Corepunk is a new MMORPG that will bring back those Ultima Online feels in a very Diablo-esque package.
Personally, the art style feels way more Torchlight than Diablo, but Diablo is the name-brand isometric action RPG that everybody knows about, so we’ll stick with it.
Anyway, Corepunk is being made by a Dutch developer that feels like a return to an old-school style of MMORPG. It’s online, it’s top-down isometric, it’s PC-only, and it’s slated to have its open beta in the fourth quarter of 2020.
What you get will be classic gameplay in a slick new package. First, there's the seamless open world with dynamic weather, night/day cycles, and impressively varied terrain ranging from lonely deserts to bustling metropolises. The world is very post-apocalyptic steampunk meets dark fantasy, and the character designs reinforce that image.
You can choose from human Paladins, orcish "Ironclad", as well as an assortment of robots, dwarves, elves, and other fantasy races. Each will have their own skill trees that can be customized with talents and artifacts.
The story will feature branching quests that can be taken in any order the player chooses, although decisions that the player makes will lead to alternate endings for a few. No playthrough is said to be alike.
As with any MMORPG, there will be a full crafting system that requires materials from farming, mining, lumber milling, or various other professions that involve diving into deep and dark caves to slay monsters and steal their innards. Dungeons are randomly generated while raiding looks to be up to 4 players at a time.
There will also be a PvP aspect, but new players will be protected from predation by a karma system.
We don't know exactly what business model Corepunk will use, but developer Artificial Core says that they're fundamentally against pay-to-win monetization schemes. Expect either a classic monthly subscription fee or a one-time access fee with a bunch of microtransactions. Maybe we'll even see a battle pass.
But not for a while, at least. The beta doesn’t start until next year. You can sign up on the official Corepunk website here.
Source: Artificial Core