Rend

Mechanics

Upon starting his adventure, a player has to create his own character choosing from the three aforementioned factions, and then lead his character to battle for the glory of his race. Depending on player’s actions, the main protagonist will represent different classes – there is nothing standing in one’s way to control the enormous and incredibly strong Soldier, the Assassin, who stealthily eliminates his enemies; the Mystic featuring supernatural abilities; or the Survivalist focused on gathering resources and doing anything it takes to stay alive.

Gameplay is based on the exploration of the vast realm (this includes visiting such places as valleys with sprawling vegetation, complex underground labyrinths, and frosty wastelands) as well as fighting the encountered enemies. The fallen adversaries leave behind souls that are then stored in the roots of the so-called World Tree. The first faction to gather the required amount of souls wins a given stage of the war. Nonetheless, the Divinity Stones, in which a player keeps all the collected souls, can be destroyed – in such case, this faction is removed from the server until another faction wins, or until the enemy defeats all the races.

Because of the high value of the Divinity Stones, each faction has to maintain its technological capability to craft more advanced weaponry and armors for particular heroes, construct siege machines, quite useful during the offensive undertakings, and build special strongholds. Most of the time, each stronghold is surrounded by a magical shield; however, once a week every, single server introduces an event called the Reckoning – shields that protect one’s base are lowered, making one susceptible to enemy attack from other players. This is when the more conventional entrenchments prove their usefulness, as do the other defensive measures constructed from the resources a player has gathered during their adventures. When attacking an enemy base, one has to ensure proper protection of his own stronghold, as it can be targeted by the Lost Ones, who simultaneously advance on all players’ domiciles. This sinister race features standard, yet numerous units, as well as the more powerful bosses.

As far as combat is concerned, battles take place in real time allowing players to utilize an elaborate arsenal of ranged weapons and gradually unlocked special abilities. One can customize their weaponry by installing useful gadgets onto some pieces. Additionally, using specific arms can increase character’s proficiency in a given field. One should not forget about the survival elements of the game, influenced by the day and night cycle, variable weather conditions, and the temperature.

Game modes

Apart from the aforementioned main game mode that takes place on the official servers, Rend offers the option to enjoy the game on private servers – whoever decides to establish one, receives at their disposal a number of options allowing him to customize the game rules. Rend includes both PvP and PvE modes.

Technical aspects

The PC release of Rend delivers high-quality 3D visuals. The locations feature satisfactory level of detail, the same way as character models. The game is full of rich colors, and the soundtrack makes for an epic adventure atmosphere.