Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen wants unique items and class skills to feel… well, unique. That’s not just to suggest that these things have better stats; it’s the idea that certain items or abilities open up the world and add new layers to gameplay. That’s the overall thrust of the latest video from the devs, which discusses this topic in detail and offers some examples.
According to creative director Chris “Joppa” Perkins, this aspect of Pantheon came from childhood memories of how getting items like the Hookshot in Zelda or Spider Ball in Metroid brought a sense of excitement and power. As for items of this kind in the MMORPG itself, Perkins shared a few detailed examples like the Crown of Illumination that cuts through magical darkness, the Boots of Five Feathers that grant the wearer a short duration hover effect, or rare disguise items that can help players cover themselves in illusions.
On the subject of rarity, items of this kind will “definitely be difficult to obtain,” either as rewards from “truly epic quests” that have multiple stages and facets, extremely rare drops, or from being in the right place at the right time for things like rare events.
The devs then started to go over class-specific abilities that can apply game-changing impacts, like a druid being able to create a bridge, a rogue sneaking through a dangerous location, or a warrior breaking through a wall, many of which are meant to let player groups come up with creative methods of traversal or exploration. This does mean that some classes will have abilities that allow them to explore areas of Pantheon sooner than others, but that’s by design to encourage players to work together.
Perkins further talked about other exploration matters, such as the addition of gliders, skills that can be gained when climbing, abilities that can be used to scout ahead like a ranger taking control of a pet for recon purposes, and how the devs are trying to avoid throwing invisible walls in front of players.
