Worst MMO Ever? - Villagers and Heroes

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$90 for 1 dragon mount model, palette swapped 4 times.
if there were a competition for 'worst most average mmo', V&H wouldn't win because that would make it too memorable.
This was the most 'meh' 8 hours of my life.
Thank you to the Patreon supporters and Twitch subs for supporting the channel.

[@BiggestGal]

Villagers and Heroes is one of the games ever made.

[@Marmotone]

r/technicallythetruth

[@konflicted1729]

Hmmm yes floor is made of floor

[@TeamMBaku]

I once saw one of the movies ever made.

[@il9375]

this is one of the comments ever made

[@-mysto-]

The water is wet

[@kenny42069]

I have to imagine if you play one of these less popular MMOs, seeing a toon named Josh Strife Hayes running around is like an omen of death

[@Direwoof]

Well I think if you play an MMO with 19 active players, you probably already know XD

[@brandonsutton7474]

I feel it might actually swell in numbers on some of them from Josh's audience trying some of which he reports on themselves.

[@SpydersByte]

@@Direwoof you'd be surprised. I just found a comment saying this game has "amazing gameplay" and he was 100% serious. lol.

[@baldgagits2107]

Kinda like eating in a restaurant then Gordon Ramsey comes in with a camera crew

[@tvbuu]

@@SpydersByte apparently there's way more players on mobile

[@mishalesauer5074]

You know your MMO is bad when Josh says hi in the game chat and the immediate response to that is "Are your filming for Worst MMO Ever?" lmao

[@ChaoticNeutralMatt]

Very nice touch

[@SpydersByte]

@@WFly101 "amazing gameplay". Bruh. Do yourself a favor and play an actual MMO, Black Desert would blow your fucking mind if you think this game has "amazing gameplay". There are so many good MMOs out there today, and plenty of free ones, there's no reason to be scraping the absolute bottom of the barrel on Steam. edit: 31:58 Josh says basically exactly what Im saying to you, "Why? Out of all the MMORPGs both free and paid you decided on this one? Why have you decided the most mediocre experience in mediocre-land deserves your time?". Perfect. lol.

[@NotoriousLightning]

@@SpydersByte This is great game for heavy handed gentleman.

[@tvbuu]

@@SpydersByte hell if you want a good mmo go play warhammer online RoR

[@thisisrex1676]

@@WFly101 Man you gotta play better mobile games.

[@dialaskisel5929]

"Whoever put a bounty on a sheep: You can sleep safely, once again." How could they possibly get to sleep without any sheep left to count?

[@sorrenblitz805]

That's how he counts them. *Message* : Contract Complete Customer: "Ahhhh one less."

[@d_camara]

I can only sleep once there's none left to count

[@PenguinDT]

Kevin MacLeod is often referred to as 'the guy who composed the soundtrack for the Internet'. For the longest time, his stock music was the de-facto standard for multimedia stuff, including KZbin and Newgrounds. These days he has competition, but there's still about 50/50 change that the KZbin video you click next has his music in it.

[@Fe7Ace]

He's a selfless legend, made so much music of many type with no copyrights on them at all. I don't think it's easy to search for copyright free music without finding music of his.

[@fallsilently8666]

Any Magic: the Gathering players experiencing a sudden urge to play the booster box game when they heard that?

[@panko2848]

@@fallsilently8666 Yep The Professor came to mind as soon as i heard it haha

[@crysosisback7115]

McCleod, the dude's a legend Without even him knowing about it, he helped such a huge amount of people to produce content on KZbin, and even more than that to be fair

[@MrAnarchyleecher]

Sir you have taught me a thing today

[@leica6502]

"We made a bot play 42 MMORPGs and forced it to code one itself and this is what happened"

[@Ashelybee]

If. That really happens it would be 95% almost naked girls and 5% recycled monsters with different colors

[@chriwehl7173]

@@Ashelybee Also, somehow the AI has found a way to delete itself after it was done. Noone should be forced to do this

[@barelyasurvivor1257]

@@Ashelybee Oh, and lots of naked monsters with human Boobs, and other parts.

[@chriwehl7173]

@@barelyasurvivor1257 Very small, child like, adult female specimens of ancient age that are all long mature, even for their species. And then the odd one that isnt.

[@barelyasurvivor1257]

@@chriwehl7173 Ah I forgot that Have a virtual cookie

[@andrewtennant1889]

22:27 JSH: "If this game were a spice, it would be..." Me: "Sporty" JSH: "...flour" Me: "That works too"

[@erickernodle7636]

Gotta say, as the first MMO created by an AI that was fed 600 hours of WoW Classic it’s kinda impressive

[@Reac2]

And Shrek, the setting and humour is literally just Shrek

[@jotarokujo3603]

600 hours of WoW really doesn't seem like enough to inform an AI.

[@apollovoid8733]

@@jotarokujo3603 That's the point

[@nickfarace9339]

I could actually feel the pain in this one. Josh has met his true match. An MMO not bad enough to talk about how bad it is, but not good enough to talk about how good it is. It just is. How can you report on that which has nothing to report on?

