World of Lordcraft – “Never surrender you freedom!”
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist
What started out as a rumored April Fool’s joke turned out to be a real game. Yes people! World of Lord Craft, the infamous Chinese browser game is now in open beta. I really laughed my ass off when I first saw the title. I mean come on! World of Lordcraft? Is this real? You better believe it, cause I swear that this is the one of the most ORIGINAL games to be launched this year LOL. Jokes aside it’s no mystery that World of Lordcraft was inspired by the hit MMORPG World of Warcraft, copying most of its details including races, locations and overall concept. Is this even legal? Some gamers already treat this game as a joke after spotting a lot of copy-pasted content from the World of Warcraft storyline.
Hmm… very original I must say. I’m sure I’ve seen these two before, but maybe it’s just my imagination. It’s not like there are other games that sport an epic war between the Horde and Alliance right? Anyway, although this game is a rip off of epic proportions, I should at least give it the benefit of the doubt and review it properly so here goes.
Starting Up
Once logged in, you will be taken to the race selection screen where you must choose your desired race. There are six races all in all, with three belonging to one of two factions (OMG! So original! Horde and Alliance? Awesome!). Being that we are still in open beta, players can only choose between Humans and Orcs; the finished product however will include Night Elves and Dwarves for the Alliance , and Trolls and Taurens for the Horde. After selecting your desired race, it’s time to select your location. I was actually surprised upon seeing the world map as most of the areas in the game were taken from World of Warcraft. I guess ripping-off WoW’s races and lore just wasn’t enough for them.
Originality Factor
The more I play, the more I feel disgusted. I’ve seen many WoW clones in the MMO world, but never have I seen one that actually copied 80% of the entire thing (including trademarked details and character design). The whole Arthas – Thrall Banner was pushing it, and now they’re copying WoW’s locations too? Other references such as structure names, and structure effects were also taken from the original Warcarft 3 game. I’m not sure what they’re trying to pull off, but they sure love Blizz.
Originality is dubious
Welcome To The World Of LordCraft
Once players are done with the necessary requirements, they will be taken to the tutorial page, which is by far one of the worst tutorials I’ve seen in a browser game. The short read was quite informative at first, but eventually leaves you in the dirt as you progress further in the game. The first thing I realized was that World of Lordcraft had stunning visuals for a browser game. The lightning effect on Pseudo-Jaina Proudmoore’s hand for example was really animated well. You’d think a rip-off like this would be nothing but trash overall, but damn was I wrong. The game was concrete and excellent, despite its copy-paste nature.
Note: You can change your Lord’s name by clicking on the top left corner. Mine’s “notWoW”— what’s your lord’s name?
Browser Based Elements- Building Structures
As you may have noticed, the game still retains the traditional browser game interface where players must build structures in order to unlock more options to strengthen their kingdom. Note that building structures still takes place in real time; so watch out for that timer. Much like your average browser game, your base will have allotted squares where you must place your structures. You may also upgrade these structures in order to expand your unit count, as well as your kingdom’s tax rate in order to collect more gold for your progress.
Alliance or Horde?
Upcoming Stuff
Later in the game players will be able to equip their characters with items that will aid them in their quest for supremacy. This makes everything less linear in a way, as players struggle to find better gear in order to beat the odds.
Prepare For War!
Once your novice protection phase ends, your kingdom will enter a hostile persistent world where players will most likely attack you. You can scout kingdoms to monitor their overall progress. I’m sure you’re ready to kick some arse, but it pays to know your enemy before sending your troops. Players will be given time to prepare their units upon a declaration of war (8 hours if they are in the same faction, and 4 hours if they aren’t). It’s not a bad idea as the defendant will have enough time to set up his defenses; however, it also removes the element of surprise, making the game feel like a military skirmish rather than a real war. It’s not my fault he didn’t prepare his troops right?
Once you get enough gold and minerals, you will have the choice to expand your kingdom across the map. This makes it easier to mass-produce, thus giving you the upper advantage over your enemies.
Visuals
As far as visuals are concerned, World of Lordcraft’s elements are superior to most browser games. The game has enough animated lighting effects and well rendered structures to keep you from dismissing it as another poor rip-off. The artwork looks pretty nifty as well. I know they’re based off existing characters, but the alteration looks good overall. The player’s HUD is also impressive as most of the important details were brilliantly placed on the screen, allowing players to keep track of their minerals as well as access building/unit options without difficulty.
The Verdict
Although the game has a variety of impressive features, it won’t take away the fact that the game is one huge rip-off. It would’ve been awesome if they came up with their own concept, especially since the game has much to offer, but the whole WoW thing prevents it from being taken seriously. Truth be told, I really liked the game. Without a doubt, this rip-off is a must play for browser game enthusiasts.
Pros:
– Awesome visuals
– Gear and items
– Lots of options to choose from
– Combat looks awesome
Cons:
– It’s a huge rip-off
– Again, it IS a huge rip-off
– Crappy tutorials
– Waiting time before war takes place.
