Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

Game has died. Was fun for a short while but not worth the time.

I keep putting off giving a review here so I decided to do this sooner than later. After spending over 300 hours exploring Terminus since Early Access launched, I can confidently say Pantheon delivers exactly what it promised: a genuine throwback to the golden age of MMORPGs. This isn't some modern MMO with "retro-inspired" mechanics - this is the real deal, warts and all. [h1] What Makes Pantheon Special [/h1] Pantheon captures the authentic EverQuest-era experience better than any other modern attempt. The deliberate pacing, meaningful progression, and community reliance aren't design flaws - they're the core philosophy. When you finally reach level 10 after proper corpse runs and careful resource management, that accomplishment feels earned in ways modern MMOs simply can't replicate. The world feels alive and dangerous. You won't find quest markers pointing you to objectives or conveniently placed vendors every 50 feet. Getting lost is part of the experience, and discovering your way through zones like Avendyr's Pass creates genuine adventure moments most contemporary games have sterilized out of existence. The current Early Access build offers six zones to explore with solid visuals that, while not cutting-edge, effectively create atmosphere. Six races (Dark Myr, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Human, & Ogre) and thirteen classes (Cleric, Dire Lord, Druid, Enchanter, Monk, Necromancer, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Shaman, Summoner, Warrior, & Wizard) provide meaningful variety. The level cap sits at 40, with plans to increase this in future updates. [h1] The Hard Truths [/h1] Let's be clear: Pantheon isn't for everyone. The graphics won't wow you (though still beautiful in a different way), and if you're expecting modern UI conveniences, you may be frustrated. The game deliberately avoids hand-holding - there's no in-game map, minimal quest guidance, and death carries real consequences with experience loss and corpse recovery requirements. Though you can find community made static maps online. Progress is slow by modern standards. Leveling becomes significantly more manageable when grouping, which is exactly the point - this game forces you to engage with other players. Solo play is possible but inefficient past level 5 compared to working with others. Technical issues do exist. Performance problems related to a resource leak have caused crashes for some players, though the developers are actively addressing these through weekly Wednesday patches. (These were rarely [h1] Who Should Buy This? [/h1] If you're an MMORPG veteran who misses the days when zones felt dangerous, when grouping was necessary rather than optional, and when progression meant actual accomplishment rather than daily login bonuses, or maybe you're newer to this and like it all the same - Pantheon is for you. The Steam community is filled with EverQuest veterans rediscovering that magic and newer folk wanting to try an old school way of doing things like this from simpler times. If you expect modern quality-of-life features, instant gratification, or solo-friendly progression, look elsewhere. This game's "Very Positive" Steam rating reflects its success with its target audience, not universal appeal. [h1] The Road Ahead [/h1] Visionary Realms has shown impressive responsiveness since Early Access launched. Their roadmap through 2025 includes performance optimization, additional visual effects, UI/UX improvements, and the Ashbreathers update. They've even pushed back the release of the next zone (Badia de Cara, an ocean/island-themed area) to 2026 to ensure proper development. The $40 price tag seems reasonable for what's offered, especially considering their commitment to "no pay-to-win" mechanics. With weekly updates actively improving the experience, this feels like an investment in a game that's genuinely evolving. [h1] Final Verdict [/h1] [h3] Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen [/h3] isn't trying to be everything to everyone - and that's precisely why it succeeds. It delivers an unapologetically old-school MMORPG experience that modern games have largely abandoned. While technical issues and dated visuals might turn some away, the authentic gameplay loop and strong community make this a must-play for classic MMO fans. If you have the patience for deliberate progression and value meaningful social interaction over solo grinding, Pantheon offers something truly special that you won't find anywhere else. Just don't expect it to hold your hand - that's the entire point. If you’ve ever corpse-ran through Everfrost for 20 minutes just to reclaim your gear and felt alive doing it, Pantheon isn’t just a game—it’s homecoming. Don’t expect comfort. Expect consequence. This is why we played MMOs in the first place.

I think this game has some of the most potential of any recent game. I have been playing both solo, with a duo, dual-box, and a duo both dual-boxing, (yes we both bought the game twice, it's THAT GOOD) for me, Pantheon perfectly replicates the feeling of old Project 1999. The classes are balance, the gameplay is fun, the bosses are FUN, the dungeons are good,- the community is great!

Game is a mess, save your time.

High likelihood that the climate-mediated collapse of human civilization will occur before this game is finished. Best case scenario you get to play a thoroughly mid MMORPG during the American warlord era, or maybe on one of those floating cities from Waterworld?

Well, as a backer from years ago I followed, played in the alpha's and into its current state. The game itself is decent, many good features even though it was a massive let down on the horrible graphics decision I understand the reason and it is getting a bit better over time. However one thing that just keeps me from being able to recommend this game is simply the players, the community is hateful, toxic and very abusive. Trying many server over the last couple years, I have met a few great people compared to hundreds of very elitist jerks, hateful, abusive trolls, griefers, and just a very low quality community as a whole. If you have several friends already established, then it isn't bad but if you want to find a decent group to play with as a casual player wanting the old EQ, UO, SWG friendly and helpful communities from years ago then look elsewhere. Very sadly, the worst of those players have infested Pantheon and it seems that is the exact elitist groups the games devs are seeking and promoting. Its not a thriving community, its a drama filled pvp game with no pvp.

Almost 400 hours in, and I have to say the game is good. Just don’t buy it through Steam—lots of crashing issues there.

I don't typically like to write negative reviews, even if a game has a lot of problems because problems can be fixed. This dev team can't fix problems. They are always reworking systems. They announced they were reworking classes and they would wipe when they're done. This game needs a community. No one wants to play a game that will wipe. As I'm writing this, there are about 50-100 people playing the PTR. The CEO just put out a letter about how he has just utterly mismanaged the team and priorities. He fired people to "make room for new devs that can help with what he wants to focus on". I've lost hope for this game. I'm just waiting for Monsters & Memories. This game is in purgatory and I don't think it'll ever be released OR when it's close, they'll find a new reason to rework some core mechanic and wipe again. If you are thinkin about buying this game, I urge you to look at all the recent announcements. Especially the CEO letter.