Shroud Of The Avatar Has Officially Launched
After nearly four years in Early Access, Lord British’s medieval fantasy MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar has officially launched. The spiritual successor to Ultima Online is the flagship game of Texas-based studio Portalarium, co-founded by Lord British himself, in collaboration with Black Sun Game Publishing and Travian Games.
“As an online fantasy multiplayer RPG, Shroud of the Avatar blends together many of the key features that made the Ultima-series popular, including wide-reaching freedom to explore a living, breathing fantasy world enriched by a player-driven crafting and economic system; the ability to create a classless avatar allowing for distinct play styles and uniquely specialized builds; an engaging storyline written in collaboration with celebrated fantasy author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) where players are confronted with ethical choices based on Virtues and Principles; and a unique shared online experience where players can opt to play solo or with friends. Players can also complete the story and explore the world offline, in a stand-alone single-player mode that does not require internet access.”
“It’s exciting to have reached this major milestone,” said Richard “Lord British” Garriot. “Our fans and backers have been extremely patient and incredibly helpful with us every step of the way of our journey. With Shroud, I wanted to go back to my roots of game design. We wanted to create a rich story and also bring back a sandbox style of play… a style that’s immersive and interactive.”
The team is committed to polishing and improving the game, promising regular monthly content drops, and even hinting at a new map. “We have focused on polishing performance and the new user experience, as well as a few surprises like a new map that was triggered by a meteor crash,” said Executive Producer Starr “Darkstarr” Long. “The second quarter will include new features like Castle Defense Scenarios and Looking for Group, as well as new content including new scenes, new creatures, and new quests.”
Of course there’s also a brand new trailer that you can watch after the break. Enjoy! You can also check out the new Shroud of the Avatar website here.
