https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:44:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432949 My initial impression of the Diablo IV open beta was lukewarm at best, but I did hold some hope that the second beta weekend might change things. This second beta opened up two more classes, the Necromancer and the Druid, and those also happened to be the classes that most appealed to me on paper. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/29/not-so-massively-second-impressions-of-diablo-iv/feed/ 42 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/#comments Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431559 Speaking as a long-time fan of the game, I think the post-launch management of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem has been an absolute mess. There have been long content draughts. The game moved to a seasonal content model called Chronicles, only to never release a second Chronicle. Wolcen Studio went years without concluding the cliff-hanger the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/27/not-so-massively-wolcens-endgame-is-one-of-online-gamings-all-time-worst-blunders/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2023 16:00:31 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431216 Most MMO players will admit to feeling the need to step away from the multiplayer genre from time to time. This seems especially true for those enjoying PvP games, which are typically filled with adrenaline, quick reflexes, and at times toxicity and varied amounts of salt. It recently occurred to me that I’ve been indulging […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/25/mmo-burnout-mass-effects-legendary-edition-modernizes-a-classic/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-destiny-2s-lightfall-through-the-lens-of-a-long-lapsed-player/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-destiny-2s-lightfall-through-the-lens-of-a-long-lapsed-player/#comments Tue, 21 Mar 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431377 Destiny 2 and I have a long and kind of weird history. I was along for the ride when this game first launched primarily because I had enough fun with the first game to warrant wanting to be there at the jump with the sequel. And for the most part, I had a good time, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-destiny-2s-lightfall-through-the-lens-of-a-long-lapsed-player/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-diablo-iv-resurrecting-diablo-ii-once-again/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-diablo-iv-resurrecting-diablo-ii-once-again/#comments Tue, 21 Mar 2023 15:20:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431485 If franchise media has taught us anything, it’s that sequels which take risks and aren’t universally beloved cause the parent company to panic and yank the next entry back to the original. Almost slavishly so. Think how Temple of Doom led to Last Crusade or Last Jedi to Rise of Skywalker. Make no mistake, this […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/21/first-impressions-of-diablo-iv-resurrecting-diablo-ii-once-again/feed/ 59 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/20/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-beta-brings-the-horror-but-not-the-fun/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/20/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-beta-brings-the-horror-but-not-the-fun/#comments Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=431569 I have been pretty critical of the direction of Diablo IV so far, but franchise loyalty and professional obligation nonetheless led me to accept the offer of a press invite to this past weekend’s “early access to open beta” event. Based on Blizzard‘s recent history, I had expected D4 to have a very bland, derivative […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/20/not-so-massively-diablo-ivs-beta-brings-the-horror-but-not-the-fun/feed/ 58 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/27/not-so-massively-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes-new-pve-mode/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/27/not-so-massively-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes-new-pve-mode/#respond Mon, 27 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=426183 Back in 2021, I took a look at an early version of dragon-riding arena shooter Century: Age of Ashes. I found that its core gameplay held promise, but the game was at the time far too unfinished to deliver on that promise. Since then, Century has launched out of early access, and it’s recently added […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/27/not-so-massively-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes-new-pve-mode/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=426411 I’ve been playing multiplayer shooters since I discovered DOOM 2’s dialup modem DOS commands, and it’s a genre I find myself returning to every so often. Despite the sometimes toxic reputation of PvP shooters, there’s no denying that they’ve come a long way since the days of one-on-one deathmatch. Most recently, I’ve stumbled upon WWII […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/16/why-i-play-black-matters-shooter-hell-let-loose-scratches-my-rts-itch/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/13/not-so-massively-voidtrains-next-fest-demo-leaves-a-terrible-first-impression/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/13/not-so-massively-voidtrains-next-fest-demo-leaves-a-terrible-first-impression/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=426193 It’s hard to find a survival game with an original premise these days. Dinosaurs? Done. Alien worlds? Done. Zombies? Done to (un)death. But how about a survival game where you pilot a steampunk freight train through a surreal transdimensional nether realm? That… that sounds interesting. It was that intriguing premise that led me to check […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/13/not-so-massively-voidtrains-next-fest-demo-leaves-a-terrible-first-impression/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/09/not-so-massively-dark-envoys-demo-is-where-rpg-meets-rts/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/09/not-so-massively-dark-envoys-demo-is-where-rpg-meets-rts/#respond Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=425741 A while back I stumbled across the Steam page for co-op CRPG Dark Envoy and had the thought it could be fun to play with a gamer friend of mine. I’ve kept it on my wishlist ever since, and when developer Event Horizon offered Massively OP a demo code ahead of the demo’s public release, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/09/not-so-massively-dark-envoys-demo-is-where-rpg-meets-rts/feed/ 0 https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/02/not-so-massively-why-im-not-playing-lost-ark/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/02/not-so-massively-why-im-not-playing-lost-ark/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=420671 Back at launch, I played Lost Ark quite heavily for some time, eventually racking up over 100 hours in the game and generally enjoying myself as I did. When I left to do other things, I thought it was likely a temporary break, but months have gone by, and that break is starting to look […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/02/not-so-massively-why-im-not-playing-lost-ark/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/11/not-so-massively-eternal-card-game-is-a-solo-friendly-hidden-gem/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/11/not-so-massively-eternal-card-game-is-a-solo-friendly-hidden-gem/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=404875 Over the past year or so I’ve developed what you might call a bit of an interest in collectible card games. Mostly I play with physical cards, but sometimes I don’t have the energy to track all the game effects myself. On those days, a digital card game would be welcome. I’ve dabbled with Magic: […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/11/not-so-massively-eternal-card-game-is-a-solo-friendly-hidden-gem/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/20/not-so-massively-enduring-space-punks-sensory-onslaught/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/20/not-so-massively-enduring-space-punks-sensory-onslaught/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=392613 I’ve been meaning to check out Space Punks, the new isometric shooter from developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Jagex, since it launched its free open beta, but I’ve been distracted by other recent releases, the grind in Lost Ark, and the surprisingly addictive new mode in Iron Harvest. At last, I found some room […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/20/not-so-massively-enduring-space-punks-sensory-onslaught/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/06/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-diablo-immortal-on-pc/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/06/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-diablo-immortal-on-pc/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=390963 There was a time when the release of a new Diablo game might have been a big deal for me. But I’ve never been much of a mobile gamer, so Immortal wasn’t initially very high on my watchlist, and by the time the PC version was announced… well, [gestures vaguely at every Blizzard headline for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/06/06/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-diablo-immortal-on-pc/feed/ 49 https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/17/not-so-massively-hands-on-with-v-rising-early-access/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/17/not-so-massively-hands-on-with-v-rising-early-access/#comments Tue, 17 May 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=388391 I’m still searching for a survival game that fits me. I enjoy a lot of the survival experience, but the games as a whole never really deliver what I’m looking for. Enter V Rising, a new survival sandbox with the twist that you are playing an ancient vampire come to retake their dominion over humans […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/17/not-so-massively-hands-on-with-v-rising-early-access/feed/ 28 https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/09/not-so-massively-nothing-can-prepare-you-for-craftopias-weirdness/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/09/not-so-massively-nothing-can-prepare-you-for-craftopias-weirdness/#comments Mon, 09 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=382701 While I like many survival mechanics, I’ve struggled to get into actual survival games. Despite that, I’ve kept one eye on the early access title Craftopia, as I was impressed by its broad feature list and attractive art style. Thanks to yet another free month of Game Pass for PC (they give those out like […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/05/09/not-so-massively-nothing-can-prepare-you-for-craftopias-weirdness/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/26/not-so-massively-dune-spice-wars-targets-a-very-small-niche/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/26/not-so-massively-dune-spice-wars-targets-a-very-small-niche/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=385138 Unpopular opinion time: I never liked Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. I do, however, acknowledge that the setting has a lot of cool ideas, and I did play an awful lot of Westwood Studios‘ Dune RTS games back in the day. Based on that vague tingle of nostalgia, I accepted the offer a preview code for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/26/not-so-massively-dune-spice-wars-targets-a-very-small-niche/feed/ 21 https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/11/interview-lost-arks-regional-parity-genderlocking-and-the-amazon-smilegate-collaboration/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/11/interview-lost-arks-regional-parity-genderlocking-and-the-amazon-smilegate-collaboration/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=382710 