I've been playing MMORPGs for more of my life than I'd like to admit, though I will fully own the decade spent on Final Fantasy XIV. However, I can get bored of playing the same games, which is why new MMOs tend to grab my attention. So when Amazon Games published Throne and Liberty, I jumped to get my hands on it.
For the uninitiated, Throne and Liberty is a free-to-play MMORPG by veteran developers NCSoft and published by Amazon Games (available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S). I played the pre-launch test build and the post-launch version on Steam.
My time in Throne and Liberty has been rather pleasant. The game is gorgeous, and while the animal transformations gimmick gets a little unwieldy at times, the gameplay is enjoyable despite the story leaving a lot to be desired. I've walked away from each game session wondering just where Amazon Games can go from here. Four games into its' publishing catalog, Amazon has had only one lasting success, and even that has been marred by an aggressive pay structure.
So, can Throne and Liberty finally make Amazon Games happen? Let's get into it.
Throne and Liberty: Gameplay
Like many MMORPGs, Throne and Liberty uses an auto-attack system where players manage specific skill cooldowns (there's no real-time action). While some might find this format archaic in 2024, there's a reason it's one of the most common combat forms for MMOs. It's a tried and true formula that allows players to focus more on intricate combat mechanics rather than mouse clicks. And for MMOs, which typically require an intense time commitment, saving gamers' fingers some extra strain is always a good choice.
The unique bit of Throne and Liberty is the traversal mechanics. Dressed up as animal transformation abilities, players get access to teleportation, sprinting, gliding, and a grappling hook. None of these traversal abilities are breaking new ground, but some fit into an MMO better than others. Gliding and grappling hook skills offer the most difficult learning curves, and function better using classic camera controls as opposed to more modern "action" camera controls. These are also easier to handle using a controller on consoles. The Steam version does feature some mapped gamepad controls, but the input sensors are inconsistent, making keyboard and mouse the only viable option for PC gamers. Because the grappling hook and gliding are both necessary traversal mechanics to progress in the game, they are a barrier to entry.
For those worried about the end-game, the grind is rather easy if players stick to a single weapon. However, if you change weapons or want to multi-class, you'll suffer a punishing grind (with spreadsheets) to get all the items needed to level up the right skills and abilities. For free players, it is less of a time commitment to level multiple characters than to multiclass on a single character, which is a rather old-school approach to RPG design. Particularly because there is very little roleplaying involved in Throne and Liberty, so the replay value is minimal.
As for endgame gameplay, much of the content is focused around guild PvP (player vs. player) interactions. This is fine, but it does mean that the PvE (player vs. environment) fan may want to give this game a pass.
Since the endgame is very PvP-focused, Throne and Liberty is in a prime position for that "pay to win" freemium model. In-game microtransactions can get you in-game currency used to buy the best items in the auction house. While you can earn that in-game currency for free, it does take some grinding. Throne and Liberty is not currently "pay to win," but considering its PvP-focused endgame structure, there's cause for concern.
Throne and Liberty: Graphics
If nothing else, Throne and Liberty is a beautiful game. Especially so on its higher graphics settings like the High or Epic presets.
I used the Razer Blade 14 (2024) with its AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU to get a smooth, stunning experience in pre-rendered and in-engine cutscenes. Throne and Liberty's high graphics quality continues into the active gameplay, making great use of light, shadow, and rich texture for a realistic fantasy world. Honestly, it may be the best-looking MMORPG I've seen in quite some time.
The game features a nice, granular character creator which allows for a deep sense of customization, though there are plenty of preset faces and hairstyles if you'd rather not get too deep in the weeds. You can also opt to randomize your appearance and get straight into the game, but the character creation and early tutorial process doesn't take too long.
There's even a photo mode if you want to take glamour shots. However, the problem there is that the endgame content doesn't offer much equipment variety right now. And as any veteran player can tell you, curating your character's appearance is the true endgame of all MMORPGs.
Throne and Liberty: Story
The story is where Throne and Liberty falls flat. Considering the endgame content is guild-based PvP, it isn't a surprise. It is, however, disappointing.
The plot is a pretty basic "chosen one" storyline where the player character, called the Star Born, must face the evil Kazar and his pet witch Calanthia. As part of the Resistance, the player's story involves taking the fight to Kazar and his minions to determine the world of Solisium's fate.
If you're looking for memorable characters, a story that will rip your heart out, or even an interesting take on the classic MMO hero tale, don't bother with Throne and Liberty. The story is serviceable to get you to the end-game content, but there isn't any meat to it. This is a shame because the world is beautiful and there is some interesting lore for the world of Solisium that you can find if you delve deep enough.
But as it stands, the story is forgettable enough that you may as well skip all the cutscenes and click through dialogue as fast as you can.
Throne and Liberty: Should you play?
If you need a grindy, guild-based PvP game because you're sick of Guild Wars 2, NCSoft and Amazon Games' Throne and Liberty will happily fill that niche.