[@vizthex]

this would be the second time that happened then.

[@dan_goul]

How do you kill that which has no life?

[@creativedesignation7880]

Fine with me. I could listen to him review bottled water and still be entertained.

[@BobMcBobJr]

This game doesn't deserve a "half-price microwave meal/10." It is too descriptive. This game is a 5/10. Not 5.1. Not 4.99. Exactly 5.

[@alloounou6900]

Zero Punctuation has their best, worst, and blandest list. So that could be a good source for an idea of how to go about it.

[@Irrelevant94]

Why does a game like this have voice acting this good though? Its like all their budget went into the voice actors and they had nothing left for the rest.

[@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi]

Why does a game like this even exist, it looks like wow. Literally. Like WoW a year before release.

[@smward87]

They probably did. Voice acting is the single most expensive aspect of games these days. It's why SWTOR still holds the record for most expensive game ever produced at a whopping 500 million. Easily half of that went to the voice acting, as it also holds the record for most voiced lines in a game.

[@PeterDanielBerg]

@@smward87 it's for precisely this reason that i follow advances in voice AI so closely. i can't wait until voice AI is so competent in real time that you can realistically interrupt an enemy's line of dialog by shooting them in the throat

[@AunCollective]

If you shift focus and compare it to what was offered on mobile at the time of release, it's actually quite impressive. Still a boring as fuck MMORPG in my opinion, but impressive by comparison. It's definitely a game that feels like playing an even more humorless AdventureQuest 3D. It's a shame that the voice acting wasn't put toward a better game with a better world and story.

[@DarkScreamGames]

@@smward87 See this is a funny artifact of hollywood and actors guilds. Of course those folks should be paid well, but when you're talking $500 million, How do you not think "Y'know what I'll just have a Dev record the lines instead"

[@TheMuddbudd]

I love how the mounts and pets were so obviously reskins that the animation is unbroken as you flip through.

[@DenethorDurrandir]

Damn, the voice acting is actually stellar, better then many huge MMO's

[@rykehuss3435]

Doubt they could afford expensive voice actors, so their voice director must've been really good at his job

[@Sora-o]

Ya honestly that voice acting was really good.

[@AdminAbuse]

Than

[@rouyzaki3758]

​@@AdminAbuselmao nerd ass🤓

[@TheOnlyGhxst]

You need to play better games. ESO, SWTOR, FFXIV... even Wizard101 or Rift all have 100x better voice acting than this game. Edit: Forgot to mention LOTRO... and other games.

[@taliats]

"This is the combat system version of a slightly cloudy Thursday" I have a headache from laughing

[@Renagadezzzz]

I could relate to that statement, go figure it is also Thursday

[@nhoyo4979]

you know for the 100th episode it would be fun if you rated all the mmos youve done on this series from best to the worse. Good video keep up the good work.

[@atiredfloridian777]

I hate how I can believe there's 56 more bad MMOs to play.

[@IamaPERSON]

Does that include games like Warframe, which technically isn't an mmo?

[@APsychicMonkey]

Bold of you to assume he'll be able to remember playing half of these boring trash heaps.

[@IamaPERSON]

@@number1fen True, he could cover those. Although I wonder why so many MMO's have online in the name.

[@nustde00]

@@number1fen dude you named all the ones i want tro see.

[@linksbetweendrinks7032]

"As an actor, I can confirm this happens. If you damage a performer's ego even slightly, they will blow up." That checks out.

[@m__y-t-s]

Kevin MacLeod may be an internet saint for his music, but to me he'll always be the guy with the awesome graph paper generators. As a nerd, sometimes you need just the right kind of graph/dot/hex paper, and he fills those needs.

[@kyleeverett4419]

A lot of truth in this review. One fact I don't think you covered is the game's history. More specifically, that this game isn't a mobile port. It actually started out as a Facebook game called "A Mystical Land" and over the years the developers began fleshing it out to turn it into a full-fledged MMO. The mobile version actually came much later. So a lot of the questionable design decisions begin to make a lot more sense in that context.

[@lionfire3359]

It was a stand alone mmo and 1of the first mmo to use Facebook account subscription.

[@NaudVanDalen]

So that's why the game has Farmville built in.

[@steggopotamus]

I guess that explains why it feels mechanically like cookie clicker, the mmo.

[@NajidHajee]

ayy dofus profile pic, wish he'd do a video on it

[@Platzhalterxy]

for an facebook game its good though

[@CrimZun]

"When you wanna play an online game but all of you're friends are offline so you hit up a friend of a friend who you don't really play with all that often doesn't talk that much and isn't really funny but he plays decent enough and it's better then playing alone" The game

[@thenarrator6846]

Out of 10

[@HallsteinI]

Oh my god I am this person

[@galacticbob1]

@@HallsteinI same 😩

[@kucingcing]

Ah so gaming purgatory

[@ammagon4519]

I'm literally that guy

[@arcadicus_ezevius]

23:21 is crazy accurate Always felt like I was waiting for the best part to happen but never does. Except for those times when people keep helping me with quests, items, and stuff. The community is the absolute best. Cause everyone loves helping each other out especially new players

[@mr_ekshun]

y'know, the color palette in this game really is fantastic. It feels weird to say the best thing about a game is its color palette, but that's genuinely how I feel about this one haha

[@frankmisiuda2148]

Josh: "You will know this music too" Me: Eh, probably not. *Song plays* Me: Oh! It's the booster box song at the Tolarian Community College!

