Brighter Shores feels an awful lot like RuneScape, but its promising start is still missing some key ingredients

Nov 30, 2024

Brighter Shores is a RuneScape-like MMO with unique features, but lacks depth and has high XP requirements.

Brighter Shores feels an awful lot like RuneScape, but its promising start is still missing some key ingredients

: Brighter Shores, developed by Fen Research Ltd, shares many similarities with RuneScape, as they were created by the same co-founder, Andrew Gower. The game features a map divided into distinct vignettes and skills known as Professions, connecting exploration and skill enhancement. Combat, while standard, is innovatively reset for each new location, encouraging continual leveling but resulting in cumbersome equipment management. Although promising, Brighter Shores currently feels more like a casual game due to its high XP demands and underdeveloped storylines.

Brighter Shores, co-created by Andrew Gower of RuneScape fame, offers an MMO experience that heavily mirrors its predecessor. The game is divided into episodic exploration through vignettes within a high fantasy world, with skills known as Professions forming the core of many gameplay mechanics. Despite efforts to innovate, some elements like resource banks and storyline depth somewhat diminish the immersive experience.

While distinct features such as the 'Discover' system and location-specific skill training aim to refresh the grind, they can also tire the player through redundancy and limit world exploration. Combat resets per location, ensuring a consistent challenge, but leads to overwhelming equipment management. Factions in combat, currently underdeveloped, hint at future depth, especially with the anticipated PvP expansion.

Passive training methods provide a balanced way to cope with high XP demands starting from level 20, making the game more accessible to casual players. With XP requirements sharply increasing post-level 20, relying on passive training proves to be essential for sustainable progress. Despite its early access state showing potential, Brighter Shores lacks the compelling narratives necessary to engage players long-term, potentially anchoring it as a casual gaming choice.