Brighter Shores, a free-to-play MMORPG, has been unveiled by the creator of the much-loved and still very much played, RuneScape. With a release date set for 2024, there’s a lot to know about this vigorously developed title from Gower’s studio, Fen Research.
As the longest-running free MMORPG ever, RuneScape is a tough act to follow, but after ten years of development, creator Andrew Gower has revealed his newest creation, Brighter Shores. According to the game’s Steam listing, it’s set to offer “something new around every corner” with an “ongoing story” and “hundreds of hours of gameplay.”
Brighter Shores invites players to become the newest recruit of the Hopeport town guard. Unsurprisingly, there’s similarities to be enjoyed between the two games from unusual and fun sounding character classes; Cryoknight, Guardian, or Hammermage, to the promise of a “huge number of professions to try” such as fisher, forager, miner, and alchemist. Oh, and not forgetting it’ll also be free. While we await its planned Q3 release, there’s plenty more MMO and MMORPG games to indulge in.
Gower didn’t create RuneScape alone, though, as he teamed up with his brother, Paul, before eventually leaving their studio, Jagex. The duo have reunited once again for Brighter Shores with Paul taking on the role of the game’s narrative designer.
According to a development update tweet from Gower, the plan is to launch Brighter Shores with four episodes to begin with. But, while the game will come with “hours and hours of content you can play for free”, more stories, professions, and places to explore will require players to purchase a Premium Pass.
In the meantime, though, we have a list of all the best free MMOs to while away the hours with. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a sprawling fantastical experience, we have a list of all the best open-world games, too.
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