A few days before the western release of Lost Ark, we posed questions to the Amazon Games team, and franchise lead Soomin Park was kind enough to answer us last week. While it’s a tiny bit belated given the time lapse here, many of the questions are still just as valid here in April. We […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/04/11/interview-lost-arks-regional-parity-genderlocking-and-the-amazon-smilegate-collaboration/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/28/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-junk-food-gaming-in-a-good-way/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/28/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-junk-food-gaming-in-a-good-way/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=376969 Having originally played the alpha and the beta, I thought my plan for Lost Ark would be to play other things for the first few weeks and return once the launch rush had died down. And yet there I was on the first day of early access thanks to an Amazon press account, and since […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/28/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-junk-food-gaming-in-a-good-way/feed/ 18 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/14/not-so-massively-the-anacrusis-is-nowhere-near-ready-for-launch/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/14/not-so-massively-the-anacrusis-is-nowhere-near-ready-for-launch/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=374965 The Anacrusis is a four-player co-op shooter intended to be a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. I was never a particularly big L4D fan, having only dabbled with it briefly several years ago, but the unique retro-futuristic aesthetic of Anacrusis caught my eye enough for me to give the early access version a whirl […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/14/not-so-massively-the-anacrusis-is-nowhere-near-ready-for-launch/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/not-so-massively-shadow-of-war-plays-fast-and-loose-but-hits-the-mark/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/not-so-massively-shadow-of-war-plays-fast-and-loose-but-hits-the-mark/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=372672 Like many of you, I suspect, I have myriad games in my backlog. These neglected titles were typically obtained on sale at a point in time when my gaming life was consumed by another game or two. Most times, I even forget about them soon after purchase and only discover them again while auditing my […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/not-so-massively-shadow-of-war-plays-fast-and-loose-but-hits-the-mark/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/02/not-so-massively-hearthstones-lunar-new-year-apex-legends-defiance-lols-renata/ Wed, 02 Feb 2022 23:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=373371 Welcome back to a quick roundup of news and events in the Not-So-Massively multiplayer realm! Hearthstone – Lunar New Year begins in Blizzard’s OTCG as of today, with a player-designed card back, the Lunar Blessings tavern brawl, a legendary quest chain, and so many skins. In Hearthstone, Lunar New Year arrives on Feb 2! 🧨 […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/18/not-so-massively-making-the-case-for-dungeon-siege-iv/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/18/not-so-massively-making-the-case-for-dungeon-siege-iv/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=370839 Dungeon Siege is not the biggest name in ARPG field, but the franchise has always been dear to my heart. It’s now been more than 10 years since the release of the last game (gods, I feel old), and I think that’s long enough. Today, I’d like to reflect on what made these games great […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/18/not-so-massively-making-the-case-for-dungeon-siege-iv/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/24/massively-ops-2021-awards-nsm-game-of-the-year/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/24/massively-ops-2021-awards-nsm-game-of-the-year/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=365694 Welcome back to Massively Overpowered’s formal end-of-the-year awards! Today’s award is for the Not-So-Massively Game of the Year for 2021, which was awarded to Genshin Impact and Animal Crossing New Horizons last year. The games eligible for this category are online games that generally aren’t considered traditional MMORPGs; they’re MOBAs, online dungeon crawlers, ARPGs, online shooters, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/24/massively-ops-2021-awards-nsm-game-of-the-year/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/21/not-so-massively-godfalls-challenger-edition-is-a-flawed-introduction-to-a-flawed-game/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/21/not-so-massively-godfalls-challenger-edition-is-a-flawed-introduction-to-a-flawed-game/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=367535 I’ve been keeping one eye on Godfall for a while. I didn’t want to take a chance on a game from a new franchise with a triple-A price tag without some way to try it first, but the idea intrigued me. Enter the new Challenger Edition, a funky not-quite-demo that boosts you to max level […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/21/not-so-massively-godfalls-challenger-edition-is-a-flawed-introduction-to-a-flawed-game/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/08/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-a-promising-mmoarpg-with-a-poor-first-impression/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/08/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-a-promising-mmoarpg-with-a-poor-first-impression/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=361039 Like many ARPG fans, I have long-awaited the Western release of Smilegate‘s MMOARPG, Lost Ark. Though the launch has been