Skyforge Review for Xbox
Skyforge: Developed by Allods Team and published by My.com, is an action-packed MMO that puts players in the role of a demigod, tasked with protecting the world from waves of invaders.
A unique feature of the game is that players are limited to creating a single character, which cannot be deleted once it's made. However, this character can freely switch between classes anytime they're not in combat. For example, you might start a mission as a tank-like class to handle groups of enemies, then switch to a mage-like class for more focused damage during intense boss battles.
Since Skyforge is action-oriented, enemies must physically hit your character for their attacks to deal damage. This mechanic is why I preferred switching to a mage class during boss fights. With only one enemy to focus on, dodging their attacks becomes much easier. However, I noticed that the easier an attack was to avoid, the more devastating it was if it managed to connect.
The game primarily features instance-based gameplay, with a few hub areas where players can gather, socialize, and form groups. (In MMOs, an instance refers to a map that’s exclusive to a single player or group, rather than being shared with everyone online.) While there are a handful of non-instanced zones for questing, I generally avoided those and stuck to the instanced content.
Your level, referred to as your "prestige," increases in a way that's quite different from most games. Instead of earning XP by grinding through enemies, the game embraces the theme of your character being a demigod. Defeating enemies rewards you with a currency called "knowledge of enemies," which can be accumulated and exchanged to boost your prestige. However, the primary ways to gain prestige are by completing quests and attracting followers.
Gaining followers (NPC characters, not other players) can be achieved in two main ways. The primary method is through the capital menu, where you can select "Great Ritual" from the Grand Hall. Performing a ritual requires spending currency earned by completing missions or selling items.
Additionally, after completing all missions in a specific area, you unlock the ability to undertake quests. These quests vary—some involve defeating a certain number of enemies, while others require traveling to non-instanced areas. If you prefer to skip quests, you can use combat stimulants, a resource earned each time you log in. Before reaching Prestige 50, each quest only costs 1 stimulant to skip.
The mission menu features a gold line connecting various missions. Completing the mission at the end of this line (recommended for players at Prestige 50) unlocks a special quest that grants access to a powerful super form known as "Divine Mode." In Divine Mode, your stats receive a massive boost, and you can switch forms during combat. However, activating Divine Mode requires a resource called "faith," yet another in-game currency.
While I won’t delve into how to acquire faith in this review (by the time you can earn it, you’ll likely have already spent around 10 hours in the game), I found that you can generally use Divine Mode once per day or every few days. While this restriction is clearly intended to prevent players from overusing Divine Mode—especially in player-vs-player scenarios—I found the lengthy cooldown periods frustrating.