[@Ninosai]

"microwave meal you bought at the reduced section because you know it's not going to be a culinary delight but it's warm and you're hungry." is such a mood, christ.

[@erock.steady]

... out of 10, tho! lol

[@erock.steady]

lol uhh wut? ㄟ(ツ)ㄏ

[@chefnerd]

well that's weird - i did not answer to that comment but a different one. youtube comments seem scrambled somehow. i'm sorry if i confused you.

[@MyNameIsGhost]

And its cold at first then warm as fuck.....like my heart......out of 10

[@mattvoelker241]

@@chefnerd I''ve had this same issue myself and can never tell if its a visual glitch(it sometimes corrects if i refresh) or an actual bug.

[@wadejohnston4305]

I spent a lot of time in this game. The player base in my experience was never anything but extremely friendly helpful and always willing to go out of their way to help new players. Getting new mounts and cosmetic items for free was always pretty easy and not too time consuming. Idk I'm just glad to see it get some coverage tbh.

[@nevaeva7333]

I'm thinking about starting today.

[@wadejohnston4305]

​@@abrolnika33yes I still play

[@wadejohnston4305]

​@@nevaeva7333do it

[@wadejohnston4305]

​@@abrolnika33yeah. Us2 server my names trayger

[@orangeismyfavoritecolor]

15:57 Dude, those dragons come from free models, I think. I remember playing a free mobile game years ago with those exact same dragon models. 90 dollars for a bunch of free models... yikes...

[@ArchjSM]

I played this until level 22 or something, so I can actually answer your question. It's because I played it on mobile. And though it is bland and mediocre by PC standards, it stands out as one of the actual good MMORPGs on mobile. That's the entire reason.

[@FirstLast-le7cx]

Yeah. I look at it as a mobile game that you can play on PC.

[@Morindor]

I mean there are a few good MMORPGs on mobile that mop the floor with this one. Apart from looking decent, this has no substance to it and I don't see why I would play it even on mobile.

[@ArchjSM]

@@Morindor feel free to mention these games, because I can't find them

[@Morindor]

@@ArchjSM Albion Online, Warhammer Odyssey, Bless Mobile, Black Desert Mobile, World of Kings amongst some of them Mostly anything that is a PC port will instantly be better than anything made for mobile

[@ArchjSM]

@@Morindor the one where you may have a point is Albion, but it was a hassle to setup back when I tried it. Warhammer Odyssey was extremely boring, I played the first three months and gave up, but maybe it's better now. As for the rest of your suggestions; are you actually serious? They're all autoplay crap, probably p2w too

[@anro_gaming]

Josh: Enjoy my pain playing worst MMO Josh's impostor: You got me there!

[@Marioz08]

Watching this 2 years late right before Halloween. Touché Mr. Hayes.... Touché....

[@SocksAndPuppets]

No shade on Kevin MacLeod - a lot of small streamers and creators use his stuff for background music - I've used it in game jams before. He's made a lot of good quality "game music" and it's free to use non-commercially, and I really respect creators who do this kind of thing, so smaller creators who need those assets (but can't make them) have free options.

[@YourPalKindred]

My uncle honestly loves this game. He's getting on in years so this is a relaxing game for him

[@juhadexcelsior]

that's hilariously sweet

[@ashleyreynolds8961]

as someone who actually played this game and liked it (so a time...), i can see why he would like it! its relaxing...

[@arcadicus_ezevius]

The community is so great aswell. Everyone loves helping each other. Fond memories

[@Riplee86]

16:21 Those aren't even 2 different models. It's just one model with 2 sizes and 8 colors...that's some impressive designer laziness.

[@litgrits]

i am watching this close to halloween

[@chemistral4943]

That final score at the end is so spot on it hurts xD My PC died today and I'm too poor to afford a replacement so I downloaded this on my phone to attempt to fill the MMO void I know this can never sate. Excellent video and phenomenally well written!

[@balthazar579]

Your whole experience reminds me of being a roadie for a local. At one show, there was a Metallica cover band. Their set never stopped, they played all the way straight through, by combing through all of Metallica's songs to form this perfectly flowing set. They played well and sang well. Within 5 minutes everyonenwas basically ignoring them. They were musically proficient, and the arrangement was actually very clever, but somehow they managed to make Metallica boring. Contrast this with other locals who would do medleys, or on one memorable occasion had the audience help them butcher War Pigs. Much more memorable and fun experiences(especially the war pigs one where the mic was being passed through the crowd). First is technically correct, but the second has a soul.

[@LuriTV]

Roadie for a local? So you are a stayie? (sorry for the bad pun...) Ya I can feel you on this. It is a bit like listening to Dream Theater. Every band member is among the best players of their particular instrument worldwide but if you are not interested in music theory or even a musician yourself some of their longer songs start to drag on and many listeners get bored of them.

