''I can show you the world''
Worlds Adrift is a crafting exploration MMO by Bossa Studios. Taking a very unique approach to the MMO formula,the game tries to do something different from the norm and think outside the box for what an MMO experience should be. Does it work? Find out below.
I want to start off by saying this isn't going to be a typical review for me. In fact it's a little bit out of my realm to review an MMO because I've personally never have done it and it's a bit of a daunting task to do so. So for this I'm going to give my overall impressions based off things I've experienced or things I've picked up on during my time playing over the last several weeks. So this might not be as long as my normal reviews are. Let's see though...
Game play:
Worlds Adrift right off the bat you will notice does not play like your typical MMO. You don't immediately go into a storyline or big explanation of what's going on around you in regards to the world. Instead you are dropped off basically on a void and you're left to try to figure out how to get out of this barren room. It is then you'll notice you get a grappling hook and with this hook you'll be able to grab ledges and various other objects to be able to ascend or descend yourself using this tool. Trust me, you'll be using it quite a lot.
So like I just stated,you literally start off on a void of an island that floats in the air. Its your job now to gather enough items and knowledge(you gain knowledge by clicking things you find) in order to build your own airship or to stay alive. Once this is done you're able to freely explore to your hearts content,but don't get too excited about having an amazing airship right away because the first one you build is gonna look like complete crap and you will feel bad about that. Trust me :(
One of the most interesting aspects about this game is there is absolutely no story and there are no quests for you to take on during this journey through the game(that I found). Bossa Studios decided to take on a path for the game that made the game's success and the way the world itself is shaped,entirely dependent on the community itself. This means communities,societies,economy,pillaging,everything in the game is purely organic and is all player made. It's truly a fascinating concept when you first experience it yourself, but its long term viability is a thing that not only remains to be seen,but it will also depend on the amount of content the developers update this game with over a long period of time.
I guess the best way to describe Worlds Adrift is a third person survival MMO if you had to label it something. Do not go into it thinking it will be similar to Final Fantasy 11/14,World Of Warcraft,TERRA or any MMO you've played before, because if you do that, you will NOT enjoy this game. This is not for super hardcore MMO fans that like to spend hours and hours grinding on specific mobs to get dropped gear or tons of exp(though there are monsters to kill). This game is all about exploration,survival,gathering materials and a journey to discover more people out in the vast open world high up in the sky.
One of the most annoying and also the funniest aspects of this game that make it a complete survival game is yes, your ships CAN be attacked by asshole players who just want to reek havoc upon you. In fact many of them will not only destroy your ship that you've worked hard on building,but some people will also come up to you and completely rob you blind of all your hard earned possessions and it will suck. But in my time of playing the game, I was helped a lot by the community and it made my time more enjoyable because the community was set on getting societies up and running and building a community rather than destroying others fun in the game. But not everyone will have this same experience, so be prepared for some griefing.
Each island I came across seemed strangely different from the other as well when I explored. I think this is do to the hand creation tool and customization that the game offers. Islands can be custom built by players themselves and pushed out into the world for others to see and find,which makes the game ever expanding upon itself so there is always something new to see and discover. Its always a treat to discover a place you've never been to before and meet new people you never knew were that far out into the large white void of the clouds. It gives you a good feeling inside. This is something games like No Mans Sky tried to do,but completely whiffed and failed at it.
I want to touch upon something other than customization of the worlds themselves and exploration and talk a bit about the combat. The combat in this game from my time playing didn't really open up too much and it seems pretty basic,but hey,it does work. My options when playing were between being able to shoot and using a grappling hook and i'll tell you, I did manage to get into a fight or two. A thing that makes Worlds Adrift's combat both fun and basic at the same time is because of the combination you choose to use it in. For instance you can strafe left and right and jump around and shoot with to your hearts content, but then you can go and shoot your grappling hook at a pillar and swing over their head and continue to shoot them. It feels pretty great when done right. But when its done wrong, you feel like an idiot and hate yourself. I hate myself :(
Last thing I want to touch upon with the game play has to do with the style of format the game uses,which I'm sure you've guessed already. The game is all about PvP,everything single thing you want to do and accomplish involves PvP. You want to survive a long time? you need to pvp, you want to have a good time with friends? you need to pvp, you need items quick before you die? rob people and take all their hard earned goods with what? that's right pvp. Every bit of fun in this game requires players taken on other players and raiding each others bases and ships. You know what this makes me feel like? a damn sky pirate. This is just makes me feel like a Skies Of Arcadia in MMO fashion. That's not a bad thing.
Environment/Graphics:
The game too me looks pretty decent. It doesn't look that amazing,but on the flip side it doesn't look terrible either. In my opinion its like a love child between Fortnite and Team Fortress 2, if I had to pick the closest similarities to each other. It's all rendered nicely and very smooth,colors are very vibrant,well animated characters and the cloud effects when you fly through their puffy white mists are a thing of bliss. It does a good job with getting people immersed without having to fool you with a ton of bells and whistles and I feel that's a great compliment to give the developers at Bossa Studios for their efforts.
Overall thoughts:
I know this isn't as long as my usual reviews, but I told you this was only an impressions piece on the game, so stop yelling at me!. I actually think doing an impression piece on this game rather than a review actually does this game a bit justice. It does it a justice because a game like Worlds Adrift relies heavily on player immersion and player exploration. So if I dwell in depth about this game like I do others then the sense of wonder and bewilderment will be lost upon the player when he/she makes their first journey into the world and that is something I want to avoid at all costs.
Overall I feel Bossa Studios has the right idea with the formula idea they're using here with Worlds Adrift. The concept for an MMO is pretty unique to me personally and it's not something I've ever experienced on a scale like this before. However I feel there is some common sense skepticism that needs to be addressed regarding this games viable long term future,if it wants to have one. This game's future is going to rely heavily on how dedicated Bossa Studios is to keeping the community engaged and interested in playing. If the player base goes too long without meaningful content, then the game dies a pretty quick death due to 99.9% of the game leaning heavily on user created content.
However, the positive side of me doesn't think this will be an issue due to the fact of Bossa Studio treating this as a big passion project and as if it were their own child. So that points to a sign that they will stay focused and dedicated to their vision and if so, I'll be along for the ride to see where this goes. Count on it.
*Access to the game on STEAM provided by Bossa Studios
