THRONE AND LIBERTY Preview: Entering the Roaring Temple

Amazon Games has been taking up space in the MMO space with titles like New World , and at Summer Game Fest 2024 , I got to go hands-on with THRONE AND LIBERTY for the second time.

I’ve long been a fan of MMORPGs, with the likes of World of Warcraft and Elder Scrolls Online taking up years of my life. Jumping into THRONE AND LIBERTY , I was pleasantly surprised by how familiar everything felt, yet at the same time, completely new. The first time I played the game at SGF 2023, I was let loose in the world, unfamiliar with my skills and the environment, so I felt like I was missing something. This time around, everything fell into place perfectly.

We were guided by someone from Amazon Games through our first dungeon, Roaring Temple. It was a level 30 dungeon, and we were all kitted out in level-appropriate gear. Dungeons and raids are something I am very familiar with from my time in WOW and ESO , and with our leader in tow, I felt right at home. Obviously, I went with a longbow and staff user for some ranged DPS action because ranged is usually much easier to jump into.

Roaring Temple was the perfect example to show off some of the interesting mechanics in THRONE AND LIBERTY. Everyone in the game has three morphs to maneuver in different terrains. I likened these to a Druid in World of Warcraft , as you can double jump to become an eagle and soar, jump into the water and become the cutest otter, or swap to another bird-like creature to run faster around the map. These change appearance based on your character customization as well, and little touches like that are always welcome.

The dungeons in THRONE AND LIBERTY run very similar to other MMOs, so if you have been an active player in those, you won’t have a hard time adjusting. There is the obligatory trash between bosses, mini-bosses, teamwork, and mega-bosses. Different skills bring different things to the table, and mechanics like standing in line of someone targeted to share the damage are included throughout.

“It’s like all my favourite MMOs got a shiny new coat of paint with THRONE AND LIBERTY …”

Though I didn’t have time to master my skill sets, it was very clear that there are multiple ways to play THRONE AND LIBERTY, with myself loaded talents that used both magic and arrows. I believe that when we loaded in, I saw 124 talents added to my character, so there will be no shortage of play-style options.

Within the dungeon, there were resurrection points that you could respawn at if you died, and if you died during the battle, you could run back in to watch the fight but not participate. It was unclear whether any specific classes would have a resurrection ability, but there is a handy in-game UI option to select enemies or teammates to target them for healing, attacks or buffs. There are also campfires throughout the dungeons where you can rest and heal, taking the load off of the healers between bosses.

The visuals, from the character creation right down to group battles, are stunning in THRONE AND LIBERTY . Every skill plays out with a different animation, and the colours and movement on screen are dynamic and brilliant. It’s like all my favourite MMOs got a shiny new coat of paint with THRONE AND LIBERTY, and I am excited to see what else Amazon Games brings to the table.

It’s hard to judge an MMO from just one dungeon, but I think THRONE AND LIBERTY has all the parts to make an excellent MMO, especially as a free-to-play title. If they can develop a healthy player base, THRONE AND LIBERTY might just be a must-play for MMO players everywhere.