Mad World: Age of Darkness Review In Progress

mmorpg.com:

*At the time of writing this, Mad World payment processor Xsolla has automatically charged my linked PayPal account for $1000. I did not authorize any types of payments for this game and cannot recommend that anyone make purchases, or link their bank accounts, through the official website until this is sorted.*

After years of waiting, Jandisoft’s grimdark MMORPG Mad World: Age of Darkness is finally ready to unleash Hell on the online world. Originally anticipating a 2018 release date, the game has been plagued by multiple delays but those are now a thing of the past with the official April 27, 2023 release date. However, it has already been available for a couple of days to anyone brave enough to pre-order through Jandisoft’s website.

At its core, Mad World doesn’t offer anything starkly different from the competition. It’s a combination of hack-and-slash action RPG with MMO elements; very similar to another major ARPG sequel releasing later this year. The world is filled with tons of monsters that can be gathered up and slaughtered raining items and experience from the sky. The key difference from traditional ARPGs is that Mad World is expected to support thousands of players on a single server instead of only being able to join a handful at a time, which is the case with games like Diablo 3 or Path of Exile.

However, what really sets Mad World apart from the competition is its art style and focus on narrative. The stylized 2D, over-the-top grotesque art style is really what pulled me into the game. It almost feels like a mashup of The Binding of Isaac and Tree of Savior. This isn’t something I’ve really experienced before and definitely not with a focus on multiplayer.

While the Diablo franchise might be dark and gory,