MIST

Overview

Mist Metaverse is an open-world role-playing game set in the lands of Dunia, where the ancient Goldwood forest and the city of Iluna can be found. Dunia's inhabitants are said to have originated from the Goldwood, making it highly revered. The game features two factions, The Broken Order (similar to the Alliance in World of Warcraft) and The Clan (akin to the Horde). These factions once lived in harmony until an event introduced evil creatures into Dunia.

Mist Metaverse has a dedicated game launcher available for both Mac and Windows, with low minimum requirements, allowing players with older machines to test the Pre-alpha gameplay.

Gameplay

In Mist's gameplay, players can choose from 8 races and 9 classes across the two factions. Each faction has 4 races, which determine the available classes. For instance, the Fallen race cannot choose the Crusader class. The Clan faction consists of Mousekin, Rhinokin, Elf, and Orc races, while the Broken Order has Leonin, Fallen, Dwarfs, and Humans.

Each race has unique abilities, which, when combined with a class, can complement each other. Classes include Adventurer, Bard, Berserker, Crusader, Enchanter, Priest, Ranger, Shapeshifter, and Witch Hunter. These classes fall into two main categories—melee and ranged—and are either Free to Play or Own to Play. In the melee category, classes include Adventurer, Berserker, Crusader, Witch Hunter, and Shapeshifter. The Adventurer is the only Free to Play class in melee, while the others are Own to Play.

The ranged category comprises Bard, Enchanter, Priest, Ranger, and Shapeshifter. The Priest is Free to Play, while the other classes are Own to Play. Notably, the Shapeshifter class appears in both categories due to its unique ability to switch between ranged and melee attacks. After selecting a race, class, and name, players enter Dunia's starting area and receive a quest from an NPC to find the Faction's second-in-command within the Castle. Players then embark on a simple quest to kill and loot 10 rats, leading them to meet their Faction's Commander.

The Commander assigns several smaller quests, culminating in a mission to defeat an Acolyte outside the castle walls, who is causing creatures nearby to become hostile. Players continue through a quest chain across their Faction's territory, ending in a shared zone where both Factions undertake similar quests to eliminate ogres carrying mojo elixirs. This zone allows players to see each other but not engage in combat at the current stage.

Completing quests rewards players with MIST tokens, experience, and occasionally equipment. As the game is in Pre-alpha, MIST tokens are on the testnet, allowing players to experience the game and its tokenomic cycle.

Review

Mist bears similarities to games like World of Warcraft and Aion, particularly in character selection and ability names, evoking nostalgia for World of Warcraft's heyday. For those familiar with MMOs, Mist is intuitive, making it easy to grasp gameplay and player progression. However, there are numerous nuisances that could annoy players, such as having to exit conversations with NPCs to complete quests or the problematic hit-box in combat, where NPCs can hit players from afar.

Additionally, the game lacks a mini-map for navigation and hotkeys for quick access to inventory, map, or quest log.

The game's audio, specifically the music, suits the gameplay and remains enjoyable over extended periods. However, the lack of music changes during combat or NPC conversations dampens excitement. The vast terrain invites exploration, but the graphics only become clear up close, leaving room for improvement.

While it possesses the basics of an MMO, it lacks originality and functionality expected in early game releases. Given that Mist is in Pre-alpha and has been in development for nearly two years, more progress should have been made in fundamental areas like combat and player experience. If Mist can make significant improvements in future releases, it may rekindle the classic World of Warcraft feeling for nostalgic gamers. However, players accustomed to Free to Play MMOs may not be impressed by Mist, particularly considering the project's age and current state.

Despite promising gameplay showcased on their website, Mist's Pre-alpha version falls short of expectations. Graphics lack detail, and the gameplay and user interface are basic, not reflecting what's advertised online.