Erenshor is an upcoming MMO inspired by the classics of the late ’90s and early 2000s – specifically Runescape if you’re judging by the art style – but it’s single-player and thus not even an MMO. Rather than real humans, Erenshor has “persistent simulated players” who will get to know you, invite you to raids, and journey alongside you.
The term “single-player MMORPG” is an oxymoron, but Burgee Media gets around this technicality by explaining that the “O” stands for “Offline.” As for the “multiplayer” component of that acronym, well, there are others, but none of them are controlled by humans.
As an MMORPG, Erenshor does not have humans as the other players, and the ‘O’ stands for ‘Offline’. In this game, you’re just one player trying to make it through an active player base. There is an active economy, competitive players, and an endless amount of content to explore.”
You will hunt monsters, complete quests, and find lost artifacts that you can trade for mountains of gold in Erenshor, just like in any MMO. Furthermore, the game features bustling cities, dungeons, forests, and beaches where you can find rare loot and upgrade gear for “tangible increases in power,” which suggests that the progression system doesn’t move at a snail’s pace like in some MMOs.
The simulated players thing is all well and good, but I just can’t get over it. Regardless of whether or not you play, the bots will go out, bag and equip new loot, and level up. Your relationship with them will deepen as you play more.
A blurb from the Steam description states, “They will remember how you treat them.” The game encourages players to grow together and take on Erenshor’s toughest opponents…and then leave the realm to face the Gods themselves.
My fondest gaming memories come from playing Ultima Online on emulated private shards more than 20 years ago. Perhaps I haven’t spent enough time using ChatGPT, but I doubt NPCs will be able to simulate even a small amount of community. The PC version of Erenshor will launch sometime in 2024, and a demo will launch on September 8.
