The world is yours
Ever since the invention of the invisible wall, players have always wanted to see just how far they could explore the fabricated world of a video game. And in the case of Landmark, the sky--or deepest depths of the earth--is the limit. That's because Landmark, Sony Online Entertainment's creativity-focused social MMO, offers an entirely voxel-based world that gives players the tools to shape the landscape as they see fit.
Though the game is currently in closed beta, I had the chance to check out the new subterranean caves before they were added to the live servers. Landmark's caves are much more than empty caverns--their depths are filled with colorful fauna, rare minerals, and rock walls that just beg to have sculptures carved into them. Gathering those minerals adds a new wrinkle to typical MMO harvesting, seeing as you're actually carving bits and pieces of precious ore out of the environment. Getting around is a breeze, thanks to a handy, Spider-Man-esque grappling hook you can use to zip from ceiling to ceiling, or suspend yourself for some lofty construction.
Players have already crafted some pretty amazing things in Landmark--everything from gigantic Elephant statues to quaint cities with life-sized chess boards in the town square. SOE is frequently holding contests for themed constructions, like futuristic cityscapes (anything goes in Landmark) or structures that could ostensibly find a place in EverQuest Next's starting zones. The best player creations will be eligible for SOE's Player Studio, which lets creators make actual profits (similar to Steam Workshop). And one of the most intriguing concepts that SOE has planned is a dungeon mastering system, which would let ambitious architects craft entire D&D-style campaigns to guide their pals through.
Check out the following screenshots for additional info!
Landmark will eventually include health, damage, and PvP, so some reaching some pieces of real estate will take serious effort
Every MMO player loves to have some bragging rights, so Landmark will include achievements, as well as a player-curated Gallery of neat structures
SOE teased that the next competition will be tied to the races of Norrath, giving players the chance to build EverQuest Next's world themselves
Landmark's world may be 100% destructible voxels, but it's no less pretty for it, with the kind of vibrant, cartoony art style seen in many MMOs
You can get your Mr. Driller on with a giant pneumatic drill, perfect for digging insanely deep holes towards the planet's core
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