Mythos Preview

Games Radar has put together a four-page preview of Mythos based on time they’ve spent during closed beta testing of Flagship Studios’ massively multiplayer action RPG.

What really impressed us about Mythos was the open-to-everyone, community thinking behind the game. For a start, it’s free, always a bonus to all, except those so disgustingly rich they can laugh heartily as they throw another bundle of fifties of the fire to roast a peasant. The game is going to be a totally gratis download with no subscription fees, funded entirely by optional real money transactions. We know that this is where you might begin to fear some stealthy back-door charges to those wanting to play more than a cut-down version of the game, but we’ve been assured that not partaking in the RMTs won’t penalise the player in any way. You’ll still have to actually play the game to find the best loot, and that stuff will still be available to non-paying players by trading the in-game currency if you want to save yourself the effort.

Mythos has also developed organically, from the base of a very strong community. It’s being created by a small team who are very much in touch with the players, and has been formed predominantly through the interaction between those two groups. We got the sense that there’s a really enthusiastic indie spirit behind this one when we talked to Flagship. With no publishers wielding a corporate hitting-stick, it’s really turning into a people’s game.

Additionally, the player-to-player interaction elements are being made as easy as possible too. With on-the-fly community and party-building options, what amount to classified ads for players looking to hook up, and a centralised marketplace, you need not worry about having to vainly spam chat channels hoping for the best. Everything’s set up for you. Combine all that with a lack of obligation to play for hours on end, and you’ve got what looks like it may well be the world’s first party RPG in both senses of the word.

Personally, I’d rather pay full price for a game and eschew the whole “micro transaction” concept. The minute a game says “free to play”, I get the feeling that there are going to be too many annoyances for it to be as enjoyable as it should be.

Am I wrong?