[@TG-ge1oh]

@@LuriTV I couldn't agree more.

[@concentrator3906]

@@LuriTV instead of listening to them, I prefer Fates Warning(John Arch Era) or Crimson Glory and bands in the same vein that has grit and soul which dream theater lack considering they are called a progressive metal band. I recommend blasting out "Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian(album)" when playing Sword and Sorcery themed games like this. The album is pure magick.

[@somefreshbread]

@@LuriTV I didn't realize why I got so bored with DT until I read this. They opened for Deep Purple and ELP and I was so excited to see them. But they just. Played. And then left the stage. And then it was over and ELP brough out their spinning drum set and killed it.

[@turkicnomad5632]

A damned soul

[@SirBanana1992]

"This entire game is one small favour" I felt that...I wish I had never remembered.

[@blazernitrox6329]

Fun fact: that scribbling sound they use for quest objectives as the exact same as one of the sounds used for the Minecraft mod Thaumcraft, leading me to believe it's actually a freely available sound asset (although I've yet to track down the source)

[@SwoleBenji]

18:40 lmao Monkeys Spinning Monkeys by Kevin Macleod. Edit: Hah, guess not.

[@grizzly3956]

That bit about actors exploding if their egos are damaged gave me immediate RDJ vibes lol

[@Spyko-]

made me think of that futurama episode

[@poom4535]

Worst MMO Ever: Taquito Bandito's Apology Simulator, where you play as Taquito and make an apology. Sadly it's literally unplayable.

[@voilvelev6775]

Honestly, from this video, I think the enemy design is pretty good visually. They dont look generic and that final boss made me chuckle when I realized its wearing feminine red dress and lace, like the actress.

[@nicoles.awesome3453]

this is one of my favorite game to play with my nieces they love this game. neat little game and thank you for being honest about all your games you play

[@FogToo]

I had a slight nostalgia hit when watching this. Not for the game itself, but more all the names I recognised from the chat. I played this for a full year. There are daily/monthly. Got all the rewards for a year, rewards then stopped. Felt that was the completion of the game for me. Rewards cycle so playing another year gives the same rewards. There are more complicated encounters as you go along, and frankly quite good puzzles along the way. It does require you to go through a lot of unforgettable content to reach it. I think you need to reach mid 30's for the first great zone. Although most people hate and complain about these zones because it suddenly requires you to think and work out said puzzles.

[@gustavvilaca]

When he said 'its like the second album from a band you like' I felt that

[@kokosan09]

agreed, such a great line!

[@Sorrowdusk]

Meteora was a good album

[@autorobo1000]

Do like how even though he found someone who was pretending to be him, he seemed to just chat it out with the dude, then leave on positive terms. That's cool of Josh.

[@sirajussalekin9239]

I am watching this during halloween :)

[@e50013]

Actually played this on release, it was fun and the community was great. Unfortunately, at the time, the main story quest wasnt complete so i ran out of stuff to do. Not sure how it is now.

[@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi]

Why even playing this, it looks like the alpha version of WoW xD

[@GPTLeader]

Is still the same game without new content.

[@irishelf4187]

You mean Steam release or when it was first released in 2011 on PC? Tons of content has been added since them and still being added.

[@anonmouse15]

Watch this video and find out.

[@WrangleMcDangle]

@@PuellaMagiHomuraAkemi why even playing this? XDXD el oh el

[@insanity-vr6vu]

I played this game with a mate for about 20 hours, the highlight of this experience was that fishing made fish explode out of the water.

[@thonyarrieche]

I love how Josh suffers every game flaws but at the same time beatifully explains why it's bad and enjoys the process! What a legend

[@psivampire13]

I do like the weapon system how weapons give you different skills. Like each bow can have different skills. You can combine weapons to change skills And then you can choose (for ranger) to go more of a poison build, a basic damage build, or a nature damage build. They also really changed the first city, the questline, and the tutorial since I last played it. Which was like half a year ago. I feel like gathering/crafting is more fleshed out than combat. Also, the neighborhood are cool, where you are in an instance with houses and that is like your neighborhood. And you can donate gathering things to the neighborhood. You get a garden and can get animals like sheep.

[@Tall_Order]

One day I'll see a MMO where the level up animation spawns a mushroom cloud and blows all the surrounding houses away.

[@Corbomite_Meatballs]

Why are you tempting fate? Now someone's going to make that. (But it'll be an animation you need to buy from the cash shop.)

[@KalebSmart]

"If this game was a spice, it'd be flour" - I lost it at that statement. This commentary is too much

[@ImSquiggs]

I too have seen Wheatus in concert., haha. There was about 15 of us there, and they extended Teenage Dirtbag into a 20 minute breakdown and had their bouncer battle-rap over the beat against anyone that wanted to come up on the stage and freestyle him. They were also playing Smash 64 in their tour bus before the show when we went up to it. Pretty sweet show all things considered.

