Shadowbane

About

Shadowbane is a free, historical, open-world MMORPG set in the dark fantasy world of Aerynth. The game offers extensive character creation, various character classes, and a grind-heavy experience system. It supports both co-op and PvP gameplay for up to two players, though it was originally designed for a larger multiplayer experience. The game officially closed in 2009, but it may still be accessible through private servers and communities.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 580 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

monetization26 negative mentions

Shadowbane offers a unique and deep character customization system, allowing players to create diverse builds and playstyles.
The game retains its nostalgic feel for long-time players, providing a sense of community and engagement in PvP battles.
Despite its age, Shadowbane's open-world PvP and city-building mechanics are still considered some of the best in the genre.

The game suffers from severe server stability issues, with frequent crashes and long downtimes, making it unplayable for extended periods.
The introduction of a cash shop has led to a pay-to-win model, with essential items and resources locked behind expensive purchases.
Cheating, key cloning, and botting are rampant, creating an uneven playing field and diminishing the overall experience for honest players.

graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and rough, especially for a 2022 release, reflecting its origins from 2003. Despite the clunky visuals, many players emphasize that the engaging gameplay and exceptional PvP mechanics more than compensate for the lack of modern graphics, making it a beloved title for long-time fans. Overall, while the graphics may not impress, the game's design and community keep players coming back.
- “The graphics may be dated, but the gameplay and mechanics are what makes this a true gem.”
- “Every bit as fun as it was the first time around... even with the older graphics.”
- “Played this in the past and got back in, it's awesome, still is, ok no high-end graphics, but a game design that just has it all, pvp, pve, politics, nation vs nation, all is in.”
- “It was rolled out in 2003 and the graphics, gameplay, and interface are very clunky.”
- “It's rough around the edges and the graphics aren't great, but it's the most fun I've ever had in any MMO.”
- “You have to play it for a couple of hours to get used to the initial learning curve and the outdated graphics.”
monetization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
13%
81%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players expressing frustration over the introduction of microtransactions, particularly for features that allow players to skip gameplay elements for a fee. Many reviewers feel that the game exploits nostalgia while incorporating aggressive advertising and data collection practices, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the shift from a subscription model to a monetization approach laden with ads and costly in-game purchases has left a negative impression on the community.
- “There is no monthly subscription fee associated with the game and there are no ads in the game.”
- “There could have been in-game purchase options for things such as weapons, armor, instant level 75, resources, gold, and additional character slots.”
- “They turned it into a shameless cash grab.”
- “It just feels like a blatant cash grab and they're taking advantage of people's nostalgia to make some quick money.”
- “Let's not forget that they added microtransactions, including a way to skip the farming stage of server up by paying $90 for guild seeds.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express significant frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, citing extremely low drop rates for essential items and resources, which leads to a tedious and often infuriating experience. The presence of bots and the introduction of microtransactions that allow players to bypass grinding further exacerbate the issue, creating an uneven playing field where those willing to pay can dominate farming zones. Overall, many feel that grinding requires an excessive time investment, making it a major drawback of the game.
- “The drop rate for runes, resources, and offerings is so low that it makes farming for a city a mind-numbing grind that will have you wanting to pull your hair out.”
- “For the last week, stat runes have stopped dropping. We can find some 30-40 ones, but the lower-level runes are no longer found anywhere, and by the number of r7's farming on noob island, I think it is safe to say this is a server issue.”
- “Let's not forget that they added microtransactions, including a way to skip the farming stage of server up by paying $90 for guild seeds.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
77%
12%
Gameplay is characterized by its simplicity, lacking quests and featuring clunky mechanics due to its age since its 2003 release. Despite the dated graphics and occasional bugs, players appreciate the underlying RPG elements, city building, and character customization, which contribute to its appeal as a standout MMO. However, issues like sporadic maintenance and a focus on dual boxing versus exploitation have raised concerns among the community.
- “The underlying RPG mechanics, city building, unchecked open world PvP, and character building are what draw the players to this game.”
- “Love the customization and gameplay.”
- “The graphics may be dated, but the gameplay and mechanics are what make this a true gem.”
- “It was rolled out in 2003 and the graphics, gameplay, and interface are very clunky.”
- “The maintenance times are sporadic and leave little to no time for actual gameplay.”
- “The game has bugs and odd mechanics.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of story content in the game, with users noting the absence of quests and roleplay elements that could enhance the narrative experience. Despite its potential and originality, the game fails to deliver a compelling storyline, leaving players disappointed.
- “No story, like - almost literally none.”
- “No quests at all !!”
- “There is not a better story of a game that had so much potential and originality as that of Shadowbane.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting persistent server lag, downtime, and rubber-banding issues that detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the game is described as exceptionally buggy, with many areas seemingly untested before launch, leading to frustration among players. Overall, those sensitive to technical issues may find the game's stability particularly disappointing.
- “In addition, the game is exceptionally buggy.”
- “As of the writing of this review, a new (third) server is starting tomorrow, and I have absolutely no intention to put myself through another iteration of lag, rubber-banding mass zerg groups, and buggy areas that nobody bothered to test before launching.”
- “I forgot how laggy and buggy the game was until I just played for a few hours.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
38%
50%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players noting that it feels incomplete and rushed due to the developers' time constraints. Performance issues, including frequent server downtime and significant lag, have detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration among users.
- “God tier game, just felt incomplete, rushed, optimized, and half made. The original developers were in a huge time crunch compared to other major MMORPGs at the time many years ago.”
- “Why couldn't they focus on fixing bugs and performance issues?”
- “Performance has been horrible and the servers are down constantly.”
- “Server performance is horrendous; one bane lagged the entire server to a crawl.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews highlights the irony of right-wing individuals financially supporting a country they oppose, while also poking fun at the stability of unofficial emulators compared to the company's offerings. This blend of political satire and commentary on gaming support creates a comedic undertone that resonates with users.
- “Funny thing is the two emulators which had been put up by game enthusiasts over the years have all been more stable than what this company has managed; the same is true for support and communication. Weird.”