Warlander unveils its intense third-person multiplayer online battle arena
Warlander’s open beta is now live. This upcoming free-to-play PC videogame will feature a mix of team-based multiplayer and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gameplay in a mediaeval setting. We were able to get a feel for the game and learn more about it before the release of its open beta.
Medieval Battle
In addition to the previously mentioned third-person perspective and cooperative play, Warlander also features components common to multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games. The game, which was created by Toylogic and published by PLAION, puts players on one of two sides with the same goal in mind: razing the other castle. This is accomplished by a synergy of skills, expertise, teamwork, and maybe even certain special abilities. We were able to test out the game’s two-team fighting mode, but there is also a five-team variant where everyone fights on the same battlefield.
The cleric, for instance, can use magic to create a stone wall that can be used to block an enemy group, the warrior has a charge attack towards adversaries, and the mage can cast a lightning spell, all in keeping with our expectations for their respective classes.
As we progress through the game, our characters can level up. The goal is to assemble a team of up to six playable characters to utilise in combat. The exciting part is that stronger variants of any of these classes may be made by modifying their attributes, items, designs, and loadouts. But here’s the catch: you do not get your strongest character right away; rather, you have to rack up points by killing adversaries and looting their bases before you can unlock them.
The chaos of battle
The title can now be used to form subgroups of up to four players within each squad. A leader, or commander, is appointed for each team and is responsible for communicating the team’s objectives and plans to the other members. At the outset of each round, players choose who on their squad will attack the other bases and who will stay behind to defend their own. This is when the anarchy begins, because this guideline is more of a suggestion than a rule, and while it is possible to wait it out in the safe confines of the base at first, eventually you will need to help the rest of the squad push out and secure new territory.
We can utilise siege weaponry from the safety of our fortifications or from other locations on the landscape to help us capture key points from the enemy. These are not initially accessible and must be constructed; after completing construction of one such weapon — say, a huge crossbow — it can be upgraded to increase its damage and range.
Additionally, we will have access to tremendous powers that will aid us in our assault on the opposing stronghold. The meteor shower, which we observed and exploited, represented one of these abilities. Invoking this takes some time, so if you can identify the enemy player that carries it, you can halt them and even utilise it to deal massive damage to their base.