Mythos has probably had one of the bumpiest histories of any MMO game I can remember. Originally developed by Flagship Studios, in 2008 due to financial issues while Mythos was getting ready for open beta, the game was put on hold, then scrapped when Flagship went under.

Mythos then became the intellectual property of HanbitSoft, a Korean MMO publisher, who decided they would re-create Mythos for Asia and NA markets. Frogster would become the publisher in Europe. Last month Frogster announced Mythos EU would be closing its doors due to a lack of interest.

Which brings us to today where HanbitSoft and T3Fun have announced that the North America version will be going into a 4-day closed beta test on Dec 1st.

Now I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, but how many times can a game fail before they give up? To signup for the Closed beta, head over to the Mythos Global website.

Frogster today announced that Mythos will be shutting down its game servers next week on Oct 27th due to a lack of players.

MYTHOS enjoyed great popularity with the launch in April and the numerous registered users ensured a good start. The desired long-term success unfortunately did not follow. Under these circumstances, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the operation of MYTHOS.

Over the next few days, there will be in-game events and giveaways for the remaining players so they can go out with a bang.

1. The first event takes place on Thursday 20/10/2011 from 14:00 CEST (1pm UK).
2. The final event, the Farewell Party, takes place on Wednesday 26/10/2011 from 16:00 CEST (3pm UK), when we can all have one last party together.

Players that have been active in the last 3 months will all receive Runes of Magic vouchers which can be redeemed for mounts, diamonds or possibly both. Some players will also receive beta keys to Frogster’s other MMO game, Eligium.

The long awaited Mythos PvP featured called “Lamento” is finally here. Lamento currently allows for 1v1 and 2v2 matches with the winners being awarded Lamento Points which can be used to purchase new gear, weapons, pets from the Lamento Equipment Store.

Players will need to register themselves or their teams first with the Lamento master located in Heaven Island.  Once in the arena players cannot use health potions, but bandages and grenades allowed and can watch their teammate if they should die.

It’s always fun to see what you character can do against other players, so it’s good to see some PvP action hitting Mythos.

The latest update to Mythos Europe went live today and introduced the new Dungeon Master system, which gives the title of Dungeon Master to players who are able to clear out dungeons in record time. The new system works on all dungeons except for Ruins Dungeons.

This is definitely an interesting feature to add to a MMORPG, which I don’t think has been done before. Speed run videos have been popular for quite some time now and if you go to Youtube you’ll find thousands of them for various games, although the vast majority of those games are single players game. If you have players who are constantly in dungeons doing speed runs and you have a quest in that dungeon, it’s going to get annoying.

Once activated, a timer will appear anytime a player enters a dungeon so they can keep track of their time and if a player beats the current record, they will be rewarded with in-game currency, items and travel stones and of course having their name listed in the record books.

Cyclops

Having undergone a transfer in ownership in 2009, Mythos opened a new and improved website and closed beta registration to it’s rapidly growing fan base. HanbitSoft, a Korean software company, has put considerable effort into revitalizing the once struggling hack ‘n’ slash MMO. In addition to adding a 3rd-person view for users who do not prefer the classic isometric option, HanbitSoft has given the game’s zones a complete visual overhaul. Even more, the game’s once drab “player hubs” have received a restructuring to emphasize fluidity in gameplay and story progression.

The new website looks great. The URL, www.mythos-europe.com, reminds us that the game will be based in Europe, though North American players should have no trouble logging in. Take a minute or two to peruse the website’s simplistic yet effective interface and find out about the game’s four races: Human, Gremlin, Satyr, and Cyclops. This is a refreshing race combination, and I’m actually interested to try each one individually. Each race has it’s own bonuses, with the mythical Satyrs receiving a +3 to mana, for instance.

Check out the video on the main page to get an idea of how Mythos has transformed over the year. You’ll enjoy sweeping views of such zones as Evergreen Pasture, Jagged Canyons, and Crystal Peaks, as well as some gameplay footage to boot. Last but not least, don’t forget to complete the quick sign-up form for the Closed Beta, which is also located on the main page. Keep checking back for updates to Mythos, as HanbitSoft is surely eager to generate some momentum for this unique title.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

Mythos, a free-to-play dungeon crawling MMO from publisher Redbana, finally has an official website.  In addition to screenshots, videos and a game guide, forums are afoot.

We also nabbed some screenshots and a couple gameplay videos for you to check out.  Is this your cup of tea?  If so, you’ll still have to wait a bit longer, because although they tease closed beta, there is no information regarding when it might start.  You can, however, sign up for closed beta on the official site.

