Fellowship Removes the ‘Massive Multiplayer’ from ‘MMORPG’ for Extra Fun

It’s always a treat to see a game designer take a unique element from a complex genre and build an entire game around it. Just think back to how the MOBA genre emerged, stripping the hero elements from an RTS. Now, we have Fellowship stepping onto the stage as a Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure. This game aims to distill the essence of team-based dungeon raids—the core of modern MMOs—into a streamlined experience, cutting out the grind and diving straight into the action.

After checking out a development version of Fellowship, I can honestly say the concept holds up beautifully. It offers no-nonsense, endlessly scalable dungeon runs with teams of four: a tank, a healer, and two damage dealers from an array of unique classes. Whether you form your own group or use the intuitive group finder, you hop in and choose between quick, single-boss Adventures or longer, multi-boss dungeons—catering to the time you have on hand, whether that’s a spare ten minutes or a full hour to enjoy.

At the end of each run, you grab your loot, adjust your talents, crank up the difficulty, and jump back in for more action.

I was initially unsure if you could replicate the authentic MMO dungeon vibe without the MMO part, but Fellowship truly hits the mark. You’ll traverse environments filled with enemy mobs on your way to the bosses, dealing with classic mechanics like managing the tank’s threat and aggro, aiding the healer, keeping an eye on enemy abilities to counter, and nailing your class’s attack rotations.

Playing as an elemental mage character, I had plenty to juggle, even at the starting level. I could store charges to unleash massive icy meteors or channel freezing blasts. Our healer was equally intriguing, capable of summoning plants that could either harm enemies or heal allies. It quickly became clear that each class is well-defined, emphasizing what it can and can’t do. For instance, my fragile mage didn’t do so well when I mistakenly attracted the boss’s attention—oops, sorry, tank!

Now, about those bosses. I witnessed four particularly memorable fights that embody the spirit of modern dungeon runs. In one ghost pirate scenario, we faced a skeletal shipmaster, demanding quick reflexes as we toggled between ghosts and our bodies. In another, we tackled a massive treasure golem that couldn’t be tanked traditionally; our tank instead had to chase a ball, gathering treasure fragments we knocked loose. We also encountered a giant zombie able to summon tides, forcing us to anchor ourselves and dodge sharks.

These boss fights struck a nice balance between reflex-demanding encounters and those requiring strategic use of class abilities. Take the warlock boss as an example: he was relentless, with a barrage of skills and summons that had to be constantly interrupted. He even created zones that forced us to strategize, either bunching together or scattering at high speed.

I particularly admire how Fellowship handles dungeon difficulty. It starts at a manageable level, gradually introducing players to enemy abilities and mechanics while progressively removing the training wheels. Once the standard difficulty is mastered, the challenge intensifies with numerous levels, each featuring unique combinations of two or more ‘curses,’ each with its own advantages and disadvantages. One curse, for instance, could introduce Empowered minions among the usual hordes. Defeating these grants temporary buffs that expedite clearing trash mobs or add an advantage against bosses.

The idea of a game centered on infinitely scaling dungeons, which feels both familiar and fresh, is absolutely captivating. Combine that with the developers’ exciting plans for competitive seasons, where players can reset and race to claim world-first boss kills, and I can already feel my excitement building. I’m ready to dive into Fellowship upon its release this year, fully geared and primed for its challenges.