ArchLord

Did You Know?

• The game was officially used in the film Ben X and plays an important role in it.
• An ancillary manhwa by Korean author Park Jin-hwan goes by the same name.
• Due to failure to reach an agreement with NHN, Codemasters was unable to renew their license for ArchLord.

Gameplay

ArchLord featured a crafting system that allowed players to upgrade items uniquely. Defeated monsters could be carved, skinned, or ransacked for materials used in Alchemy and Cooking. Alchemy produced metamorphosis potions for transforming into monsters, while Cooking created food with statistic bonuses such as defense buffs. An advanced market system facilitated player trading. Players could compete to become the ArchLord, the single ruler of each server, who reigned for four weeks before being challenged. The ArchLord had access to a castle, a unique dragon mount, and control of the weather.

Plot

ArchLord is set on the continent of Chantra and includes four playable races: Orcs, Humans, Moon Elves, and DragonScion. Orcs begin in Golunndo, Humans in Anchorville, Moon Elves in Norine, and DragonScions in Cien. All races have three classes except DragonScion, which evolves into one of the three races at level 20. Humans first appeared in Chantra 1000 years after the Orcs had settled, establishing a foothold in the west due to their ability to handle fire. Humans lived in relative peace until they realized Orcs had landed in the east, raising tensions. Humans have a short lifespan of about 80 years and an average of three offspring. Orcs occupied Chantra for 1000 years longer than Humans, held themselves in higher regard, and enslaved Humans for 500 years. Humans eventually rebelled and won freedom. 500 years later, a huge earthquake sank much of the continent, forcing both races to flee.

Critical reception

ArchLord received poor ratings. GameSpot criticized its repetitive and tedious gameplay, blurry graphics, lackluster audio, shallow quest and crafting system, and the hours of repetitive combat needed to reach player versus player and high-level content, awarding a rating of 2.7 out of 10. Eurogamer awarded 4 out of 10, criticizing the lack of visual distinction between monster power levels, a scarcity of other players with illegible dialogue, atrocious controls that caused characters to get stuck on scenery, interesting features restricted to higher levels, and a user interface described as like using Windows 95 with a migraine.

Other media

A manhwa by Park Jin-hwan, also called ArchLord, debuted in South Korea on September 30, 2005. An English version came out from Tokyopop in 2007. It tells the story of a human, Zian, and his half-orc friend Ugdrasil, caught in a thousand-year struggle for five relics known as Archons. The game appears in the film Ben X, where it helps convey the main character's inner view of reality.