If you want your new MMORPG obsession, then you're probably better off looking elsewhere for smoother traversal mechanics, a better story, and a more satisfying endgame. Throne and Liberty is not a bad game, but I don't see it holding onto its player count when there are better MMOs and online Co-Op games out there.
If you want to glide and grapple, Genshin Impact offers smoother controls for both features. If you want a good story, Final Fantasy XIV is happy to rip your heart to pieces. And if you want a satisfying endgame, more games than I can count offer a convenient way to upgrade your weapons and skills, and pick up new classes without making you resort to playing Spreadsheet Simulator.
So, what does that mean for Amazon Games as a whole?
Amazon Games: A troubled history
Amazon launched its fledgling game publishing arm back in 2011 when the Amazon Appstore opened, though those early titles were primarily social mobile games. In 2014, the company announced it would create flagship PC games.
In September 2021, New World launched on PC after a year's delay, with a console release expected in October 2024. Amazon Games' Orange County studio developed New World initially as a free-to-play MMORPG but shifted to a buy-to-play structure before its release. While the game initially did well in terms of player numbers, with an all-time high of over 913,000 players on Steam (via Steamcharts), the game saw a significant falloff after the first few weeks. Reviews were mostly positive, but New World's pro-colonization themes didn't sit well with audiences. The console launch later this month could turn that around, but as it stands, New World is far from a success.
Amazon Games' second published game is the worldwide release of Smilegate RPG's Lost Ark. The free-to-play MMO was originally published by KOR: Smilegate in December 2019 in the South Korean market. Lost Ark had an all-time peak player count of over 1.3 million. While the player base has declined, Lost Ark consistently maintains a respectable base of 30,000 concurrent players (via Steamcharts). And this is despite the game's rather brutal pay structure which saw streamers like Shroud spending over $25,000 to build out equipment.
Following the success of Lost Ark, Amazon Games published Bandai Namco's Blue Protocol, an online action RPG. Blue Protocol debuted in June 2023 in Japan, but service for the game in its home market will end on January 18, 2025. While Amazon Games was responsible for the worldwide version of the game, Blue Protocol made it only as far as technical tests in the Western markets in November 2023.
Amazon Games published NCSoft's Throne and Liberty in the worldwide market on October 1, 2024. The free-to-play MMORPG hit an all-time peak of over 333,000 players and maintains a high average even over a week after launch (via Steamcharts). The game is currently within the top 50 games in its home market in South Korea (via Gamemeca), but it had dropped off the ranks before the worldwide launch.
Amazon Games currently has six games in the works, including an untitled Tomb Raider game by veteran developers Crystal Dynamics and an untitled The Lord of the Rings MMORPG in development by Amazon Games Orange County.
Where does Amazon Games go from here?
At this point, Amazon released only four flagship PC games, including Throne and Liberty. While New World hasn't seen lasting success, it could be revived by its console launch later this month. Blue Period was dead before it arrived. However, Lost Ark is an absolute success.
While Throne and Liberty may be successful, the free-to-play MMO space is notoriously difficult. Lost Ark maintained a shocking amount of success, but the crowded MMORPG space is mostly filled with empty free-to-play titles. Freemium models do offer better commercial success when the games are well-received, but it isn't often the best choice for an MMO. There's a reason why World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV both still hold onto the classic monthly subscription model.
Working with outside developers like Smilegate RPG and NCSoft seems to be going well for Amazon so far, despite the failure of Bandai Namco's Blue Period. I'll be interested in seeing how Amazon and Crystal Dynamics fare with the untitled Tomb Raider project, as those games have historically been single-player RPGs. While not as lucrative a market, releasing a polished single-player game with an established property may be the correct way forward for Amazon Games. But of course, all of this is just speculation for now.
If nothing else, Amazon's deep pockets could make its gaming arm a real force in the game publishing industry. Amazon can certainly afford to keep publishing games and see what sticks. And for now, it seems Throne and Liberty is doing well even if it hasn't quite hit the heights of Lost Ark.
Laptop Mag's hardware recommendations
Click to check our hardware recommendations for Throne and Liberty
The hardware requirements for Throne and Liberty are relatively low-key, which is surprising when you consider just how good the MMO looks.
The game can run on its lowest settings on a system with an Intel Core i5-7700, Nvidia GeForce GTX960, 16GB of RAM, and at least 63GB of available storage space. Amazon recommends players opt for a slightly newer rig with an Intel Core i5-11600K, Nvidia GeForce GTX1660, 16GB of RAM, and at least 63GB of available storage space. Interestingly, console gamers need less storage space, requiring only 40GB of available storage to run Throne and Liberty.
If your gaming machine doesn't meet those minimum specs, or you'd like to upgrade to see Throne and Liberty at its best, any one of our best gaming laptops will give you the performance power you need.
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