delayed to next year, I, alongside MOP’s Chris, was recently granted access to an early beta preview of the Western version of the game. I did play in a previous alpha test for the Western […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/08/not-so-massively-lost-ark-is-a-promising-mmoarpg-with-a-poor-first-impression/feed/ 39 https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/not-so-massively-age-of-empires-iv-is-a-thoughtful-love-letter-to-the-past/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/not-so-massively-age-of-empires-iv-is-a-thoughtful-love-letter-to-the-past/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=355256 Folks who grew up gamers probably all have a few games or franchises that just defined our childhoods. For me, one of those franchises is Age of Empires. It showed me that history could be both fascinating and exciting, and it helped spark my lifelong love for the RTS genre. It was thus with high […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/09/27/not-so-massively-age-of-empires-iv-is-a-thoughtful-love-letter-to-the-past/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/30/not-so-massively-diablo-ii-resurrected-is-a-lot-of-old-school-jank-in-a-pretty-wrapper/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/30/not-so-massively-diablo-ii-resurrected-is-a-lot-of-old-school-jank-in-a-pretty-wrapper/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=351104 I admit I debated whether I should write this column at all: After all that’s happened lately, giving coverage to Blizzard games doesn’t feel quite right. But for better or for worse, it is still a big name, and its games are still big news. ARPGs are on of the chief genres covered by the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/30/not-so-massively-diablo-ii-resurrected-is-a-lot-of-old-school-jank-in-a-pretty-wrapper/feed/ 104 https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/02/not-so-massively-magic-the-gathering-arena-is-great-but-it-cant-replace-magic-legends/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/02/not-so-massively-magic-the-gathering-arena-is-great-but-it-cant-replace-magic-legends/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=347461 I’ve been playing a bit more of Magic: Legends lately — might as well enjoy it while I can — and two things have really struck me: Yes, it really is a dumpster fire, and yes, I really do like it. I am going to miss it when it sunsets this fall. That wistful feeling […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/08/02/not-so-massively-magic-the-gathering-arena-is-great-but-it-cant-replace-magic-legends/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/20/not-so-massively-wolcens-roadmap-is-missing-some-important-things/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/20/not-so-massively-wolcens-roadmap-is-missing-some-important-things/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2021 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=345435 In the past, I’ve been pretty free with my praise for Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. I’ve gotten nearly a hundred hours of good fun out of it, and I hope to see it continue to grow. But I am growing concerned. The team behind the game recently released a list of its planned updates for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/20/not-so-massively-wolcens-roadmap-is-missing-some-important-things/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/05/not-so-massively-magic-legends-had-all-the-right-ideas-and-all-the-wrong-choices/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/05/not-so-massively-magic-legends-had-all-the-right-ideas-and-all-the-wrong-choices/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=342839 This is the worst kind of column to write. Not only am I reporting on the closure of a game, but it’s a game I enjoyed. I can’t pretend to be too shocked by the news, of course. Even as I appreciated it, I have to admit Magic: Legends was a deeply flawed game. This […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/05/not-so-massively-magic-legends-had-all-the-right-ideas-and-all-the-wrong-choices/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/21/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-dungeons-dragons-dark-alliance/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/21/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-dungeons-dragons-dark-alliance/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=340366 I’ll admit I had low expectations for the new co-op action game Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance. The graphics looked a bit dated, and the trailers made it seem a pretty campy. But I play a heroic amount of D&D IRL, and I like action games, so how bad could it be? “How bad could […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/21/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-dungeons-dragons-dark-alliance/feed/ 31 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/07/not-so-massively-iron-harvests-operation-eagle-expansion-soars-high/ Mon, 07 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=339291 The lead-up to the release of Iron Harvest 1920‘s first expansion was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me (insomuch as you can ever apply that term to something as trivial as a game release). On the one hand, as is now well-documented in this column, I’m a big fan of the game, and […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/24/not-so-massively-magic-legends-has-already-made-big-changes-but-theres-more-to-do/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/24/not-so-massively-magic-legends-has-already-made-big-changes-but-theres-more-to-do/#comments Mon, 24 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=337335 Even as someone who enjoys the game, I have to admit that Magic: Legends had a very rough launch, with numerous polish issues and a relative lack of content. Last week saw the game’s largest post-launch patch to date, and previous patches have made positive