Partying like it’s 1999 in Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

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I received a Steam gift which wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it was nonetheless pleasant. Recently, my younger brother and I resumed playing Final Fantasy XI, a game we’ve played intermittently for the past twenty years. However, he stopped playing to focus on another game. I hesitated about continuing in Vanadiel solo, when suddenly I received a gift notification. He had given me a copy of ‘Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen‘, an MMO that launched Early Access on Steam last December. With roots in early 2000s MMOs like EverQuest Online Adventures and FFXI, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen takes me back to a time when party-based MMOs were popular.

EverQuest, launched in 1999 for Windows systems, is an early 3D fantasy MMO that attracted a large player base due to the limited choices available at the time. This game allowed players to create characters from various races, choose a class, and set off on their adventure in one of several starting cities. The world was populated with monsters, NPCs, and other players, making progression challenging without teaming up with fellow adventurers to navigate the dangers together, much like the cooperative dynamics found in Dungeons & Dragons, a game that influenced its creation.

Although I haven’t played EverQuest itself, I’ve played plenty of its PlayStation 2 spinoff, EverQuest Online Adventures (EQOA). Unlike Final Fantasy XI (FFXI), which demanded the use of PS2’s external hard drive, EQOA functioned directly from a 8MB memory card. With elements of EverQuest combined with console gaming, it was quite enjoyable. The support for that game ceased in 2013, and since then, I’ve experimented with various MMOs sporadically, mostly revisiting FFXI occasionally every few years. Given my recent immersion back into FFXI, the thought of transitioning to a new MMO wasn’t something I was actively considering.

In January 2014, Pantheon was unveiled via an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, even though it boasted a renowned pedigree thanks to EverQuest co-creator Brad McQuaid serving as the game’s creative lead. The project faced numerous delays and hurdles, one of which was McQuaid’s passing in 2019. Regardless, development persisted, and it eventually debuted in Early Access in December 2024.

This is a multiplayer online game where teamwork is nearly essential to progress, as advancing through the experience levels can be quite challenging on your own. The game’s design harks back to 2005, with leveling up being a gradual process that necessitates coordination between players of different classes. Each player must understand their role within the team, as even small mistakes could lead to character death. Unlike modern games, when you die in this game, your character is permanently deceased, leaving behind any remaining loot and forcing you to retrieve it if possible. Additionally, you’ll lose some XP upon death, a mechanic I haven’t experienced since the Bush administration.

In modern MMOs, there’s often a lack of the raw excitement and peril of discovery that I experienced in games like Final Fantasy XI (FFXI) around two decades ago. For instance, in FFXI, players weren’t provided with an in-game map, which meant we had to carefully explore our environment, especially when entering new zones. One of my most vivid memories from FFXI is creeping through the Valkurm Dunes, constantly vigilant against life-threatening goblins. As I traverse Terminus, I’m reminded of those tense moments in the dunes, always on edge, fearing that a single misstep could result in death. It can be frustrating to lose progress, but the added tension makes it all worthwhile, even if I complain about losing XP.

Initially, when I embarked on Pantheon, I was swamped. There were no items, no funds, and I had no clue about my destination. A rat scurried just a few feet from where I’d spawned, prompting me to attack instinctively. This was my first lesson, as it resulted in my demise after just three blows. Swiftly, I learned from fellow players that I needed to vacate my hut and venture towards the nearby village to collect quests and form alliances. I had no reservations about this, feeling confident as I stuck close to walls and began navigating.

After exiting the cave a few steps into an open field, I met my demise – once more. I’d attempted this perilous journey multiple times, succumbing each time, eventually tossing my hands in the air and quitting the game, intending to return later. Three hours passed before I was back on. I felt compelled to solve this puzzle – or perhaps it was a necessity. Beyond the rudimentary tutorial, I felt utterly confused. What was I overlooking?

It turns out, I was underestimating the gameplay in Terminus. This isn’t about rushing through levels to reach max level and dive into high-end content. There are no level 99 characters here – not even a level 50 yet, with the current cap sitting at 40. The adventure is the essence of this game, and it’s an experience largely intended for you to embark on with others. I decided, at least initially, to make my way out of this starting cave and into a proper team. To do that, I had to start fighting rats and spiders nearby to level up to 2. Even then, I needed to tread carefully, timing my movements across an enclosed area to avoid drawing the attention of hostile cultists, skeletons, or both.

Eventually, I managed to reach the village due to cultists being occupied with murder elsewhere. In a panic, I dashed towards the bridge as a skeleton pursued me, but was fortunately saved by a guard NPC. Shortly after, I found myself joining my first group of players in this game. Here I was, a newcomer resembling some sort of Dire Lord creature (not entirely sure what that entails), teaming up with five other unknown individuals in the virtual world. During our brief time together, we exchanged small talk and advanced a couple of levels before going our separate ways. At one point, I received a friend request from another member – an action I haven’t experienced in an online game for quite some time. It was a fantastic experience!

The depth of this game can match your personal interest. Beyond character advancement, it offers crafting, cooking, and numerous other features for exploration – if you’re interested. In my initial playthrough, I paid little heed to these aspects. However, upon reaching level 17 with the Dire Lord, I created a new character to delve deeper into the various facets of this evolving game world. Pantheon is still very much under development, and its future growth plans remain unclear. The developers are consistently releasing updates, ranging from bug fixes to engine improvements and fresh zones. In a sense, the development journey of the game echoes my own in-game adventures: picking up new skills, encountering obstacles, but always eager to progress further.

Will the game ever reach a final, fully published state that embodies the complete vision of its creators? I’m not certain, but I must admit my level of interest isn’t particularly high. I’ve already invested several dozen hours into shaping some characters within this game, which harkens back to the unforgiving atmosphere of MMOs from the early 2000s. With no significant endgame in sight, I find no need to compete in a race to Level 99 just to join other players. Instead, I can linger in a starting city as a lower-level character, immersed among fellow gamers for conversation and camaraderie. The retro charm of this new game has been more than worth the cost (my brother’s), and I eagerly anticipate where they will take it in 2025 and beyond.

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2025-02-25 19:56