Post by Morreion on Sept 7, 2023 7:56:56 GMT -5
The Game Archaeologist: Six cancelled MMOs that I wish had launched (Massively)
Thumbs up for Ultima X Odyssey and EQN, but no Wish? Come on! And what was the game that didn't release but turned into a gaming engine? I remember Serat was really looking forward to that one.
Ultima X Odyssey
It’s not that I’m a huge Ultima fan or anything — I’ve really only played Ultima VII to any great extent — but everything that I learned about this tenth title (which would have been a next-gen MMORPG) made me want it so bad.
Specifically, this looked like a much more accessible Ultima MMO with colorful and stylized graphics (like, huh, some other MMO I can’t recall), quests with choices that would change your character’s virtues, and a world that looked fun to explore. And it got close — so close, people! There was a beta, a soundtrack, articles on it, and it was canned right before we got to get our hands on it. Sigh.
EverQuest Next
This is an obvious gimme, but I must mention it anyway. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Daybreak for pulling the plug on this MMO. I adored how ambitious it was aiming to be, with flexible NPC scripting, modifiable landscape, collectible classes, and more. The graphics looked yummy (am I allowed to say that?), and the whole production genuinely felt like the next step for the EverQuest franchise.
Then a dev came out to tell us that it wasn’t fun so, you know, that was that.
It’s not that I’m a huge Ultima fan or anything — I’ve really only played Ultima VII to any great extent — but everything that I learned about this tenth title (which would have been a next-gen MMORPG) made me want it so bad.
Specifically, this looked like a much more accessible Ultima MMO with colorful and stylized graphics (like, huh, some other MMO I can’t recall), quests with choices that would change your character’s virtues, and a world that looked fun to explore. And it got close — so close, people! There was a beta, a soundtrack, articles on it, and it was canned right before we got to get our hands on it. Sigh.
EverQuest Next
This is an obvious gimme, but I must mention it anyway. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Daybreak for pulling the plug on this MMO. I adored how ambitious it was aiming to be, with flexible NPC scripting, modifiable landscape, collectible classes, and more. The graphics looked yummy (am I allowed to say that?), and the whole production genuinely felt like the next step for the EverQuest franchise.
Then a dev came out to tell us that it wasn’t fun so, you know, that was that.
Thumbs up for Ultima X Odyssey and EQN, but no Wish? Come on! And what was the game that didn't release but turned into a gaming engine? I remember Serat was really looking forward to that one.