[@dieyng]

"If Warcraft is Lego, this is Playmobil." Love that comparison.

[@KashKey-]

I really want to see Josh's thoughts on the Korean MMO Elsword. I used to really love that game but it's turned into a complete fucking disaster, and I'd love for him to rip it apart.

[@EdenMirages]

SAAAMEE Elsword used to be my livelihood but god did it get butchered I cant wait to watch him go from 1 to 100 in the first 10 minutes of the video

[@theoryoftheinnocent]

I feel as if both of you won't quite get what you're looking for if he does look at Elsword, because he won't have the same context as us about the several years worth of patches, system changes, and character buffs/nerfs/additions that made people enjoy the game less. If anything I feel like he's going to end up just complaining about certain staple complaints of his (equipment enhancement system with a chance of equipment breaking, locking classes behind certain genders [or characters, as the case is here] mounts pets and outfits that break immersion, etc) and conclude that beyond those sorts of things that are common in Eastern MMOs, the game from the perspective of a total newcomer is fine overall, if maybe repetitive at points.

[@SSgkLink]

@@theoryoftheinnocent Yea. In general I don't really care for looking at what general "MMO content creators" say because its pretty much that. No one really takes the time to look deeper than the things that immediately turn them off and thats okay, but it doesn't give any perspective. I've sat there and give KRMMO's a bigger chance than what the average mmo player would because they would just turn it off and go off to the big 3 again. Generally it just gets broken down into balance game wise for me. I don't really care about p2w, but I do care if the game is somewhat balanced in a way between p2w/nonp2w. Stuff like Elsword at least from my perspective has broken down due to creep, balancing of the cast and grind required(I could be wrong here, as I've picked up the game over the years giving it longer shots than the last). People who like gameplay more will always play KRMMO's imo, its just they're likely to hop around(Just saying from my experience) due to lack of care from devs to balance, to too much p2w etc.

[@zealot246]

So how was it?

[@KashKey-]

@@zealot246 The fact that he didn't even get to the end game grind was hilarious. I do wish he could have given the story a fairer shake, but I can't blame him because basically all of the interesting shit is in the end game shitshow or supplemental material

[@thenarrator6846]

It's really wholesome seeing the patreon list get really big

[@travisbennett2531]

I love the subtle nod to the RuneScape quest everyone dreads

[@StevenHawkingsSpitrag]

That “One Small Favour” reference was spot on. One of the easiest yet most hated quests in OSRS 😂

[@squizill]

"If this game was a spice, it would be flour" lmao

[@romanpapec6735]

His comparisons are always top notch funny and on point.

[@voidling2632]

I understood flower and was confused

[@delamoxica]

So you're an mmorpg chronicler, teacher, leather worker, martial artist and an actor?

[@kristianthaler6525]

Sounds like a FF character.

[@AmandaTroutman]

I think he also does cosplay right

[@cericat]

@@AmandaTroutman yeah he's shown off at least one cosplay in the past couple of months. IIRC it was during the Warframe video.

[@GodwynDi]

@@cericat For which he learned leatherworking

[@cericat]

@@GodwynDi yep, I remember because of the bag he wanted for it being something that was always going to have to be handmade.

[@brivuld6921]

I used to perform on stage too and backstage looks comedicaly empty, but I've seen bigger stages which were used for storage. The reason that they are like that is that some facilities are rebuilt/changed a lot which results in empty space.

[@Exceltiaawesome]

7:28 I'm a production designer for on-stage theatre who has had to build and touch up set pieces and props backstage. I can vouch for you - that backstage area makes my mouth water. 10/10 fantasy world for that alone.

[@sharrick1208]

Considering some of the games that have come out and the scam games and all that this game is seems pretty decent like one that I could recommend as a 10 year olds first mmo

[@oplawlz]

"The good scooby-doo from the 90's" Oh you sweet child. The good scooby-doo was from the 70s.

[@DudeTheMighty]

If you ask me, it wasn't until the 2010's or so that the perennial Scooby Doo reboots started to be genuinely bad.

[@lucasmarsh9841]

Everyone thinks that the Scooby-Doo they grow up with is the good Scooby-Doo and that’s a fact

[@EinFelsbrocken]

@@lucasmarsh9841 Yeah... except for this generation now, eh? 🤣

[@EinFelsbrocken]

@@lucasmarsh9841 Yeah... except for this generation now, eh? 🤣

[@Sara88890]

That's what I was thinking, the good Scooby-Doo from the 90s was from the 70s.

[@Oroberus]

20:09 This! Sooooo much THIS! I can't even recall ALL the games I came across, both high profile and lowkey, from Singleplayer over Multiplayer up to MMO at which this can and often times WILL happen. I restarted SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many games within the first hours just because of extremely lackluster tutorial design incorporating giving out, partially hard to get, ressources during their crafting tutorials but do not prevent you from locking you out of the quest by using the materials in another way xD

[@davidhenderson8842]

Found your chanel 2 days ago. Currently watching this video on Halloween. Nice touch with the spooky house :D

[@SoulFoxie]

Josh: "And you have to dodge the red-" Well I guess I'm colorblind cause that's clearly fucking purple

[@robertlee2092]

This is like the default project that opens up when you boot up the MMO Maker program they use to make all the other games Josh reviews

[@BigBeanBilly]

My god, I am in fact watching this on Halloween 2 years later, picking the spooky mansion was very clever, Josh from 2 years ago!

