Into the Outlands
Sandbox Interactive brought Albion Online to Android and iOS almost exactly one year ago. The German studio continues to keep the free-to-play MMORPG fresh with regular content updates. The most recent of which, Into the Fray, went live on June 8th. The free expansion adds a battery of new content while overhauling existing elements.
One of the most significant new features is the introduction of Portal Towns. These are new settlements that players will enter upon traveling to the Outlands. Within the game’s lore, the Royal Cities are experiencing a period do major population growth. As a result, they were able to establish the Portal Towns to expand their reach into the Outlands. This is the developer’s way of having Albion Online’s growing player base be reflected in the world their characters inhabit. The Portal Towns let players engage in trading and banking on the way to and from the Outlands. Players can also visit Invisibility Shrines to let them safely travel to their Outland destination. This is part of Sandbox Interactive’s initiative to offer new players a much more accessible early-game experience.
Bigger and Better
Developers are also working on improving the experience of higher-level players. Albion Online’s other new features include the induction of the new Crystal Arena and Non-Lethal Crystal League 5v5 mode. The online RPG is also getting new dynamic events offering short-term bonuses. Players will also find new Victory Emotes and Twitch Drops now that the update’s gone live. Other changes include improvements to the visuals for Castles and an overhauled Staff weapon line. The latter includes the introduction of new spells as well as improved graphics and animations. The update also includes several minor quality-of-life improvements.
Sandbox Interactive originally released Albion Online in 2017, and the game is notable for its players-driven economy and lack of traditional RPG classes. The PC version has an aggregate score of 72% on Metacritic, though the Android port saw a more positive reception. Either way, Sandbox Interactive seems satisfied with Albion Online’s growth.
