Enticing open worlds for mobile platforms

This review is of a game still being built, one which needs the finishing touches and final flourishes — but one where the experience is close to being complete. Fer.al is close to completion but its soul is whole as the game not just shows you what it can be but also what you can do right now. In its open beta, Fer.al is being played and being built at the same time and it is in this stage that I review the game hoping to understand a bit of both.

An open world role-playing game that is also massively online, Fer.al’s scale is large and, at times, this game tries to be World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2. To imagine that ambition/scale on a free game for mobile platforms was impossible before Genshin Impact but this is a braver, newer world and Fer.al proves Genshin was not a singular occurrence. In terms of gameplay, you play as feral creatures as you run about finishing objectives and levelling up. Not playing a game as human/humanoid creature is a welcome change as the speed from a quad-ped is a welcome change.

The missions available are a delectable mix, some requiring you to settle disputes, others asking you to look for rare artefacts. One specifically requires you to find koi that have escaped a pond, the trivial and the serious sometimes merge wonderfully with Fer.al and with such a mission mix, I expect the grind to be consistent.

Lastly, Fer.al has its hiccups: levels crash, interactions are wonky, and, at times, it can all just go to a black screen but then I am hoping these are all issues that will be fixed. Spend time with this one; it could be worth the ride.

Sneak peek

• Title: FER.AL
• Developer: Wildworks
• Game Type: MMORPG
• Platforms: Android, iOS, PC
• Price: Free to Play with in game purchases

Verdict

• Innovative Gameplay: 3.5
• Game Handling & Quality: 3
• Value for Time: 4
• Potential Progression without in-game purchases: 4
• Overall: 3.63

What Stands Out

• The visuals and world design are just fantastic
• A game where the protagonist is not human/humanoid

Fails to impress

• The game is still glitchy and has its problems — things that can be worked in the beta
• The game is too reminiscent of open worlds like WoW and Guild Wars 2

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