An MMORPG revolutionized the genre 23 years ago – now the chief designer is working on a new game

The MMORPG classic EverQuest was released in March 1999 and turned the entire genre inside out. With Monsters & Memories, one of EverQuest’s lead designers wants to do it again and launches a new MMORPG. We at MeinMMO summarize.

What kind of game is this? With Monsters & Memories, the developers want to conquer a niche that they believe is no longer occupied. It aims to bring back the old-school MMORPG feel while still incorporating some exciting changes. However, the developers of the title are seasoned veterans who know what they are doing.

Shawn Lord takes on the role of the creative director of the MMORPG. He has been a designer on EverQuest, lead designer on other EverQuest titles, and design supervisor on DC Universe Online. So when it comes to designing MMORPGs, Shawn knows his stuff.

Also involved in Monsters & Memories are Twitch streamers, a former developer of Mortal Kombat 11 and a college game design teacher. The team behind the MMORPG brings a lot of expertise to the table, but it’s still in its infancy.

What are the highlights? Monster & Memories focuses on the following aspects and promises to address a very specific niche of players:

• 12 different races from humans to trolls, gnomes and elves
• 18 different classes between melee and ranged combat
• Focus on group content in an open world, solo play should be possible but not optimized
• A huge world with underworld, heaven, hell and more divided into different zones
• A western medieval fantasy setting with the usual “elves, squirrels and such shit” as the developers write
• Monthly subscription, no Pay2Win features or microtransactions

Here you can see very early gameplay from the MMORPG:

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When is Monsters & Memories coming out?

Where is the game right now? Monsters & Memories is currently in the so-called “Proof of Concept” phase. That means they’re completing a small cross-section of the game to show that the concept itself works. So this is still a very early stage of development. This proof of concept could then be used to attract investors. The developers are currently not revealing whether this is the exact plan.

However, you can follow the progress of the development very well. The studio has been sharing monthly updates via their website and has been doing so very reliably since September 2020. A roadmap about the upcoming tasks of the next phases is also easily accessible and very transparent, so that fans can always stay up to date on the exact status.

When is the release? The experienced developers state that they simply cannot estimate it yet. After completing the proof of concept, they want to analyze the data and set up a production plan and a new roadmap. So it’s currently difficult to estimate a release date. In 2022 you should probably not count on the new MMORPG.

Where can you play? Monsters & Memories will initially only appear on PC. So far there are no plans to roll out the MMORPG to other consoles. It is also not yet known whether the game will be released via Steam.

The community is excited

How are the fans reacting? They are very excited about the new title. The comments that the game has been able to collect so far are all very positive. However, in terms of sheer numbers, there aren’t very many people who take on the game.

But the developers themselves say on their website that that’s not the plan at all. Know that the game hits a niche that may not be very big. But it is precisely these players who also want something to gamble on, which is how the idea for Monsters & Memories came about.

The few negative comments that can be found under various postings about the game are only afraid that the game will never appear. If you look at other projects of this kind, this is basically justified, but the roadmap and the monthly updates in particular do not suggest any reason for concern so far.

What is the community saying? Of course, we would like to show you some of the comments here:

• Benjamin Cladwell writes (via YouTube): “I enjoy this desert shown here. I like this 1001 nights aesthetic!”
• QPON writes (via YouTube): “This actually looks like an MMO that even a small team can pull off.”
• Shokadezz writes (via YouTube): “That looks great! I heard about the game on EverQuest and will definitely keep an eye out.”
• Teekay writes (via reddit): “This looks like a clone of EverQuest – and I love it.”

What do you think of Monsters & Memories? Will you keep an eye on the MMORPG and play at some point, or are subscription models not for you? Did you like EverQuest and have you ever played the classic? Write it to us in the comments here at MeinMMO.

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