In some new footage for upcoming built-for-VR MMO Zenith, we get a good look at what up-close and intense melee combat is like. Developers Ramen VR raised over $280,000 to help bring the game to life and are funded by Y Combinator. Zenith is slated to release for PC VR this year.
— Tsuki (@Tsukinune) February 16, 2021
The clips above are taken from the Zenith devblog, Discord server, and developer newsletter. In them we can see lots of very fast-paced combat, which is something that’s been missing from most of the footage released so far.
OrbusVR was the first VR MMO to hit for the public and combat in that game is, comparatively, quite slow. It requires lots of careful aiming and mechanical movements, whereas Ramen VR claims to have taken inspiration from the likes of Beat Saber for their combat system.
I especially like the bit in the second clip that shows the player reaching up to the sky and calling down a lightning bolt to cast a spell. Those types of interactions are what make VR so much more engaging, but MMOs are massive games with so many complex intertwining systems that it’s difficult to manage everything at once.
Zenith has a unique sci-fi meets cyberpunk meets Japanese architecture and floral design style. It certainly doesn’t look like much else I’ve seen and strays far away from the “traditonal” fantasy vibe most MMOs go for, such as EverQuest, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online, and even the upcoming VR MMO Ilysia.
Time will tell whether or not Zenith can take charge as the go-to VR MMO, there is certainly a lot of competition out there. In the meantime, check out the Steam page for more details. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