[@TheMister123]

5:20 - OMG, they got someone to do an impression of Richard Kind for that NPC. 🤣 And it's actually a pretty good impression. They even made the NPC resemble him. :-)

[@KaoruSugimura]

It's really telling when this is considered among the top 3 best MMORPGs on mobile. :/ If only we had a proper multiplayer rpg on mobile that wasn't p2w, buggy as hell or dying (because the actual good ones are old games). It's almost as if people can't make a decent multiplayer mobile game now without cramming it full of ads, cash shop items that suck the soul from the game and gameplay mechanics that are barely functional (if at all) whilst having auto-play as a "feature". 🤢

[@callmequaz9052]

It's not particularly difficult to make a good game. There's plenty of sources to take inspiration from. The problem is good games don't make money, and they certainly don't compare to the kind of revenue the typical p2w mobile game makes. The reason why so many mobile games feel so awful to play is for that reason - they're designed to drain you and frustrate you enough you either give in and start coughing up money, or you leave the game. I don't get why but there are people more than happy to throw thousands of pounds at these games and gatekeep anyone that doesn't spend more than they do out of the game. You don't need a large player base when you have those kinds of people generating your revenue.

[@sheetinthestreet5903]

What are the other two best MMOs on mobile?

[@randomstuff-qu7sh]

@@callmequaz9052 I don't understand it either. The best explanation I heard is that these games aren't designed for the ordinary players; they're designed specifically to attract and addict whales. The rest of us, they just want to pressure us into making a few purchases before we quit.

[@mattballin13]

@@sheetinthestreet5903 I'm assuming one of them is Oldschool Runescape.

[@suicidaldaily]

@@sheetinthestreet5903 Albion Online is good

[@MirinkaiserVODs]

"On my way to the next station, I kill Shrook the sheep, who was a bounty enemy. Whoever put a bounty on a sheep - you can sleep safely once again." THAT is where I lost it!

[@mattpitts6586]

It may be a relatively simple game but it's relaxing to play, has a great community and no p2w, as a mobile playable game it's easy to pick up an play, works well on a mediocre tablet, for a free game you can very easily keep up without spending a penny how much can you ask for, and no pvp for everyone fed up of being ganked by whales. Oh, there is nothing other than cosmetic items you can't get in game. Motes you get gathering, keys you can get from drops, there is absolutely nothing behind a paywall but shineys that affect no gameplay

[@irenafarm]

It's definitely got pay to progress. Since it's pve only, that's the same. To reach end game in a reasonable amount of time, you'll have to pay in real money, or in time, which is also money. Players eventually get pissed off when a mediocre game gates off progress behind cash or grinding time.

[@mattpitts6586]

@@irenafarm the only real benefit you can get from paying is a 5% Inc to certain stats. All games like this take time, so not sure why that would be an issue, show me any rpg style game that doesn't require levelling up lol For a game where all content is accessible for free its a great game.

[@TheLeugim66]

“But I used up all the peas…and the trainer won’t give me anymore” for some reason that just got me

[@zarakikon6352]

Not something you'd expect to hear lol.

[@e.t.weaver3407]

I want to like this video because you are very talented at what you do. The problem is that while I found some of your comments to be accurate, they were spoiled by a glaring inaccuracy near the very beginning. You cited statistics from Steam to illustrate how sparse the game population is and how much that population has diminished since the game came out. Later in the video, you mentioned it was available for mobile and pc. The game is actually available through Apple and Google for mobile play, An SAC [Stand Alone Client] download for pc, and is also available through Steam. That's four sources from which you could have gotten your statistics but you only used one source, the least popular of the four, to cite how unpopular the game is. If you had bothered to do your research you would have discovered that while Steam usage has dropped, SAC and mobile usage has grown to the point that the game has had to add two servers during a time when many premium titles are merging servers. You followed that up with several screenshots of negative reviews, to support your case, ignoring the larger number of positive reviews that had been posted to the same sites from which you obtained the negative statements. By citing data from the least popular source while ignoring data from the three more popular sources, you present evidence that the game has declined when the exact opposite is true. While I would not go so far as to call this an outright lie, it is, all the same, a lie of omission. If you begin your video with a false statement, why would I be inclined to believe anything that followed that statement? You complained about the fact you have to buy high-priced boots to jump higher. Did you not see the free boots on the new player calendar? You complained about having to buy a mount in order to move faster. Did you not see the free mount, also on the new player calendar? Did you not turn in your quest for another free mount when you finished the opening questline? You complained about having to buy more motes for crafting. Did you not see that motes are available as quest rewards and drop while gathering? In the eight years I have played this game, I have never bought a mote and all my crafting is at max level. You also complained about having to buy storage space in order to continue, so I suppose you missed the free vault and free bag space on the new calendar, and the free vault on the daily log-in calendar. I guess you missed the free ultimate weapon and premium outfit as well? The truth of the matter is that this is the only "free" MMO I have ever found where you can play to end content without having to spend a dime. I honestly think you are a talented guy and do an awesome job presenting your content. Sadly, you seem to begin your research with preconceived notions and ignore anything that does not support those notions. You put forth a lot of criticism that was accurate, but half or more of what you presented was either false or misleading. Yes, the game has faults. Yes, the game has room for improvement, just like every MMO ever made. And yes, the game continues to get active development and continues to improve which is why it is still growing after a decade of service... but I guess those observations don't fit the narrative. The devs and players of V&H deserve better than a one dimension review that points out all the flaws while ignoring the many virtues. It's disappointing to see someone of your talent rely on negativity in order to build views and subscriptions.

