void Submachine Gun is back with updates, including the fan-favorite perk, Repulsor Brace
Players will also have access to the Guardian Games event card for additional cosmetics. There is a paid tier available for 1000 silver that might be worth it if you want the additional cosmetics.
This event also marks the return of the Guardian Games Cup. Anyone can join so make sure you grab your fire team and help raise money for some great causes. This year, Bungie is teaming up with International Rescue and Direct Relief. Participants of the cup will be fighting for the chance to win:
Top team in the Technical category: custom art of your fireteam by PherianArt
Top team in the Charitable category: custom art of your fireteam by Gammatrap
Top two teams in the Technical and Charitable categories: Guardian Games Pendant ($200 MSRP)
Top three teams in the Technical and Charitable categories: Apricot Dawn emblem
Top four teams in the Technical and Charitable categories: Bungie Store discount codes
The technical category is for the number of medallions earned throughout the event. The charitable category is for the amount of money raised. Make sure you go to the official website to register and start earning.
Participants who donate more than $25 will earn an exclusive Quantum Relay emblem.
I am terrible at PvP, but it might be a great time to dust off my old guardian to start earning some cosmetics.
I’ve written about Portal Fantasy in a previous post where I discuss my impressions of the game and Web3 gaming. Since then, I was given beta access and have had a deeper exposure to the game.
Portal Fantasyis a pixel art monster capture MMO coming to your favorite browser. While Portal Fantasy will have some Web3 features that will require a digital wallet, the game will be free to play. The beta is only available if you have a digital wallet, but setting up a wallet is very easy if you follow these instructions. Access to the beta isn’t guaranteed, so make sure you follow the game on Twitter or join the official Discord for news on when keys will drop. They hold regular contests and competitions for beta keys, so make sure you check in regularly.
The beta has you play as an adventurer who must travel the land catching porbles and completing quests. There is a story, but I recommend you go read the official webcomic instead. The story quests follow the same story as the comics, but the webcomic has a bit more flavor. I love the art for the comic, and the story is a lot darker than I expected. Reading the comic isn’t necessary, you will get the same story if you play through the game, but I appreciate the attempt at making the IP more than just the video game.
The game plays more like an RPG than a traditional Pokemon game. Catching, trading, and healing porbles play similarly to Pokemon, but the combat feels more like a traditional RPG. Each porble comes with unique abilities, but in battle, you only have access to the basic attack until you can generate enough mana to cast stronger abilities. Type advantages do matter, so make sure you learn them as soon as possible. I will say that the initial grind is a bit steep. In the early part of the game, I kept having to pop potions or run back to the fountain in the main town to heal my Porbles. If you’ve played any grindy JRPG or even the original Pokemon games, the grind isn’t bad.
GM! Been working on an EXP and levelling UI during battle. This is what we came up with! 💪
— Portal Fantasy 🔺 – Wishlist on Steam (@PortalFantasyio) April 17, 2023
Outside battles, you will be traveling to unique lands and solving puzzles. The puzzles are manageable, and the different ecosystems are unique. every location has its flavor, and exploring them was relaxing. When the architect class releases, players will get a chance to design their own maps, quests, and bases. I am very excited to see what the community will come up with.
— Portal Fantasy 🔺 – Wishlist on Steam (@PortalFantasyio) April 22, 2023
As far as the performance goes, it ran pretty well for a beta. It is unfair to talk about the bugs and other issues because the game isn’t finished yet. I will, however, commend the dev team for its diligence in fixing bugs. Bugs I would encounter one day would be gone the next. I tried repeating to break this game and found that it wouldn’t always break the same. It is clear that the game still needs work, but I have faith that there is enough passion, love, and diligence to get it done.
The art style gives me Scott Pilgrim vibes, and the porbles are cute and cool enough to make me want to collect them all. I like that the game plays on a browser because players won’t need an expensive machine to run the game. I am always in favor of games that don’t limit access to those who can’t afford it. It reminds me of the time when the only source of gaming I could afford was on the library’s computers. I know that this design choice was made to accommodate the Web3 side of things, but the resulting accessibility is a huge pro for me.
Portal Fantasy will have NFTs, but they are entirely optional. Porbles will be mintable and the game’s license will be an NFT you can purchase for $19.99. With a license, you will get a unique avatar to play and some to-be-announced quality-of-life bonuses, but nothing pay-to-win. If you ever choose to exit the game, you can sell your NFTS and make back some of the money you spent on it. I wouldn’t go into any game with NFTs thinking you’ll turn a profit, but it is nice to have the option to transfer assets when you’re done.
Gamers might dismiss this game because of the negative connotations surrounding Web3. While I understand the position, it is becoming invalid. We have entered the Web3 era of gaming, and there is no going back. Big companies have been slowly implementing these changes and will continue to do so. If you think about your gaming history, you have already purchased digital assets in the form of skins or digital licenses. The only difference between the skin you buy for your League of Legends character and an NFT is that you can’t sell your skins when you no longer want to play League. I am not here to sell you NFTs or even on Web3, but I do want to dismantle some of the apprehensions. It’s time to accept Web3 as the future of gaming. But before you dive into any game, make sure you do your own research.
So what do I think? I enjoyed my time with this game. I enjoy the lore and world, the art is cute, the music is fantastic, and the gameplay is relaxing. This might change for the PVP side and end game, but I wasn’t able to try either to be able to speak on it. I’d say that if you’ve enjoyed classic Pokemon or RPGs, you should look into this game. It certainly has potential. Make sure you follow them on Twitter and Discord to keep up on all the news, but in the meantime, go read the comic and get hyped.
