MMORPGs have certainly taken off in a big way, ever since EverQuest (better known as EverCrack) captured the imagination of folks worldwide all those years back. Of course, there were always a myriad of many other MMORPGs that came our way after that, but World of Warcraft was and still is the undisputed king till today, and with good reason, too. After all, who can forget the fantasy world of Azeroth as well as all of the game’s quirks and dungeons to explore with your guild? Glad to see that the Chinese game developers aren’t just going to let this goldmine slip by them, as NetDragon Websoft Inc. has just announced that they have successfully launched their first open beta testing for its 2.5D fantasy MMORPG known as Tian Yuan just before Christmas last year.

Tian Yuan, which incorporates myths from the glorious Tang Dynasty, was created after three years’ effort by the team who made the classic Eudemons Online. Players can join one of the four major schools of Chinese martial arts and fulfill special tasks with different spiritual creatures. Moreover, they can also experience joys that cannot be found elsewhere, such as becoming immortal through practice and undergoing reincarnation. As one of the most significant products of NetDragon this year, Tian Yuan combines the perfect game setting, music and art. Enriched by eastern mythology, this game will be an entirely new gaming experience for players, changing how they view the world with a unique visual and audio experience.

For WoW addicts, we’re pretty sure that there is no substitute for them, but others who are willing to try something that is far different in terms of storyline, art direction and style, Tian Yuan might be just the thing to get you started. Who knows? You might even start a new addiction this time round, much to the chagrin of your spouse.

Press Release

You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Add to Del.icio.us