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I’ll admit it: games that require me to be online with groups of people I do not know are too intimidating. Considering that most MMOs fit that description, I tend to have a hard time getting into them. The problem for me is that if you don’t have friends to do raids and dungeons with, you’re spending hours grinding in the same areas merely to level up and do the same in the next area. However, Once Human is the only MMO that’s grabbed my attention and still hasn’t let go. I spent hours on my base, discovering new locations, and as I progressed through the story, I kept asking myself, “Why am I enjoying this?”
I Can Make Mistakes
A major drawback of most MMOs is that you can not redo things once they’re set. For example, resetting your stats or abilities tends to be costly, and you can’t adjust your character’s features after the initial creation. Not only does Once Human allow you to change your character’s features, but you can also easily remove Memetics at a slight cost. Personally, the fact that you have access to do that from the very beginning is part of what intrigued me. I’ll proudly admit to removing Memetics to have enough Energy Links to fast travel.
Many features have also been implemented to ensure that you have as many chances as possible to complete tasks with little to no frustration. I build campsites and move my base around more times than I’d like to admit because it’s useful for grinding out higher-level areas without worrying about dying and being transported to the other side of the map. I always make sure that my nearest settlement isn’t too far to avoid long walks (not motorcycle rides because I am terrible at remembering to collect gas).
Go As Fast or As Slow As I Want
I admit I’m too curious to just follow the game’s storyline to discover the map. Even though I’m level 30, I’m exploring Red Sands for Aluminum simply because I can. Despite its challenges, Once Human allows me the freedom to do so. I can still activate Rift Anchors and explore locations if I want. Even at your current level, you can acquire and complete the available quests in these higher-level locations. I’m a hardheaded player and tend to retry difficult quests over and over again until I complete them. This has often helped me grind out a few levels while merely exploring as I normally would, without many limitations.
The seasons and their events unfolding have also left me incredibly pleased. The game is currently in its third season, and everything from the previous seasons is still completely obtainable. I never feel left out as I tend to with other MMOs, and I feel as though I can progress as slowly or as fast as I want in Once Human.
Time To Turn My Brain Off
Few MMOs allow me to feel like I can simply turn my brain off and play them without the anxieties that usually follow forced player interactions and FOMO from missed events. Although Once Human is still working through the early stages of its lifetime, I feel as though I can hop in whenever I want and keep to myself. At the same time, I decorate my base, fight for my life in areas that are 10 levels higher than mine, and fight Deviations by myself.
It’s probably not the ideal way to play the game, but it’s how I enjoy it, and the fact that I’m allowed to do it means much more to me than the developer knows. Once Human feels like the first MMO I’ve truly been locked into in a long, long time.
Once Human can be played on PC and mobile devices.
