Being able to enjoy some solo MMORPG content is never a bad option to have, but what if the entire MMO gaming experience was made into a full single-player RPG? That’s the rough elevator pitch of Erenshor, an indie effort from studio Burgee Media that’s described as “a single-player nod to the MMORPGs of the past.”
All of the classic features of an MMORPG (or even an open-world single-player RPG) are on offer, like hunting monsters, completing quests, and uncovering portions of the world, all while characters steadily increase in power. Every interaction in the game is otherwise handled by NPCs, including fellow “players” who populate the game world, which in turn opens up the ability to group up to delve dungeons, fight together in raids, or even join guilds if NPCs like the player character enough.
Why offer this at all? According to the studio’s creative director Brian Burgee, it’s mainly to accommodate genre vets who have real-life commitments that halt them from going all in on the MMORPG grind. “I wanted to capture the nostalgia of playing MMORPGs in the late 2000s for those who no longer can commit to online or scheduled play times,” he says.
Erenshor is available for wishlisting on Steam now and is projecting a release sometime in 2024. In the meantime, there’s some gameplay footage waiting after the cut.
