Classic Xianxia Fantasy
The newest title from Eyougame uses the tried-and-true formula of xianxia-based MMORPG to draw in players. Lost Sanctuary: Eternal Origin features the classic elements of cultivation and heavenly tribulations along with monstrous demons found in games like Jade Dynasty and Perfect World.
The use of xianxia elements is prevalent everywhere in Lost Sanctuary. Character design, background art, battles and storyline all draw inspiration from Chinese fantasy. The player character is implied to have lived through the events of the game multiple times. NPCs guide the player in recovering their abilities and make comments about the player still not remembering them after all of this time. What happened to the player for them to either die or lose their memories isn’t mentioned, however.
Standard Classes
There are seven different classes for players to pick from in Lost Sanctuary with interesting designs and abilities. The downside is that there’s no customization, including when it comes to gender. Most RPGs offer two genders for each class. Unfortunately, this is a prevalent theme within Lost Sanctuary.
The classes have nods towards both European and Asian legends. The standard sword-wielding class take’s its name from the weapon Saint George used when he slayed the dragon, Ascalon. Another class, Nuwa, takes their name from a mother goddess in Chinese mythology. The class’s serpentine design is directly based on representations of the goddess in art and literature. The fully balanced class that takes inspiration from the Monkey King of Chinese legend is the Great Sage.
There’s an adorable class called Kali, in reference to the Hindu goddess, who serves as a long-distance tank. The name of the mystical chakram-wielding Sibyl class is a reference to the oracles of Greek legend. The red hooded DPS class known as Ruby is a tongue-in-cheek reference and, to round the group out, is the standard warrior Monk class.
While all of them are visually interesting and have their own endearing quirks, it’s easy to see how the promotional art doesn’t match up with what’s actually playable in game. This gap isn’t limited to just the design aspects of the game, this is a problem that is a common factor.
Speed Leveling and Buying
Within a few minutes, my character had already reached Level 46. This is an insane jump, even when comparing to idle games like AFK Arena. Especially when the developers lock the game in auto-play right from the get-go. It would be understandable if parts of the tutorial were mostly auto-play in order for new players to get the hang of a game. But for this to be the case even after the tutorial ends? Leaving a game to grind alone is one thing and not actually getting to play it is another.
Another annoyance is the constant pop-ups and in-game ads for players to buy add-ons. Buying merchandise in the game is common with MMORPGs and players can get exclusive weapons and outfits. But popups every few seconds for a game that marketed itself as “free VIP”? That makes for a letdown and a frustrating experience. Another letdown is the constant glitches within the game. Lost Sanctuary crashes and lags repeatedly, even while on the loading screen.
Gods and Demons
I genuinely wanted to love Lost Sanctuary. Xianxia games, when well done, are incredibly enjoyable and make for a great pastime. However, this is not one of them. Lost Sanctuary has its trouble spots that, if addressed by the developers, will make for a better game.
