Final Fantasy rival surfaces in free 2027 RPG that looks almost too good to be true

It’s never too early to look towards what the next gaming year will bring us, and Lord of Mysteries is undoubtedly a game that needs to be on your radar.

This MMORPG almost feels too good to be true with its rich, exquisitely detailed open-world.

Lord of Mysteries is set within a Victorian fantasy world plagued by supernatural foes in what is an adaptation of the book series of the same name.

It’s being developed by Chinese studio SPARK NEXA and sees players inhabit the role of a ‘beyonder’.

As reported by Gameoneer, players will build their own character called Extraordinary who’ll come face-to-face with many familiar fan-favourites from the book series, including Melissa and Gehrman Sparrow.

It goes without saying that you don’t need any familiarity with the book series whatsoever.

While Lord of Mysteries shares the steampunk feel of Bloodborne and the fantasy world-building of Final Fantasy, it’ll perhaps play out more like fellow Chinese MMORPG Where Winds Meet.

It’s expected that Lord of Mysteries will follow the same pricing and opt for a free-to-play base game with in-game monetisation via things like season passes and paid expansions.

SPARK NEXA

That’s because developers have already said that narrative content will not be hidden behind paywalls, with Gameoneer reporting that “intense side quests like Dunn & Dellen’s tale” is also confirmed as free.

What we also know is that players will be able to enjoy Lord of Mysteries solo if they so wish.

Some people are put off by the mention of MMORPG, but, again, it should play similarly to Where Winds Meet; there will be plenty of quests and opportunities for solo exploration with co-op and multiplayer options if you so wish.

In terms of gameplay, Lord of Mysteries makes use of an ‘occult power system’ with six key builds available, including Warrior and Bard.

The game’s world has been built in Unreal Engine 5, where you’ll help the world’s inhabitants as well as fend off those aforementioned supernatural threats.

The title recently dropped a new trailer showcasing its fast-paced, high-octane combat, which looks to pose quite the challenge. The whole game is played from a third-person perspective.

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One tester has already branded Lord of Mysteries as “top tier”

The game is currently slated only for PC alongside iOS and Android, with console editions yet to be announced, but hopefully that could change.

Lord of Mysteries will launch in China this year, before a global launch follows in 2027 with a specific date yet to be pinned down.

As such, there are no reviews for the game just yet, but thoughts have surfaced online from those who have partaken in Lord of Mysteries’ betas.

Do keep in mind that betas reflect a game that is still in development.

Reddit user Time_Service5585 described the game as “top tier”.

“The MMO mechanics are currently very polished. Besides dungeons and PvP, it also offers casual activities, exploration, cosmetics, and social features.”

They continued, “Similar to Justice Online or Where Winds Meet, the monetisation mainly focuses on cosmetics, and LOTM skilfully blends the strengths of both titles.

“For the story, there’s a dedicated ACT action camera perspective, providing an experience similar to AAA single-player games. Graphically, it performs well thanks to Unreal Engine 5. [...] The MMO uses a seasonal system with multiple progression paths leading to the same goal, along with daily caps. Even during the early progression phase, playing two to three hours a day is enough to keep up with everyone else.”

It all sounds promising enough. It’ll be interesting to watch Lord of Mysteries make its way to the Western market in 2027.