New dungeon crawler Fellowship challenges biggest MMO struggle

Arc Games and developer Chief Rebel, have unveiled a new multiplayer dungeon crawler experience, Fellowship, and it’s brought to players by creators who have worked with Blizzard, Ubisoft, DICE, and Arrowhead Games Studios.

Fellowship is a “MODA”, a massively online dungeon adventure. It will be premium title upon release, and it’ll allow players to create a 4-person PvE party and tackle challenging dungeons.

The game takes the best elements of popular MMOs, MOBAs, and ARPGs, combining them with a unique art style that will appeal to a wide audience of players.

A dungeon adventure that brings color to a normally gritty genre

In the hands-on gameplay preview for Fellowship, we had the opportunity to look at what this new dungeon adventure has to offer. The style of the game is bright and colorful. Players who have become weary of Diablo’s gritty atmosphere will find the vibrancy and refined character models refreshing.

The world is reminiscent of WoW Classic but with modern graphics and brighter lighting. Players have their pick of numerous heroes and will build them out with upgraded gear and abilities as they play through dungeons.

Dungeons are just as colorful as the characters. Lighting ensures players can see what they are doing, and where they are going. Players will also want to stop between encounters to look at the dungeon they’re working through, as the environments are beautiful, and create an addictive atmosphere.

Accessibility is key in Fellowship

What makes Fellowship stand out among other MMO-style games is its focus on accessibility. This comes in many different forms, starting with the level scaling. The Chief Rebel dev team wanted to create a game that didn’t punish people for not playing, and has crafted a system where parties can jump in at any level and get started.

Dungeons aren’t locked at specific levels in Fellowship. Instead, they can be accessed at levels that match the party skill sets and allow players to grind as they go.

Additionally, there are different mission types, with some dungeons being thirty minutes long, while others are only around ten. This allows even the busiest MMO fan to jump in for a match in the evening without the need to spend hours grinding and prepping to tackle a challenge.

The dungeons will also level with players and come with multiple settings that can be changed before a run, ensuring that hard-core gamers can get the challenge they are looking for.

This makes Fellowship a unique entry point for those who have wanted to try dungeon crawlers and MMOs, but were intimidated by the level requirements and hours of gameplay needed to truly enjoy it. It’s also great for families trying to introduce new dungeon crawlers to their parties. The mixture of the bright art style and accessible difficulty level make it a new-player-friendly experience in every aspect.

Combat is seamless and exciting

Our preview of Fellowship consisted of ten minute and thirty minute matches. In this timeframe, we had an opportunity to test out the team mechanics, and how the healer, Tank, and DPS roles work when balanced in a party.

Additionally, the trips through the dungeons offered a breakdown of the skills each character has, and how they work in active combat. A mixture of abilities allows players to deal damage via heavy hits or status effects. It creates combat that is almost like a dance.

Boss fights are particularly fun in Fellowship, as the patterns and weaknesses of the bosses encourage players to work together and make strategy plans, inviting cooperative communication that is reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons.

Fellowship is a wonderful concept that opens MMO gameplay to a wider audience than ever before. It is the perfect game for longtime dungeon crawling vets as well as new players. The art style, accessibility, and pure fun of gameplay will make for exciting hours of gameplay.

The game will begin closed alpha testing on August 15 at 7 PM PT, and it concludes on August 20 at 5 PM PT. Players can sign up on the Fellowship website for the opportunity to participate. It is the perfect chance to test what this new dungeon adventure game has to offer.