changes as well, but there are still issues that need […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/24/not-so-massively-magic-legends-has-already-made-big-changes-but-theres-more-to-do/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/26/not-so-massively-checking-up-on-multiplayer-rts-iron-harvest-1920/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/26/not-so-massively-checking-up-on-multiplayer-rts-iron-harvest-1920/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=333280 Last fall, this column covered Iron Harvest 1920, an alternate history RTS with a strong multiplayer emphasis and surprisingly poignant story-telling. Once I got into the full game, it only continued to impress, and I’ve been following it since. I thought now might be a good time to take stock of how Iron Harvest has […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/26/not-so-massively-checking-up-on-multiplayer-rts-iron-harvest-1920/feed/ 2 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/12/not-so-massively-four-things-i-wish-id-known-when-i-started-magic-legends/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/12/not-so-massively-four-things-i-wish-id-known-when-i-started-magic-legends/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=331137 Inevitably after a couple weeks in a new game, you’ve learned a few things that you wish you’d known from the start. For me right now, that game is Magic: Legends. While I can’t go back and tell my past self what I know now, I can share it with you, the community, in the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/12/not-so-massively-four-things-i-wish-id-known-when-i-started-magic-legends/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/29/not-so-massively-magic-legends-is-messy-deep-and-more-of-an-mmo-than-you-think/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/29/not-so-massively-magic-legends-is-messy-deep-and-more-of-an-mmo-than-you-think/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=328914 I can’t remember the last time I struggled so much deciding whether I like a game or not. I’m a fan of ARPGs, and while I haven’t played Magic: The Gathering since elementary school, I remember finding the world and lore really neat, so I’ve had no small amount of hype in my heart for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/29/not-so-massively-magic-legends-is-messy-deep-and-more-of-an-mmo-than-you-think/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/15/not-so-massively-checking-the-pulse-of-star-wars-battlefront-ii/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/15/not-so-massively-checking-the-pulse-of-star-wars-battlefront-ii/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=326543 As I am someone who is at best lukewarm to the Star Wars franchise, nearly as ambivalent toward shooters, and almost entirely uninterested in competitive play, Star Wars Battlefront II is not a game that was ever on my radar. If not for its infamous lockbox fiasco, I may have never given it a second […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/15/not-so-massively-checking-the-pulse-of-star-wars-battlefront-ii/feed/ 4 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/10/not-so-massively-outriders-demo-teases-a-decent-but-unremarkable-looter-shooter/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/10/not-so-massively-outriders-demo-teases-a-decent-but-unremarkable-looter-shooter/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=325601 Outriders, the new co-op shooter from publisher Square Enix, is not a game I’ve followed super closely, but with Anthem consigned to eternal purgatory, I could use a new sci-fi shooter in my life, and developer People Can Fly has been kind enough to provide a free public demo prior to the April 1st launch, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/10/not-so-massively-outriders-demo-teases-a-decent-but-unremarkable-looter-shooter/feed/ 32 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/01/not-so-massively-a-eulogy-for-anthem-and-defiance/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/01/not-so-massively-a-eulogy-for-anthem-and-defiance/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=324902 Last week was a bloodbath. In a single day, we saw Electronic Arts consign one game to eternal maintenance mode, and Gamigo announced closures for not one, not two, but three different MMOs. Of course, two of these doomed games — Anthem and Defiance — are near and dear to myself and the Not So […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/01/not-so-massively-a-eulogy-for-anthem-and-defiance/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/15/not-so-massively-torchlight-iii-is-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/15/not-so-massively-torchlight-iii-is-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=322307 Last summer in this very column, I argued that ARPGs are the pizza of gaming: Even when they’re bad, they’re still pretty good. The Torchlight games feel like the best example of that. They’ve never done anything to separate themselves from the pack; they just do the bare minimum needed to provide a functional ARPG […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/15/not-so-massively-torchlight-iii-is-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/05/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/05/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=320743 Dragons are ubiquitous to the point of over-exposure in gaming these days. And yet for all that, there are still very few games that let us command the power of a dragon ourselves. I think we’re all a bit sick of fighting dragons, but I know I for one am still hungry to play as […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/05/not-so-massively-first-impressions-of-century-age-of-ashes/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/01/not-so-massively-wolcens-bloodtrail-is-worth-coming-back-for/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/01/not-so-massively-wolcens-bloodtrail-is-worth-coming-back-for/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=319926 