TheChrono Odysseybeta test is over, and while the community continues to debate the quality, they agree on one thing: this really looks likeNew World.
Chrono Odyssey is a highly anticipated action MMORPG and showed off stunning visuals during the few trailers shown at Summer Games Fest and earlier. Featuring souls-like combat and a unique cosmic horror vibe, players were immediately interested in joining the closed beta test this past weekend.
After playing the Chrono Odyssey beta, the development team clearly took some creative licensing and inspiration from New World. Combat focuses on swapping between two weapons, crafting requires you to go to various stations throughout town (including a resource refining station), and the gathering systems are undeniably similar. The menus look like a New World palette swap, and everything just seems a bit too familiar.
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Nosfer4tuX on Twitchspotted more than just similarities, saying that forts and structures are nearly identical to the forts and staging areas in New World.
“That’s honestly embarrassing. They’re not going to be able to move quickly on their own when they basically had all this time and the bulk of what’s there is directly copied,“said Ex_Lives on Reddit.
Another player,Ninjacat74, was able to get screenshots from outside the beta barrier and found identical layouts for “forts, war camps, territory ownership, and taxes…”
I spent time with the beta over the weekend and had the feeling I’ve been through all this before, down to the glowing blue and red trees that indicated rare gathering nodes. The crates and boxes, the structures and world design, it all looked very similar to New World. Even the fast travel system is handled in the same way, using teleport statues called Bound Stones instead of open fast travel from anywhere.
The game does differentiate itself when it comes to dungeon design and the more alien structures and themes, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was playing a mod for New World instead of a unique and new game.
Criticism has been harsh over the weekend, with many players shocked at the poorstate of performance and low level of polish, but I’m hesitant to doom a game over an initial beta test, especially one using an almost year-old build. Despite the flaws, janky designs, and performance issues, there is a potential for Chrono Odyssey to stand out and find its own niche in the MMO world, with a bit more time in the oven.
