Final ‘Riders Of Icarus’ Closed Beta Taking Sign-Ups, Mount Heavy MMORPG
The latest MMORPG on the block, Riders of Icarus, has a final closed beta incoming, with some notable changes to the mount-focused PC title from Nexon and WeMade Entertainment. Sign-ups are being taken now on the game’s official website and the developer explained the new “Action Mode” meant to be tested during the beta in an update along with other changes based on player feedback.
The third and final Riders of Icarus closed beta will start Thursday, June 2, and run through Tuesday, June 7. The closed beta will be available to those in Western Europe, North America, Oceania, and Latin America.
The open beta is still scheduled for July 6. Those that purchase a Founder’s Pack are given a seven day head start, with access opening up Wednesday, June 29. Participants in the closed beta will receive exclusive permanent Silver Dragon or Gold Dragon capes, which will rewarded at the launch of the open beta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pywKuW7vVP8
For those that aren’t familiar, Riders of Icarus is a fantasy action MMORPG that focuses on taming, collecting, training, and riding a range of wild beasts. This includes everything from Dire Wolves to Dragons and Pegasus. Aerial combat is a core mechanic as heroes battle bosses in the air, and that leads to some of the changes WeMade Entertainment is seeking to test in closed beta 3.
The game currently uses a traditional targeted keyboard/mouse control system similar to many other MMORPGs. Players click on a target with the mouse or cycle through targets using the tab key. They then use whichever key is associated with attack skills.
The upcoming Riders of Icarus closed beta test will add Action mode. This changes the style to more of a hack-and-slash game as Project Director Seok Hoon explained in a post over the weekend.
“In Action Mode, you will be able to rotate the camera simply by moving the mouse. There’s no need to target; instead, you aim at your target with the crosshair in the center of the screen, then click left and right mouse buttons to use your attack skills.
“The simple and easy Action Mode control is perfect for aerial combat. When using the lance it will play like a hack and slash game, and when using the crossbow, it will play like a shooter game. We also recommend Riders try out this mode when playing melee classes.”
Players can toggle between the traditional mode and Action Mode at any time by pressing the “Insert” key. Switching to Action Mode will lock the camera’s movement to the mouse, but the mouse cursor can be activated by holding the “Alt” key.
Expect more changes to come to the new mode based on feedback from the closed beta. The developers already have a few ideas of features they would like to add.
“The biggest challenge for us was bringing the thrilling action of the non-target systems despite the fact Riders of Icarus uses the traditional MMORPG target system. Even now, we are constantly exploring and testing different ways to improve Action Mode, including a Lock-On feature that will help with crossbow targeting. In Open Beta, we plan on bringing a highly polished control mode that allows usage of skills even without a target, the Lock-On feature, and other improvements.”
The final closed beta will also give those that are interested in the game a chance to see more. The NDA for Riders of Icarus will lift at the same time the beta starts, so expect to see gameplay videos and more information hit.
[Image via Nexon]
