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A First Look At Last Epoch
Diablo
Pubblicato
27/08/2023 alle 10:12
da
Wowhead
It is 2023, and Diablo 4 was finally released after what felt like an eternity of development time. Compared to other gaming genres, the last few years have been rough for ARPG fans around the planet. But this year is different - and not only because of Diablo 4! We want to shine a light on other upcoming ARPGs in the genre and showcase their approach to hacking and slaying.
In this article, we will take a first look at
Last Epoch
, developed by Eleventh Hour Games, which is planned to be fully released in 2023. The game is currently in Early Access and features multiplayer support for up to 4 players in a party, so-called Challenge Modes like Hardcore and SSF fully supported by leaderboards, while Seasons ("Cycles") are still in development and will be coming soon.
Official Last Epoch Website Last Epoch on Steam
Last Epoch Setting and Lore
Last Epoch uses one of the most classical tropes in fantasy storytelling - time travel. Much like many other ARPGs, the game's story campaign is divided into acts called "eras". By travelling through times and visiting different eras, players progress through the story and will learn about Last Epoch's game systems and class gameplay.
In Last Epoch, the player becomes the protector of a broken shard of the Epoch, a powerful artifact connected to fate and power over time. This shard of the Epoch sends the player to the Ruined Era, a future consumed by darkness known as the Void. They then reform the Epoch and must use it to influence different climatic points in the world of Eterra's history.
The player fights the Immortal Empire's oppression in the Imperial Era, stands against the warring gods in the Divine Era, and witnesses the Ancient Era's primal wilds.
Only by traveling through time will the player change fate and save the world from the Void.
Last Epoch Classes and Masteries
Players can choose between
five different classes
in Last Epoch - Acolyte, Mage, Primalist, Rogue, and Sentinel. Each of the five classes can ascend into three different masteries after reaching a certain point in the campaign, making it a total of 15 masteries available in Last Epoch.
Acolyte
: Lich, Necromancer, Warlock (not yet implemented)
Mage
: Sorcerer, Spellblade, Runemaster (available September 7)
Primalist
: Beastmaster, Druid, Shaman
Rogue
: Bladedancer, Marksman, Falconer (not yet implemented)
Sentinel
: Forget Guard, Paladin, Void Knight
In general, Last Epoch avails itself of several iconic ARPG class designs. By playing it safe in terms of base class fantasy, they could focus on flavourful mastery choices for the late game that play out incredibly differently.
Last Epoch Combat and Graphics
As per usual for a modern ARPG; Last Epoch is an isometric action roleplaying game. Down below, you can see a few of the newly implemented skills with
Last Epoch's latest major 0.9 patch
.
Rive
- A Sentinel Melee Attack Skill
Bone Golem
- A Necromancer Summoning Skill
Lightning Blast
- A Mage Lightning Skill
Compared to 2019 when the game launched into Early Access
, Last Epoch's overall look and visual clarity combat has improved tremendously. However, the development team has always put an emphasis on the fact that gameplay came first during development, which really shows in the following sections regarding Last Epoch's gameplay systems.
Last Epoch Skill Trees, Crafting, And Trading
Last Epoch's approach to classical ARPG game systems is one of the favorite aspects of the game's loyal community.
The
Skill Trees
, for example, offers incredibly diversity because every single skill has
its own skill tree
. By equipping and playing with a skill, you gain experience and unlock skill points in the corresponding tree. This idea opens up a whole new dimension of decisions purely based on the choice of a singular skill, adding more complexity and player agency to character progression.
Another unique design approach is showcased by Last Epoch's
Crafting
system. Crafting, also called Forging, is all based around an item's so-called Forging Potential. Want to re-roll an item affix? It'll cost a certain amount of Forging Potential, so choose wisely. Rarer items will have more Forging Potential, allowing you to re-roll or upgrade multiple affixes more often. You can also further influence your crafting outcome by using so-called Glyphs, which, for example, can save Forging Potential or randomly change an affix on your item.
Last but not least,
Trading
in Last Epoch might have chosen the most unique approach of all the game's systems. The system is still very much work-in-progress but will revolve around trading factions! So far, Eleventh Hour has showcased two trading factions - check out Rhykker's in-depth video about this unique approach to trading down below!
Last Epoch Endgame
Explaining Last Epoch's endgame approach would be worth another whole news article. Similar to the game's campaign, the so-called Monolith of Fate system expands on the idea of time travel. A Monolith inhabits several Echoes, small "islands" in time that again inhabit a small open-world region or dungeon with a specific objective. Once you've completed the objective you can travel further into the Monolith while being able to target-farm certain items or currency.
Each Monolith also includes so-called Quest Echoes, which can be completed once you've gathered enough so-called Stability. Completing Quest Echoes will complete the "timeline" in a Monolith, which will progress you further through Last Epoch's endgame based around the Monolith system.
In essence, Last Epoch unites stimulating and diverting gameplay through small-scope levels with clear objectives and rewards while providing a well-thought-out "bigger picture" approach to endgame thanks to multi-layered and progression-locked gameplay loops.
Last Epoch Release Date
Ever since the start of development, Eleventh Hour Games has implemented community feedback and suggestions to improve aspects like core gameplay loops, class playstyle, and the general to Last Epoch's endgame. The game has been in Early Access since 2021, and a quick look at the game's
News Hub on Steam
really shows how the development team keeps using the deep connection to its community to further improve the game - the regular development updates and transparent road maps are one of a kind in the ARPG industry. The game is plenned to be released in 2023.
Want to get a closer look at Last Epoch? ARPG content creator Zizaran has created an excellent in-depth review of the game - go check it out!
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