Guide to the PC games of 2018 Part #5

MMO GAMES OF 2018

Star Citizen

TBA | Cloud Imperium Games |

Star Citizen continues its quest to become the ultimate space game. The 3.0 update started to bind the game’s different modules together into a contiguous experience, giving us an encouraging tease of the final vision for the game. The star-studded singleplayer campaign Squadron 42 is also still under development, release date TBA.

Worlds Adrift

TBA | Bossa Studios |

This ambitious MMO is lets you chop down trees and build flying ships to explore a universe of floating islands. It’s currently developing in closed beta as Bossa refines the physics-driven simulation that drives all movement in the game and adds new features like an island creator.

Wild West Online

TBA | 612 Games |

Though our own Christopher Livingston described Wild West Online’s early access alpha as “more mild than wild” (understandably lacking in the way of meaningful quests, tutorials, or bear trap physics), this MMO promises a large-scale cowboy experience to compete with Red Dead Redemption 2. Live the life of a badge-slinging lawman or develop a reputation as cutthroat outlaw and outrun the bounty on your head in PvE or PvP combat, or just live a simple life farming crops, mining mountains, and charting the unexplored regions of the west.

Dual Universe

Q1 2018 | Novaquark |

As we’ve written about before, Dual Universe is an ambitious sci-fi MMO in which all players will be interacting on the same server. Although other recent over-ambitious sci-fi games loom over the genre, Dual Universe has already begun getting feedback from its Kickstarter backers in alpha testing. From what we know so far, it will involve crafting and building in a voxel-based world, flying between planets, and (in the end-game) attempting to use LUA scripting to create custom interfaces on your ship’s display screen. Players will be able to buy and sell creations, built or scripted, on the in-game market. EVE meets Minecraft is a tall order to aspire to, but we remain hopeful.

Ashes of Creation

2018 | Intrepid Studios |

In most MMOs, the overworld is set in stone, only changing during an expansion or event. Ashes of Creation throws this trope aside with its “Node” system, which lets players build up unique communities, quests, and narratives for their individual server. But nothing is forever, and multiplayer siege battles can threaten everything you’ve worked for.

Ascent: Infinite Realm

TBA | Bluehole |

The company behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds isn’t content with really big shooters, they also want to corner the market on really big steampunk fantasy MMO’s. The fairly jerky debut trailer showed off a seemingly endless list of things to do (multiplayer airship battles, going all Monster Hunter on a big crocodile, wingsuits, and...downhill barrel racing?) amidst all the other typical MMO trappings. No word on a launch date, but they expect A:IR (ha) to start closed beta testing near the end of 2018.

Dead Maze

February 13, 2018 (Out now) | Atelier 801 |

2018 is not the year when people stop making games about zombies. Dead Maze is a 2D MMO that calls to mind a colourful, cartoon version of Project Zomboid. Explore, scavenge, craft and kill lots and lots of zombies, all while managing hunger, thirst and fatigue—it should be like muscle memory by now. Eventually you’ll be able to make your own post-apocalyptic community, which always ends well, right?

(should continue with Part #6 asap)