Here’s a more detailed description of  Mythos straight from the horse’s mouth:

Mythos is an online action role-playing game set in the land of Uld, a fantasy world arisen from the ashes of a dark and terrible war. Inhabited by a variety of races from humans to gremlins, the massively multiplayer environment is filled with diverse gaming experiences suited for both solo and group-minded players. Players will embark on epic quests and explore dungeons in search of riches and the secrets of Uld. With a straightforward interface and isometric perspective, Mythos will appeal to both the casual and dedicated gamer.

And here’s the gameplay videos. Check out the screenshots at the top of the story.

Shortly after the acquisition, HanbitSoft rechristened the title with an apt name, Hellgate: Resurrection, and promised to re-launch the title internationally.  HanbitSoft itself was then purchased by T3 Entertainment, who assured players that the game would still be returning.  Going so far as to promise its own development power to create an expansion, Hellgate: Tokyo.

Now you’re caught up on the situation of Bill Roper’s gig before Champions Online.

/me wipes brow

HanbitSoft announced a few days ago that Hellgate: Resurrection is still coming to North America, Europe and Japan, but a release in China and Southeast Asia are the first targets.  Hellgate: Resurrection continues to be F2P in Korea, and it’s likely that the game will remain that way for its upcoming re-releases.

In case you are wondering, HanbitSoft also owns Mythos, Flagship Studios’ other project.

For those that have yet to play Mythos or even hear about it, the game is being developed by some of the same people who brought you Diablo 2. As such it plays much like it; point top move, right click to use a skill, left click to attack, massive amounts of loot, etc. Up until last week, the rpesentation of the game was much the same, you and a few friends party up in the town (usually StoneHill) and take off into an instanced zone on your way to whatever quest you were on. It was a simple straight forward method, but it was also one that worked fairly well. Well apparently the developers disagreed.

While not yet available on the actual server, those players whose curiosity needs to be peeked can find that if they head on over to the test server they can experience Mythos ala World of Warcrat style. That is to say, you can go anywhere and do anything with anybody at anytime. For those of you who are fearing that this game will become yet another WoW-clone now that it has lost much of it’s past identity, don’t worry, while the presentation may be completely disheveled the core gameplay is still much the same. Lots of baddies, lots of flashy skills, and lots of loot await you in Mythos just like before. The only difference is now it’s all in one big persistent world. It’s all very exciting stuff!

Crime Craft

Sort of like GTA except with more crime and less driving around. CrimeCraft uses the Unreal Engine 3 and isn’t set to be released until Spring of 2009, so its about a year away but it’ll be free to play.
http://www.crimecraft.com

Mythos

No suprise to see Mythos making the list. We’ve covered Mythos before, but if you’re not familiar with it it’s a Diablo2 clone, but a MMORPG instead of a regular RPG.
http://www.mythos.com

Requiem: Bloodymare

An extremely gory and bloody horror MMORPG, Requiem: Bloodymare that lives up to its name. Originally created in South Korea the game has made its way to western audiences. Currently the game is in Beta, but will be released shortly.
http://www.playrequiem.com

Dungeon Runner

A comical MMORPG that is a lot of fun to play and is free as long as you allow them to run an ad banner while you’re playing. However for only $4.99/month you have the option to remove that.

http://www.dungeonrunners.com

Sword of the New World: Granado Espada

An MMORPG with an anime look that at one point had a monthly fee but is now free to play. Sword of the New World allows you to control up to 3 characters which separates it from all the other MMOs out there.

http://swordofthenewworld.com

Holic

Currently in open beta, Holic is a MMO with a very cutsie look. What seperates this game from others is that users are able to create there own dungeouns and quests once they get far enough into the game.
http://holic.netgame.com

Shaiya: Light and Darkness

We covered Shaiya before so its no suprise to us that PC Gamer selected it as one of the best free games out there. Shaiya concentrates on long term development of your character and heavy PvP action. If you ever played Lineage, this game is right up your alley.
http://shaiya.aeriagames.com

Fiesta

Another anime inspired MMORPG from Korea, however this one suffers from horribly translated dialog. Aside from the bad translations, Fiesta Online is a good looking game with solid game play.
http://fiesta.outspark.com

Cabal Online

A solid fantasy MMORPG that doesn’t really make any breakthroughs, but features good gameplay, story and PvP via duels. Considering its free to play, if you’re looking for a casual free fantasy MMO, Cabal Online could be the one for you.
http://www.cabalonline.com