TheWitcherfranchise is currently on a bit of a hiatus, but that won’t last for too much longer. Developer CD Projekt Red has more than threeWitchergames confirmed to be in development, including a remake of the first game, a multiplayer spinoff, and a wholenewWitchersaga. That being said, it might still be a little while before fans get to see those newWitchertitles, which leaves plenty of room for similar games likeArcheAge Chronicles.
Just announced at Sony’s recent State of Play,ArcheAge Chroniclesis an online action-RPG set in the fantasy world of Auroria that sees players venture out and slay all manner of hulking beasts and monsters.ArcheAge Chronicles' reveal trailer showed off some fast and flashy combat, which might warrant a look fromWitcherfans.
ArcheAge Chronicles Sounds Like a Fun Stopgap for Witcher Fans
ArcheAge Chronicles Thrusts Players Into a Fantastical Political Mystery
ArcheAge Chroniclessees players venture tothe mysterious land of Auroria, an island once completely lost to the rest of the world that has just been rediscovered. Players take on the role of an experienced explorer known as a Pioneer, seeking to make a name for themselves in this rediscovered land. Soon after arriving at Auroria, players will become embroiled in a complex web of political intrigue, with them being witness to a tragic airship crash that has mysterious causes. This brief setup might remindWitcherfans of that series' own penchant for political sabotage and espionage.
ArcheAge Chronicles Puts an MMO Twist on Witcher’s Gameplay Loop
The primary focus ofArcheAge Chronicles' reveal trailerwas to show off the game’s impressive combat mechanics and visuals. The 1-minute-45-second trailer was essentially a sizzle reel of thrilling combat encounters, with the player-character facing off against ghostly knights with huge swords, a giant lightning-spewing serpent, an undead troll, and a humanoid foe shrouded in darkness. Each of these brief snippets teased a new type of playstyle forArcheAge Chronicles, such as a fast-moving one-handed axe build, a slower firearm-focused playstyle, and a traditional sword-wielder.
Heading toArcheAge Chronicles' Steam page confirms that these various playstyles will form a good portion of the game’s loop, with players needing to hunt monsters, gather resources from their defeated corpses, and use those resources to craft better gear. This gameplay loop should feel fairly familiar toWitcherfans.
But the big twist that setsArcheAge Chroniclesapart fromThe Witcheris that it’s actually an MMO. The long-awaited sequel to the 2013MMORPGArcheAge,ArcheAge Chroniclesis set to be another online video game in which players team up to hunt monsters, gather resources, craft new gear, trade with one another, and gradually build the fantasy town of their dreams through housing and farming mechanics.
WithCD Projekt Red’sWitchermultiplayer spinoffrestarting development back in March 2023, it’ll likely be a while before fans get to hunt monsters together in theWitcher’s fantasy world.ArcheAge Chroniclesmight be able to offer a similar experience for fans before then, though the MMO’s release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, so there’s no guarantee fans will be able to use it as a stopgap.