[@divindiimpresario7779]

This. This is everything I wanted to say but you articulated it so much better than the comment I made earlier. Thank you.

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

My videos are made to entertain, they are entertainment. I have 8 hours to write and record the script, i make 3 videos a week, detailed research isn't something i can do for each video. Imagine your comment, but for every single video i make, from multiple people, because that's what i get. Every super fan of every game gets annoyed when i get even a minor bit of their game wrong

[@e.t.weaver3407]

@@JoshStrifeHayes From what I've seen you get a lot more likes than comments like mine. That said, you will always get negative comments from the "super fans" even if your video is spot on. Myself, I'm not a super fan. Yes, I've played the game for 8 years but it's mainly because I like the community and the producers at Mad Otter. Perhaps some of those super fan comments are like mine. They are not annoyed that you did a negative review. They are annoyed that you went into a game they enjoy with the express purpose of writing a negative piece with little thought for fairness and zero regard for accuracy. It's okay. I get it. This is what your followers want to see. It amuses them to see something torn down. They understand that your time constraints don't leave time for trivialities like fairness, accuracy, and honesty. The super fans don't like it but that's because they don't appreciate the fact that the masses demand to be entertained and if that entertainment comes at the expense of others, it's all that much funnier. I on the other hand can clearly see what you are doing and you are very good at it. My compliments on another hatchet job, well done.

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

@@e.t.weaver3407 k

[@EricEustace]

@@e.t.weaver3407 well said! Totally agree! I've only been playing the game for a few days and even I saw the huge flaws in this "review". I've played all the main mobile mmo's from dragon raja, ni no Kune, toram to perfect world etc, etc, and I can honestly say this game is up there above them in terms of game play. Its the gem that people have been asking for instead of the cookie cutter Korean mmo's flooding the market these days. It's a shame people will be turned away because of this misinformed video.

[@snark4748]

When I heard the Simon Miller reference my head automatically filled in headslap noises, so thank you for that.

[@aidenmitchell4695]

Right?! I died laughing when he said that

[@TBGEM]

I’m watching near Halloween…Josh you’ve done it again!

[@korosheht5446]

30:20 holy moly this boss fight was so intense im glad you managed to over come it Bet it took you at least 20-30 tries

[@MichaelDeGarArt]

Im still patiently waiting for Secret World! There are dozens of us!

[@bennymountain1]

Man that shit was hyped up, yo.

[@slothsong080]

I don't need a reminder on how one of my favorite mmos got butchered.

[@IsomerMashups]

Ah. I know "The Builder," but I didn't know where I knew it from. I used to use it for some demo presentations at one of my previous jobs. It was one of our approved license-free commercial songs.

[@timothyhansen6581]

28:04: Personally, I would have had the guy asking for the password say "I am the Gatekeeper," to which you - the player - should then have to say "And I am the Keymaster" back. Sure, it wouldn't land quite as well without the guard being an animated clone of 1980's Sigourney Weaver, but it would have fit the situation.

[@amisner2k]

I thoroughly enjoyed this review of a microwave meal you buy at the local corner store, at the end of the day, because your refrigerator is completely empty and you have nothing else to eat for dinner. You've got some great wit and humor, Josh. I'm quickly becoming a fan of your classic British eloquence and palpably pleasing demeanor.

[@Nexiusify]

Ooh I think I requested this once. Glad to see you reviewing it.

[@Noumenae]

10:38 OSRS reference, love it.

[@AtrusGambit]

I was hooked on this game years ago when it was still small. Brilliant. Then they introduced a million insane mechanics and vomited a million new items into my inventory. I come back to it from time to time but can't ever figure out how to play again. That's bad.

[@Hirotoro4692]

A million insane mechanics? Like the red Aoe on that boss? :Laughing:

[@tacticalg754]

Dude this is the most simple and repetitive MMO I've ever seen, wdym million mechanisms? Or not being able to figure out the game?

[@irenafarm]

I'm guessing they mean the crafting systems.

[@ericsbuds]

18:50 that animation the NPCs are doing when they spin around. i swear ive seen that before too.

[@gdwnet]

"This is the combat system of a slightly grey thursday" - love it!

[@net_spider]

I kinda want to see Josh's opinion on Project Gorgon. I personally love the game, but it's never had a high player count and a lot of progress takes a while to actually get done.