I’ve been a fan of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem from the start, but with how long things went quiet after the initial post-launch updates, I was starting to get worried. Thankfully, the silence has now been broken with the launch of the first Chronicle, Bloodtrail, which brings with it plentiful polishing as well as new […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/02/01/not-so-massively-wolcens-bloodtrail-is-worth-coming-back-for/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/18/not-so-massively-haven-is-a-noble-but-failed-experiment-in-couples-gaming/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/18/not-so-massively-haven-is-a-noble-but-failed-experiment-in-couples-gaming/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=317677 This is purely anecdotal, but it has been my experience that most people who play games with other people tend to spend most of their time in groups of just two or three players. Very often, people play with their significant others. Despite that, games designed specifically for couples aren’t something you see a lot […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/18/not-so-massively-haven-is-a-noble-but-failed-experiment-in-couples-gaming/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/04/not-so-massively-drake-hollow-is-the-wholesome-survival-game-we-need-right-now/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/04/not-so-massively-drake-hollow-is-the-wholesome-survival-game-we-need-right-now/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=312351 I’ve talked in the past about liking survival mechanics in games, but not so much survival games themselves. There are a couple of reasons for this, one being the genre’s cutthroat PvP focus. This has left me hungry for a good PvE survival game. For a time, Fortnite seemed like it could provide that, but […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/01/04/not-so-massively-drake-hollow-is-the-wholesome-survival-game-we-need-right-now/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/21/not-so-massively-looking-back-at-2020-and-ahead-to-2021-in-the-realm-of-not-so-massively-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/21/not-so-massively-looking-back-at-2020-and-ahead-to-2021-in-the-realm-of-not-so-massively-games/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=312341 So another year comes, and the last one’s gone, and we dig deep just to carry on. Musical allusions notwithstanding, I thought it might be good to look back at some of the big not-so-massively stories of the past year, as well as look ahead to what’s ahead. The year that was While I haven’t […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/12/21/not-so-massively-looking-back-at-2020-and-ahead-to-2021-in-the-realm-of-not-so-massively-games/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/26/not-so-massively-starcraft-iis-maintenance-mode-doesnt-mean-game-over/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/26/not-so-massively-starcraft-iis-maintenance-mode-doesnt-mean-game-over/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=306846 Earlier this month, we learned that Blizzard was effectively putting StarCraft II into maintenance mode. Considering what a massive fan of StarCraft II I am, you may be surprised to learn that I am largely fine with this. I don’t think this contradicts my earlier assertion that StarCraft II has been Blizzard’s best-managed property in […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/26/not-so-massively-starcraft-iis-maintenance-mode-doesnt-mean-game-over/feed/ 1 https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/12/not-so-massively-reflections-on-blizzard-one-year-after-the-hong-kong-fiasco/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/12/not-so-massively-reflections-on-blizzard-one-year-after-the-hong-kong-fiasco/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=304844 Almost exactly a year ago, I declared that the Blizzard I loved is dead, in reaction to the Blitzchung/Hearthstone/Hong Kong fiasco. Twelve months later, that story has largely faded into the mists of history, recollected only by the occasional angry comment from those still holding a grudge over it. Now seems like a good time […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/10/12/not-so-massively-reflections-on-blizzard-one-year-after-the-hong-kong-fiasco/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/28/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-single-player-games/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/28/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-single-player-games/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2020 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=302708 In my last Not So Massively column, I looked at the right and wrong ways for other genres to steal from MMOs. But in our current climate of blurring genres, that’s a two-way street. Just as small games can benefit from borrowing from the MMO playbook, so too can MMOs take some cues from their […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/28/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-single-player-games/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/14/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-mmos/ https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/14/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-mmos/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2020 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=300548 Recently I played through the new PC port of the open world RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. While playing it, I was struck by how much it felt like playing an MMORPG… but in all the wrong ways. Endless chores, forgettable side quests, and unfocused design. That’s not to say that the game doesn’t also have […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/14/not-so-massively-the-dos-and-donts-of-stealing-from-mmos/feed/ 18