Archlord: Preview @ 1UP

1UP previews Codemaster's upcoming MMORPG Archlord.

Having seen some of the settings and characters in play, we'd love to see Archlord shine when it releases in a few months. The art style is a vivid fantasy world where huge cities built on airships float above the land, vampires float a few feet above the ground regally, and Orcs ride monstrous War Rhinos. It's beautiful and distinct from any other game on the market, particularly the other recycled-feeling fantasy MMORPGs.

Part of what makes the setting feel fresh is that there are only three races but each one has been given a jolt from the clichéd fantasy standard. Humans appear to be the vanilla, main line race and live in distinctly Western villages; the Orcs live in settlements that are just as developed but along Teutonic styles. It's refreshing to see Orcs in something other than huts or really, really big accumulations of huts (hey, Orgrimaar!). The Moon Elves seem to be an all female race, which is creepy, but they have the racial ability to summon one of eight different creature types for different situations. This is to balance their relative weakness compared to Humans or Orcs, and is a very different way to balance a race choice than most MMORPGs take.

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Source: 1UP