Controversy Surrounds Upcoming MMO Darkfall

Eight years-that's how long Darkfall has been in development. The game, hailed by many as the 3D second coming of Ultima Online, has a deeply devoted fan base. Many people have been following the game for the better part of this decade, but still more have begun to show interest now that it is reaching ever closer toward its release.

Arguably the main reason for all of this fandom over Darkfall lies primarily in its radical departure from what has become the convention in the modern MMO - a focus on player vs. environment (or artificial intelligence). Instead, Darkfall concentrates on providing a harsher world where any other player may be lurking in the shadows, ready to attack, kill you, and steal all of your belongings.

Full player vs. player and full looting of equipment certainly fuels enough of a controversy in the massively multiplayer market, but right now the main debate surrounding this game is: is it really ready for release? The fresh wave of beta testers has, to some extent, ignored the non-disclosure agreement still in effect by providing media and insight on the state of the game.

There have been widely mixed reactions to the content now available, with some fans saying that they are surprised at the quality of the graphics; while others, including some long-time fans, decrying the "1990s" graphics and especially the animations. Developers argue that certain aspects of the game are still in holding on their private servers, waiting to be sent into the beta world. With a release date less than a month away, one can't help but wonder why they are waiting. Some of the other big complaints involve the mechanics of the movement, melee combat and crafting systems.

The game was always targeted toward a niche market of hardcore PvPers, and it seems that is exactly the audience that may carry it long enough for it to succeed. Aventurine is a small development company, and if the MMO really does deliver on the lofty gameplay promises that have been touted, then perhaps enough fans will be able to overlook Darkfall's shortcomings-or at least long enough for the developers to bring things up to mainstream production values. If Aventurine is able to release as currently planned, fans new and old won't have to wait much longer to find out.