We’ve been keeping an eye on MMORPG throwback Legends of Aria since their demo wowed us at PAX East earlier this year. Now, after a major graphics overhaul, the team at Citadel Studios has announced an official Steam release date. Legends of Aria will be under gamers’ virtual stockings before Christmas, hitting the store on December 4th this year.
To sweeten the pot for incoming players, Legends of Aria is offering a pre-order deal where all pre-orders will receive a 7-day head start, and obtain the other Founder’s Pack bonuses. In a game where player housing is a key part of the world, a week’s head start on the land grab could be a vital edge. For an even bigger edge, Citadel Studios is also giving away an ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 to one lucky winner. Contest details can be found here. Two runners-up will receive Lord Founder’s Packs for use inside the game.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since we began this journey,” said Citadel Studios Founder Derek Brinkmann. “So much has changed since then. We’ve gone from making a smaller scale online RPG to making the large-scale full-on sandbox MMORPG we’ve been dying to play since Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and EverQuest first made us all believers in the genre years ago. We’ve got even more content and additions planned for the future of Aria, but we’re just excited to finally open the doors and see what the players will do in our world this December.”
Legends of Aria takes a decidedly old school approach to MMORPGs. Where most new MMOs are focusing on smaller instances, individual storylines, and worlds that make each player into a hero, this game hearkens back to the days of players making their own adventures and stories. It will be interesting to see if an isometric sandbox MMORPG can be profitable in 2019.
Players interested in learning more about Legends of Aria should check out the game’s official website.
