On Thursday Jagex announced, and launched, a new version of their popular MMO Runescape, DarkScape.
It is described as an “experimental sandbox MMO” that focuses on the “thrill of the kill.”
DarkScape does not replace RuneScape, but will run alongside it. Existing RuneScape players can benefit from a 1.5 XP boost, and an extra item kept on death to give them the edge in this new “kill or be killed” world.
“Featuring a surprising and treacherous world divided into low, mid, and high-risk regions, each with their own economy, players will have to decide how deep they travel into zones of maximum threat, where valuable resources and high-level content can be claimed,” Jagex said in its announcement.
Conor Crowley, the senior producer on DarkScape said that Jagex came up with the idea for the game a couple of years ago. It was moved aside for development on RuneScape, but stayed with them through it all.
“Developing a new take on the world of RuneScape, one where PvP gameplay rules supreme, has proved very exciting,” Crowley added. “We spent time looking for a way to get DarkScape into the hands of players as soon as possible, so the game launching today is very much an experimental first step. That said, it will continue to evolve and further develop based on how players explore our fresh take on a deadly MMO experience.”
Are you a fan of RuneScape? Would you try a new darker version? Let us know in the comments below.