Zenith is a game that was originally inspired by anime and JRPG classics and reimagined as a dynamic living world where players will be able to play, socialize, and create their own unique experiences in the first cross-platform VR MMORPG.
It’s also a VR MMO that marries a colorful open world with adrenaline pumping action adventure gameplay with beautiful, hand-crafted environments that you’ll spend hours getting lost in. From lush canopies in the Amarite Forest, to turquoise blue waters at the Radiant Coast, to the hyper futuristic city of Zenith itself.
The games backdrop is set generations after a cataclysmic event known only as The Fracture, players will be drawn into an engrossing tale as they fight man and gods alike to prevent catastrophe from striking again. Using the power of Essence, the magical lifeblood of all living beings, players will grow increasingly powerful as they adventure together — meeting a colorful cast of champions and villains along the way.
As far as the game world goes, the city of Zenith has been sheltered from the mayhem unleashed by the crash of a massive starship. While the beasts and horrors brought by the spaceship have been brought under control, the seal imprisoning the God-King responsible for the chaos grows weaker every day—heroes are needed to venture forth to save Zenith from another calamity. Characters who take up this challenge can participate in epic raids and world events or go solo to become a powerful leader whose deeds will be forever immortalized.
Oh and the Beta: Zenith developer RamenVR announced that Beta 1 starts on December 18, 2021.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the trailer. One of my absolute favorite things we’ve added to the game recently is the “sensitive gliding” mechanic that gives you wicked awesome control when you fly, being able to dive towards the ground like an eagle swooping towards its pray, swerve through a narrow arch at the last second, or hover over an enemy for a moment before you drop down on them and take them out, ninja style. The freedom that sensitive gliding gives you is incredible and I can’t wait for you all to experience it yourselves!
The trailer also shows off being able to throw your weapons in combat (I showed that a little in the last email). This mechanic can be strategically used to stun and damage enemies from afar before you take them full-on for more damage in closer ranged melee combat. For mages, the trailer gives glimpses of new abilities and spells and even a new magical shield!Last but not least, the trailer shows off a bit more of the diversity of the world, spanning from desert villages, to lush forests, to different parts of the city, plains and even sewers below the city. One thing that’s harder to see from the trailer is the completely rewritten AI system from the ground-up that brings characters in the world to life, makes them more engaging and interesting to fight and makes the whole world feel more alive.
And as far as mobility, in the world of Zenith you can climb anything. Use your hands to climb up the sides of skyscrapers or giant cliff faces, discovering secret areas and searching for hidden treasure. You have limited stamina, which increases as you explore the world, so you’ll need to plan your ascent carefully. Soar through the skies using our Gliding system to quickly fly to distant areas of the map, get the drop on some enemies, or just take in the view.
And no, the most amazing open world doesn’t mean squat if you don’t have a deep core game loop to keep you satisfied for hours, and that’s exactly what the developers aim to deliver with a hyper-immersive combat system that’s only possible in VR.
A lot of MMORPGs feel like spreadsheet simulators, Zenith feels tactile and simple to learn. Instead of learning a million formulas about damage, you’ll be mastering intuitive mechanics like throwing, blocking, and dodging. Parry the cold steel of your enemy’s blade, slam your staff like a wizard, and even dodge arrows while slowing time.
Being able to achieve a mastery of blade and magic in Zenith takes both time and practice as you learn how to launch the perfect combination of attacks, blocks, and spells while fighting a variety of powerful enemies that will test your mettle. For your perseverance you’ll be rewarded with rare and powerful weapons and abilities that will help you reach the heights of power.
As far as role-playing goes, one of the joys of VR is that it gives you a chance to completely reinvent yourself and RamenVR has crafted its class system to do just that. In Zenith your class doesn’t dictate what role you’ll play. Roles aren’t tied to your class, so you can Tank as an Essence Mage or heal as a Blade Master whenever you want! RPGs are all about choice, so the devs designed all their systems to provide fun and surprising new combinations to match any playstyle.