Revival: Horror sandbox MMORPG opens housing this month

We haven't talked about Revival before, so it's time to make amends. First and foremost, because this is a horror MMORPG, something that is uncommon enough to deserve our attention; secondly, because developers Illfonic (makers of shooter Nexuiz) are apparently committed to make it a true free-to-play game without falling into the pay-to-win trap – at the very least they explain a lot about their plans on the official Revival website.

Revival is described as a Lovecraftian Horror Open-World Sandbox Fantasy RPG and while there's very little in terms of images to sink our teeth into, that little is already getting us excited about the game. The studio is using the power of Unreal Engine 4 to achieve the ambitious goal of creating a living dark-fantasy world. Revival is going to be released in multiple phases, with the initial phase introducing player housing. Here is the release plan:

Stage 1: Housing – We open the doors for the first brave settlers of Revival’s world, Theleston. With this release comes the ability to purchase houses on one of the world’s islands!
Stage 2: The City – In our second release, citizens of Theleston will be able to leave their houses for the first time, exploring their hometown in offline mode. This is the first chance to truly see the grand scale and insane detail we’re putting into Revival!
Stage 3: Online – The world goes online in our third release, and players can experience it together for the first time! Walk city streets, show off your home to neighbors and see the hustle and bustle of a real world!
Stage 4: Choices with Consequences – More of the world of Theleston is now available to players and many new game mechanics are available to play with, including fully realized crafting!
Stage 5: New Lands – It’s time for adventure! With our fifth release, the combat and adventuring systems, as well as our live storytelling system come online and players will be able to see a glimpse of the full splendor of a living Theleston.
Stage 6: The Full Game Experience – In our last major development release, the game really comes alive. The greater World of Theleston is now open for players to explore and discover. Dark powers move across the land and the planes of reality shift and warp in their presence! This is the game as it is meant to be!

During February, Revival will welcome player housing. If you want to support the game, you can buy a home, customize and upgrade it.

There seems to be a lot going on for Revival, but at this early stage it's difficult to tell how it will turn out. So far, we can say that it got us excited – we've definitely been in search of a good horror MMORPG for years.