[@TheScrubExpress]

yeah I've been waiting for that one. I tweeted him about it a few months back and he said it's on his list. So..someday!

[@Animaniac-vd5st]

Oh yes - i enjoyed that game for several days and it has some great ideas and mechanics. And some horrible technical problems (eg unplayable laggy movement when there are 10+ players in your viewport - which basically only happens in the main s´city anyway) But you can play as a literal pig!

[@AunCollective]

I bought Project Gorgon a few years ago because my first and personal favorite MMORPG is Asheron's Call. I even live my life by a lot of the values of the Aun Tumerok and my wife has accompanied me on many Aun adventures. Project Gorgon was full of jokey quests and immersion breaking shenanigans, and I found the gameplay itself rather dull. Definitely not a bad game, but it definitely didn't offer anything to keep me playing after 50 hours or so. It would be a good one to cover for this series and I'd be willing to gift it for that purpose.

[@Grichmann]

Thanks for bringing that game to my attention. I gave the demo a go, and while I'm still not sure whether I like it or not, it's definitely an interesting experience. I mean, on the one hand, it has skills for cartography, music, and even *dying*. On the other, the options menu has a toggle to autoreject milking attempts.

[@Animaniac-vd5st]

@@Grichmann which both are great things.

[@alicejbbennett]

Literally watching this Halloween night, had to check the upload date, you are very clever.

[@greatrandini]

Nice reference to Simon Miller, this video gets an up, but not just an up, a golden up.

[@Tall_Order]

1:20 having the close button overlay on top of the game reminds me of Cryptic Studios. Star Trek Online for example. I always liked that. It makes it easier to get out of full screen or go back to a window mode.

[@majortom7038]

I play this and it has a great community. But … yeah some definite flaws as well. To do it justice, it really needs to be seen as a pc game and mobile. The two experiences are quite different.

[@majortom7038]

Well, here I am a couple years later. I played this game to max level on 4 out of 5 classes. So tbh, the game was a blast with really nice people. Its community is why I stayed so long. Granted this early part of the game should grab you but the combat gets much better (and challenging). FYI the tutorial “boss” isn’t considered a true boss in V&H … real bosses, at level, are nearly impossible to solo. Raids are fun and events will earn you cash shop items. I don’t regret my time spent at all. I started playing it because I needed a mobile game. Why’d I stop? it was time. I did all I wanted and I no longer needed a mobile game (PS didn’t like playing this on PC the few times I tried)

[@_Noirscape]

I'm rewatching this and every time the level up sound plays it's so disconcerting. It's the exact sound Torchlight 2 uses when you find a secret room.

[@isocryd]

I'm actually re-watching this on Halloween XD

[@RTMaster1]

gathering resources in this game is like getting channel-points on twitch. the system tells you to click on the things that appear, but not clicking them has no downside

[@Assywalker]

Mate, the level of verbal smack down you deliver in these videos is a true marvel.

[@Tuskor130]

18:40 I haven't seen the secondhand lands vid and this is my first time watching this one but I've heard that music somewhere else

[@theduncanthetank]

I’ve watched four videos before following. They’ve all been quality. Good on you. Keep up the amazing work!

[@martijnalblas1761]

that obnoxious pencil sound he mentioned.. Ive heard that before, used in a mod for minecraft (thaumcraft 4 for those curious) that music thats apparently from secondhand land is a kevin macleod track. AKA it has no licencing and is thus free to use Im beginning to see a potential theme here.. EDIT: I paused to write this right before he pointed that out

[@inductorbackemf7204]

I thought the same! hehe

[@eltrew]

this is literally my favourite series on youtube rn

[@societyproductions]

The Dragon model for the mounts appears to be some free to use dragon model. I don't think the palette swaps are unique either, as I've seen them before in other mobile games.

[@mathfish7856]

Because you asked nicely, I say the following with 2980.9 hours of gameplay on Steam (not counting play on the test server) in only 2 years: The reason I choose to play a game like this isn't the game itself. It is pretty much what you experienced for the majority of your stay all the way to level 95 and then some. I play the game because there is an amazing community of players in the game that create an atmosphere I don't see anywhere else today. If you are looking for the best mechanical experience ever, go somewhere else. If you are looking for a group of players unlike any other, then come join us at Villagers and Heroes. For me this game does what no other game does: It facilitates positive player interaction. That is my opinion and I'm stiking to it. :P Keep producing excellent content and "as always, have a great day".

[@VOID-py3en]

The type of people to block you for expressing your own opinion. No thanks im good

[@Mouse_Librarian]

Appreciate the comment, but "positive player interaction" can be in literally any multiplayer game imaginable. When your compliment isn't even tied to the game you're advocating for, something is wrong.

[@mathfish7856]

@@Mouse_Librarian It can be, yes. I was only saying that this game does it for me better than any other. Sure it isn't directly integrated into the game itself, but I found a community I love and have enjoyed being part of them ever since. P.S. Sorry if I double replied to you. I accidentally used my non-game account to reply earlier. lol