So I Tried... Fellowship Demo

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time we had a look at the demo for Fellowship during the recent Steam Next Fest!

What I Thought It Was

As is traditional in our little sessions with the GrinCast crew, we flew into this title mostly blind to what it was all about. I had noticed quite a few friends playing Fellowship, which was interesting as the people in question were all about taking on difficult challenges, like the hardest raids in an MMO. A quick look at the game’s Steam page gave me the impression of a co-op-based dungeon crawler. Something like SMITE crossed with Dark and Darker… but, honestly, I had no idea.

What It Actually Is

I find explaining what Fellowship is a tad difficult, as it is (to my knowledge) pretty unique. Imagine World of Warcraft with everything cut out except the raid instances, then add the most popular UI mods in use, make players pick from a roster of DPS, Support, or Tank heroes, and bam, you have Fellowship!

So, you pick your character and enter the lobby area, where you can access the marketplace, level up, and find a group for the coming adventures. Then, when you’re ready, you can pick a dungeon and hop in! The skills and equipment you have at the beginning are preset, but I believe you are able to customise it down the line.

The instance we entered was pretty faithful to the general pattern you see in MMORPGs, where you have to manage smaller groups of enemies while making your way to the bigger encounters. Honestly, it was rather fascinating! I was a bit out of my element, as I had no idea what my skills did, but I did have fun!

Will I Keep Playing

That’s a tough one… I’ve always liked the raids and instant dungeons in MMOs, but could never get myself to keep up with the content at a consistent pace. As such, I should be the target audience for Fellowship! However, I find myself being more down on the idea than I first thought.

Yes, instances are great, but I’m not sure if I’d want it to be the only content I play. Having them be a great treat between story missions, travelling, and other MMO shenanigans makes them feel special. With nothing but treats, I’m pretty sure I’d end up feeling sick… if you know what I mean.

I think Fellowship is one of those games I’d gladly play with friends… if asked, but not something I’d seek out to play on my own. If you love instances but can’t stand MMOs, this may just be the title for you! Even though I’m not sold on the game, I am eager to see how it evolves from here.