Final boss fights in video games are something special. Epic music plays, the boss’s name and title splashes across the screen, players get to show off their most powerful techniques, strongest weapons and coolest-looking armor, and the foe somehow manages to provide a challenge even for masters of the game. But final boss fights - and the final dungeons that house them - pose one key problem: they take forever to get to. A good RPG or action-adventure title will often require hundreds of hours before players have even a prayer of reaching the final fight. That’s whereFellowship,the new MODA (multiplayer online dungeon adventure) from Chief Rebel andArc Games, comes in.Fellowshipasks the question “what if every dungeon was as epic and sprawling and heart-pumping as the final one” and answers it with aplomb: it would be extremely awesome.
A World Of Endless Dungeons
I had the opportunity to play through two ofFellowship’sdungeons alongside members of the Chief Rebel team. Faced with a roster of six characters to choose from, I quickly picked Ardeos the Fire Mage, a cocky and handsomeDPS fighterwho focuses on laying down damage-over-time attacks and then using his built-up firepower to incinerate multiple enemies with a snap of his fingers. Teaming up with Rime, another DPS (this one ice-focused), the mighty tank Helena the Warmaster, and the adorable healer Sylvie, we braved the depths of an eerie shipwreck-littered wilderness, the Sailor’s Abyss, and a forbidding mountain-ringed fortress inhabited by sinister snipers and eerie scholars.
The gameplay ofFellowshipis simple: Players team up in groups of four and take on either a shorter Quick Play or longer Ranked dungeon. Quick Play dungeons typically take about 10–15 minutes to complete, while Ranked dungeons require around 30 minutes.Fellowshipis definitely a game that can be played either inquick burstsor long all-day marathons; it is not a game that one gets bored with quickly, but it also doesn’t require hours of commitment for each single gameplay session.
Teams start off in the Stronghold, where players can select their gear. The team can decide on what dungeon to challenge. If a Ranked Dungeon is picked, the team can then select various “Ascensions” and “Curses” to increase the difficulty of the adventure in exchange for greater rewards. These range from the straightforward, such as applying a time limit to the dungeon, to more complex settings that force the party to carefully consider their strategy before entering, such as causing all enemies to explode in a shower of deadly blood crystals upon defeat. Once gear, Ascensions, and/or Curses have been selected, it’s time to head into the dungeon.
Tank, DPS, And Healer Must Work Together In Harmony
The dungeon design ofFellowshipwill be fairly familiar to anyone with experienceplaying RPGsand adventure games. There are typically multiple paths to choose from, with foes appearing regularly along them. Enemies range from small groups of low-HP creatures to mini-bosses with significantly more HP and complex tricks up their sleeves. At the end of the dungeon is a final boss, who will boast a huge chunk of HP and several spells and abilities to their name. After either defeating or failing to defeat the final boss (or running out of time, if that modifier is chosen), the team will be returned to the Stronghold and can choose the next dungeon to challenge.
Every encounter inFellowshipis designed in such a way that the “Holy Trinity” oftank, DPS, and healermust work together in order to succeed. No individual player or character is capable of conquering a dungeon on their own. The party I fought with included one tank, two DPS and one healer, and every member of the party was equally valuable. The best example of this was the final boss of the Sailor’s Abyss, a large undead creature heavily implied to be the source behind the unusually high number of shipwrecks in the area. Its attacks did huge amounts of damage that only Helena, with her superior defense, could survive. Occasionally, it would summon deadly orbs that needed to be quickly defeated before exploding, which was where Rime and Ardeos' elemental magic came in. And many of its attacks featured random or unpredictable patterns that could leave the entire party desperately in need of health, which could only be fixed by Sylvie’s healing flowers and swarms of magical butterflies.
My absolute favorite part ofFellowship’s dungeons - even beyond thecool boss designsand the ability to set tons of enemies on fire at once with my chosen character - is that there’s no need to go rushing around hunting for bits of dropped loot after killing hordes of foes. The loot is presented neatly at the end of the dungeon in a single large chest, so there’s never any worry that you might have missed something along the way. And the loot you gain from each dungeon is strong enough that you truly feel like your character is increasing in power even without more traditional RPG-style leveling.
A Straightforward Progression System Lets Dungeons Be Challenging
Progress inFellowshipis refreshingly straightforward. New gear and talents are unlocked after completing dungeons, allowing players to take on more and more challenging foes. However, there is really no grinding necessary, and even the first dungeons players can challenge are suitably epic and final-feeling. One thing I like is that Ultimate Abilities are unlocked after completing only one dungeon, but are made to feel more special because you need to raise your kill count to 100 in order to be able to use them. The Firemage’sUltimate Abilityis, predictably, setting lots of enemies even MORE on fire than usual, and using it was beyond satisfying.
Fellowshipis an awesome game for people who wantchallenging dungeongameplay and cool, memorable boss fights without having to grind through the same content for hours and hours to get there. The Ascension and Curse system gives dungeons a lot of replayability, and the team plans to add new dungeons (including larger and more complex Raids) and heroes in the future, keeping things consistently fresh. Currently,Fellowshipis scheduled to enter a closed alpha testing period beginning on August 15, and is planned to fully release on PC some time in 2025.
