MetaCene

Metacene is an action-packed MMORPG by Pangu Software. This game combines traditional MMORPG mechanics with anime-style characters, deep lore, and innovative Web3 integrations. Players are invited to explore landscapes, participate in intense PVP and PVE battles, and shape their own paths by forming or joining Guilds. 

Metacene offers endless adventures set a futuristic world, paired up with a robust player-owned economy. Let's take a look and review what Metacene has to offer.

Gameplay

Upon entering Metacene, you'll find yourself in an anime-style world reminiscent of titles like Genshin Impact and other JRPGs. The setting is distinctly futuristic, complete with laser guns, elemental swords, and numerous robots. The game makes you feel like you are the protagonist of an Anime.
True to classic MMO mechanics, you'll start by clearing several main quests and leveling up your character. Metacene makes this process easier, making it more accessible than many other games as the game uses clear indicators and auto movement to guide the players on their quests. 

Choose Your Weapon

Metacene offers a unique twist on the traditional class system by focusing on weapon selection. Players can choose from a diverse array of weapons, including Blades, EMGuns, Boxing Gloves, and Quantum Blasters. 
Each weapon brings its own unique skill set, which can be unlocked and further developed as players progress through the game. Punch your way through melee combat with the gloves or sword, or have a Blast (pun intended) with the blasters.  You're not confined to your initial choice of weapon and can experiment with different weapons as you acquire them. 

I like this take on an MMORPG Class system as players won't be locked to a certain class/weapon, and character progress will not be lost when changing weapons. 

Level Up

Another staple of MMORPGs is the endless leveling up of your character and gear, and Metacene is right on point with this classic mechanic. You can boost your character's power by racking up XP from quest completions, monster slayings, and XP boosters. Gear and weapons aren't left behind either as you can level them up again and again. Just feed them the right items to enhance and upgrade, and you’ll see the results in your character’s power level.

One thing about Metacene is that you have to manually attack the mobs in order to clear them, so it would take some time to grind if you're looking to power-level your character. 

Mining, Farming and Earning $MUD

In classic MMORPGs, farming is a key gameplay element, whether it’s grinding mobs or harvesting valuable materials for trade. In Metacene, the primary currency is called MUD, and there are plenty of ways to accumulate it. One of the simplest methods is using your Mining Mecha, a device you can place in mining areas on the map which will then yield valuable ores.

The type of Mecha you deploy and the duration of mining will influence the quantity of ores you receive. It's important to note that you don’t get MUD directly from the Mecha. Instead, you collect valuable ores, which you can then synthesize into those precious MUD tokens. Additionally, you can boost your MUD stash by farming high-demand items like Spirits, which are crucial for leveling up skills. These sought-after resources can be traded in the player marketplace, where they fetch a good price. Similarly, gear and weapons that you pick up from random mob drops can also be traded for MUD.

In my opinion, this approach to ecosystem tokens makes the game accessible to both paying players and free-to-play players. Players who already possess Metacene assets have an advantage in mining MUD tokens through their enhanced version of Mining mechas. On the other hand, free-to-play players can farm core items and other loot, earning MUD by trading through the player marketplace.

Boss Hunting

Boss hunting is a key feature in MMORPG gameplay, and Metacene adds a unique twist to it. Powerful bosses appear across the game map, each possibly carrying valuable NFT loot. The catch? The player who lands the final blow gets the loot. This last-hit mechanic adds an extra layer of strategy, as players might swoop in at the last moment to snatch the prize. It makes boss fights more competitive, with players vying not only against the boss but also against each other to secure that final hit.

PVP and Guilds

Oh, so you're into MMORPGs for the thrill of taking down other players and snagging their loot? (yes you can lose your items when you die in Metacene) Then Metacene might just be your kind of game. It offers two main PVP modes: Peace, where player combat is strictly prohibited, and Killing, which opens the door for attacks against non-teammates and non-guild members. In the Safe Zone, combat between players is a no-go, whereas the Neutral Zone allows you to toggle between Peace and Killing modes. For those who prefer constant action, both the Killing Zone and Arena Zone keep you locked in Killing mode, with no way to switch back to Peace.

Another way to engage with other players in Metacene is through plundering, where you can attack their mining mechas and claim the loot for yourself. However, since other players are aware of this tactic, they might be guarding their mining sites, posing a risk of retaliation. Well I guess don't be like me, where I unknowingly went to a kill zone, got killed, and lost my weapon haha, but on a serious note, Metacene's PVP system captures the essence of MMORPG PVPs, where you can prove yourself and your grind by besting other players and maybe taking their loot with you. 

On the other hand, guilds are a union of several players united under the same banner. Join a guild and team up with your guildmates to help clear dungeons and increase your chances of loot on Boss Hunts. Currently, the guild feature is not yet fully developed, but in future updates, I'm expecting guild-specific dungeons and other guild events.

Player Marketplace and NFT Marketplace

Metacene takes pride in its revolutionary player-owned marketplace, which players can access through a trading firm NPC in-game. Here, just about any in-game item like gear, weapon, and ores can be freely traded to other players. The Trading Firm utilizes the MUD tokens for item trades. 

On the other hand, Metacene features a separate marketplace for NFT items, which also utilizes the MUD Token. NFT items provide significantly more useful combat stats and even upgraded mining mechas to boost your MUD token farming. Additionally, NFTs include cosmetics such as weapon and armor skins to customize your character's appearance.

It's impressive to see a player-owned marketplace integrated with Web3 technology, as it truly emphasizes the ownership of assets that is a hallmark of web3 gaming. However, there are potential downsides to consider, such as the risk of an oversupply of items, ghost trading, and bot farming. These issues have been observed in both Web2 and Web3 MMORPGs in the past, highlighting the challenges that can come with such systems.

Review

This wouldn't be an honest review without highlighting a few areas where Metacene could improve. First, the PC controls and targeting system can be a bit clunky, particularly when you’re trying to maximize your AoE skills. It’s not a major issue but could impact gameplay fluidity. Additionally, the game’s integration of tokens could be smoother. If you plan to fund your account with cryptocurrency, be prepared to navigate the complexities of bridges and tokens, though the option to use traditional payment methods like credit cards does make things easier.

In conclusion, Metacene is a noteworthy player in the web3 MMORPG arena. It boasts solid graphics and is mobile-friendly, letting you enjoy gaming on the go. If you’re a fan of anime-inspired worlds, Metacene might just be your next favorite game. The player-owned marketplace is particularly impressive, offering flexibility in how you progress and allowing you to switch up your gameplay style without being locked into a specific weapon or class.