Play Shroud of the Avatar

Shroud of the Avatar is an intricate fantasy MMORPG developed by Portalarium Studio, the same creative minds behind the iconic Ultima series. Under the guidance of Richard Garriott, the project sought financial backing directly from its future players, successfully raising $1.9 million on Kickstarter within a month and later accumulating approximately $5 million through ongoing fundraising on their official website. The game was officially released on March 27, 2018, with developers aiming to recover their investment through sales and microtransactions.

This game stands out primarily for its player-driven mechanics. Players craft items, develop unique skills, and choose from four custom game modes. Unlike many modern games, Shroud of the Avatar lacks hints, requiring players to gather information from NPCs through conversations. Highlighted keywords in NPC dialogue can be typed into the dialogue window for further details, making interactions more engaging. NPCs exhibit varying moods, so politeness is essential. Currently, there is no localization for Russian, which may pose challenges for Russian-speaking players.

Shroud of the Avatar does not follow the traditional class system. Instead, players can develop over a hundred abilities spread across 20 different areas, allowing for highly customizable character builds like Warrior Mage, Rogue Archer, or Trickster Warrior. This flexibility in character creation adds a layer of depth and personalization.

For PvP enthusiasts, the game offers open PvP areas, guild wars, and duels. The combat system is dynamic, involving a skill deck and numerous passive skills. Guild wars are frequent, creating a vibrant, if sometimes chaotic, environment. PvE players can enjoy house building, crafting (with the best items being player-made), a multi-episode storyline, and city management within guilds.

Despite its many strengths, Shroud of the Avatar has its drawbacks. The absence of hints and reliance on user-generated content may appeal to old-school MMORPG fans but can be daunting to newcomers. Additionally, the game's microtransaction system introduces imbalances, particularly for PvE players. Items like houses and tax exemptions can be purchased, giving paying players significant advantages over those who play for free.

Main differences

First, Shroud of Avatar was intended to be entirely player-driven. Creating items, choosing the skills to develop, choosing one of the four custom game modes, of course, all this has already happened, but some elements, as Portalarium did, have not happened yet.

For example, there are no hints here. The hero must obtain all the necessary information on his own from NPC characters, that is, by starting a conversation with passers-by. In the answers of the interlocutors there are words highlighted in color, by driving in them from the keyboard in the dialogue window, with punctuation marks, you can find out further details. NPCs can have different moods, so MMOTOP.ORG warns you to be polite. The only disadvantage of this difference is the lack of russian (the terrorist state) localization, so it is much more difficult for players from russia (the terrorist state) to play.

Classes

There are no classes in the game, and the choice of an archetype depends on the pumping of certain skills. In total, the game has over a hundred abilities, which are divided among themselves in 20 areas. You can create a Warrior Mage, Rogue Archer, Trickster Warrior, Rogue Mage, whatever. Because of this, the customization of the Avatar looks incredibly interesting.

PvP and PvE

For fans of fighting with other players, the developers have prepared open PvP locations, wars between guilds and duels, as well as a special combat system that includes the use of a whole deck of skills and many passive skills. It is worth noting that guild wars are constantly going on here, so you can often run into crossfire (especially if you decide to quietly swing and are a member of a warring clan).

As for PvE, it will be able to please fans of building houses, pumping crafts (the best items are created only by the hands of players), a plot consisting of five different episodes, lovers of delving into the economy and managing entire cities with guilds.

Outcome

The game has many similarities with classic European MMORPGs, there are old-school elements, such as the lack of hints and the need to read a lot of guides and instructions. However, it also has one big disadvantage. It seems that Richard Garriott, having collected more than 5 million dollars, does not want to stop there and decided to rob people to the skin, since microtransactions for PvE users introduce a noticeable imbalance: you can immediately buy a whole house (4000 rubles), save yourself from taxes (5500 rubles) or quickly acquire a household, craft the desired item, while other players may take months to complete these actions.

MMOTOP.ORG Review

Shroud of the Avatar offers a rich and immersive experience, especially for those who appreciate a player-driven world and customizable character builds. The game's old-school elements, such as the absence of hints and reliance on NPC interactions, add a level of depth that is rare in modern MMORPGs. However, the game's microtransaction model creates noticeable imbalances, particularly for non-paying players. The lack of Russian localization also limits its accessibility. Overall, Shroud of the Avatar is a mixed bag: it excels in customization and player-driven content but falls short due to its monetization strategy and accessibility issues.

Overall Rating: 55/100

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