A blockchain-based space MMO that is play to earn? Color me intrigued.
For some reason, blockchain games are often tricky to learn about. If I want a quick overview of what’s in one of the games in development that utilizes blockchain, I usually have to piece together chunks of information, which is why I created this series in the first place; a one-stop overview so you can quickly gauge whether it’s a game for you or not. However, Space Misfits has managed to really take the burying of information to new levels. The website contains almost no concrete information on what the game is — not even an elevator pitch — and to learn about the game you’re redirected to their Wiki. The Atacama Desert has more sustenance to it than their Wiki, so I had to go deeper. Fortunately for them and you, I have a background in research and writing, so I’ll do it for you. I’ll say this before we start though: do not let the lack of easily accessible information on this game put you off!
Space Mistfits is a sci-fi MMORPG in an open world sandbox with a fully-fledged in-game economy. The developers, Jade Stems Studio LLC, were founded in 2019 and their primary objective appears to be creating a true MMO on Enjin’s blockchain. With asset ownership, Space Misfits aims to enable and encourage player transactions in and outside of the game. Samuel Stebbins, CEO and Founder of Jade Stems Studios, said, “This is a diametric deviation from current models that prohibit player to player transactions and create third party black market sites that get players banned from games. The consequence of this has created third party black market websites with estimated $3B in transactions.”
The game itself takes place as both a third-person style RPG, as well as spaceship command, adding more varied gameplay. From what I have seen so far, there appear to be influences from games like Eve Online, Planetside 2, and No Man’s Sky. There is confirmed PvE and PvP elements to the game, with a 1v1 arena recently implemented. One interesting development in January of this year was that the flight combat has been made more difficult with the removal of aim assist and now you need to manually track the enemy ships, similar to flying in games like Battlefield. This raises the skill ceiling significantly. They also claim to be looking into creating PvP tournaments with rewards for the winners in the form of NFTs. The PvE side of the game, other than industrial with blueprints and crafting, is a bit of a mystery to me until I get into the game and test it out.
The art style of the game is a sort of neon, cell-shaded aesthetic but as you can see from the trailer, it is beautiful. The atmosphere and colors on planets create a cinematic experience, and the graphics during flight feel closer to the traditional space shooters of yesteryear; a pleasing blend.
Other than the visuals and atmosphere, what impresses me the most about Space Misfits is how blockchain and NFTs are being integrated. It looks to be seamless so far, rather than tacked on as an afterthought which is common in many early access blockchain games. You are currently able to gather materials and craft NFTs if I am not mistaken, which is certainly ahead of the curve, and goes a way to explaining how you can play and earn. You are also able to buy blueprints, avatars, ships, and so on through their shop which accepts dollars, but delivers to your Enjin wallet as an NFT.
Overall, it’s one of the most promising blockchain games on the horizon. There’s a lack of marketing and information on the game, but that appears to be due to how much effort they’re putting into the game itself, which is difficult not to respect. I am looking forward to doing a fully-fledged preview of this game when I get access.
To learn more about Space Misfits you can visit their website by clicking here.
