"While developing Architect, we kept working to merge new attempts that match users' expectations and trends. Because the genre of massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) has a barrier to entry and a particular pace, we tried to carefully fill the content for users who are having a hard time."
Park Beom-jin, head of Aquatree, said this at a media demo for "Architect: Land of Exile" (hereafter Architect) held at GGX, a complex cultural gaming space in Dongdaemun, Seoul, on 15th. Published by DRIMAGE and developed by Aquatree, Architect is one of the most anticipated titles of the second half and will officially launch on PC and mobile platforms on the 22nd.
Park previously worked at Netmarble and helped produce hits such as "Lineage 2: Revolution" and "Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds." He is also called an "MMORPG master" for broadening the genre's horizons by adding the fun of cooperation and adventure to the conventions built by Korean-style MMORPGs. Architect is Park's own intellectual property (IP), released for the first time in 25 years by leveraging his experience and know-how.
Architect puts forward differentiators from existing MMORPGs. It focuses on character-centric narrative and world-building, and implements a single seamless world so that all users meet in one space. It also adds exploration content such as PvE (player versus environment) content "Flood" and "Great Flood," and flight, concentrating on boosting immersion.
When the demo began, users could create characters from five classes: warrior, assassin, mage, hunter, and battle priest. Each class features a separately divided narrative structure. Users could customize characters to their personal taste, and the characters realized with Unreal Engine 5 were attractive and full of life. Architect's story flows around characters and events rather than overarching narrative. Fragmented incidents acquired during play are woven into one, which motivated users to climb the world-lore-centered "Tower."
The vast in-game vistas encountered through play were also a spectacle. Breaking away from the medieval fantasy settings adopted by most MMORPGs, Architect offered glimpses of diverse cultures. In the game's main stage, the "Abandoned Land," adventurers in European-style attire and merchants in Middle Eastern-style attire mingle in one city. Some characters also incorporate science fiction (SF) elements. Beyond barren fields to grasslands, forests, and even snowy fields, the expansive terrain was overwhelming, and Architect's own mysterious and secretive atmosphere was eye-catching. Details that stood out everywhere stirred a desire to explore.
The game's immersion was also considerable. Architect basically supports auto-hunting while introducing a non-target, back-judgment system. Accordingly, users had to strike monsters by aligning with their attack direction, and with manual controls, combat prediction and response were key. Strategic combat was possible by using elevation differences and structures rather than relying solely on raw combat power, and the approach of subduing enemies by using flight and drop skills was distinctive.
Content aimed at lowering MMORPG-specific competitive fatigue also stood out. ▲ Roguelike-style dungeon content "Trial Gate" ▲ five-person co-op dungeon "Rift" ▲ PvE content "Flood" and "Great Flood" were introduced to encourage users' natural competition and cooperation. In particular, Flood occurs randomly across the field 24 hours a day. With locations and rewards changing each time, users formed impromptu parties on the spot to cooperate. The Great Flood is a large-scale server event that engulfs the entire world at set times, with a precursor phenomenon revealing the location 5 minutes before it occurs.
Among them, the "Great Flood of Thunder" battle was memorable. Bosses boasted formidable power with their massive builds and unique combat patterns. It was difficult to攻略 them with ordinary attacks, and charging in recklessly quickly shaved off health. To kill the boss, users who joined had to approach strategically, alternating dodges and attacks with proper timing. Every battle came to life moment by moment with realistic graphics and thrilling direction. After playing for a little over two hours, it felt like time flew by.
During the Q&A session that followed the demo, Park emphasized, "Even before founding Aquatree, I had keywords written in my notebook, including a seamless world, one channel, non-target combat, various exploration elements, and an open-world type game," and "The point is that throughout development we unwaveringly maintained this direction, and the whole team shared a consensus and raised the level of polish."
The business model (BM) was structured to be user-friendly. Kim Min-gyu, Deputy Minister of game business division 3 at DRIMAGE, said, "There are two types of probability-based items: costumes (appearance) and phantom weapons," and "We designed a structure that is much more relaxed than recently released MMORPGs so that non-spending users can fully enjoy it, and we aimed for a structure that lets users feel the fun of growth and collection without the burden of spending."
Jung Woo-yong, head of DRIMAGE, said, "Architect is a mega-scale MMORPG jointly presented by Aquatree and DRIMAGE, and it is the first large project in which both companies prove their shared direction for growth," adding, "Because it is a big project, we want to achieve good results with a highly polished game."