Illuvium is the latest addition to the state-of-the-art blockchain gaming industry. The game is crypto-based, powered by non-fungible tokens – NFTs – and built on the Ethereum blockchain. The Australian blockchain gaming studio founded by the Warwick brothers has already released three modes under the Illuvium banner – Arena, Zero, and Overworld, with the game’s full release scheduled for mid-2023. The earlier beta modes of the game were only available on Mac or PC, but the latest version and all future versions including the full release slated for later this year will extend the game’s availability to Android. This will allow the game to be played on mobile devices and this will help to achieve the game’s bold ambition to become the best crypto game made to date.
Illuvium has been developed to showcase rich graphics and immaculate alien landscapes and this has only fueled the hype that Illuvium will be the first true AAA blockchain gaming experience. Illuvium is a cutting-edge blend of enjoyable gameplay, silky graphics, and the play-to-earn model.
Gameplay
Illuvium is an open-world fantasy role-playing game – RPG that combines exploration, combat, and building aspects into its gameplay. Players can choose to explore the vibrant alien landscapes, test their mettle in the battle arena, or build vast digital industrial complexes. The central theme of the game is to collect the beasts that inhabit the alien worlds, ‘Illuvials’. Players will come across Illuvials while roaming the sci-fi universe and in order to successfully add them to your collection, they must first be defeated in battle. The defeated Illuvial must then be captured using ‘shards’ and the rarer the Illuvial, the more powerful the shard required.
Shards are probably the most important item in the game, without them, you will not be able to capture the array of Illuvials you encounter. Players will be able to either mine Illuvium to craft shards, purchase them directly from the game store, or trade for them in the game’s decentralised exchange, IlluviDEX. There are also mineral deposits located throughout the alien terrain that can be extracted to craft shards and other items. Alternatively, players can own land to mine for resources. Once you have a team of Illuvials in your arsenal, you can enter the battle arena and engage in combat against other players. Combat in the arena requires split-second decision-making, so there is a minor learning curve to fully understanding the game’s hotkeys and commands to be able to move fast enough in battle.
The gameplay is experienced through a character known as a ‘hunter’. Hunters can also engage in combat and there is a host of futuristic weapons and armour available to equip your hunter. Players that are familiar with the Pokémon games will quickly recognise that Illuvium’s gameplay mechanics are heavily inspired by the Pokémon franchise.
Illuvium takes some giant leaps forward in bringing AAA gameplay and graphics to the blockchain gaming world and as the game is refined as development continues, it will be exciting to see just how game-changing Illuvium can be in taking blockchain gaming to the next level.
Illuvials
Illuvials are the central feature of the game. There is no chance of lasting too long in the wilderness of Illuvium’s landscapes without a trusty pack of Illuvials. The game is set to feature over 100 unique Illuvial characters but many have not yet been revealed to the public. The few that have been released have been rendered in bright colours and are artistically well-designed. The team at Illuvium has also implemented a feature that allows players to evolve their Illuvials from their basic forms into final forms, referred to in the game as ‘ascended forms’.
The influence of Pokémon on the design and function of the Illuvials is clearly visible but anyone who has played Pokémon can testify to just how insanely addictive those games can be to play. The Illuvials are divided into different classes and affinities that determine their abilities and when a player acquires several of the same types, they are able to fuse them together to create a more powerful and more valuable Illuvial.
The Illuvials can be collected by either defeating and capturing wild Illuvials and storing them on shards, or by trading for them via the in-game exchange. Given that Illuvials represent the game’s primary and most valuable NFTs there is sure to be no shortage of artistic alien beasts to collect upon the game’s full release.
NFTs
The game is layered with varying types of NFTs for players to collect. The main items the game offers up are Illuvials, weapons, armour, shards, fuel, land, and imbues. All of the NFTs players collect in the game can then be traded on the game’s built-in decentralised exchange – IlluviDEX. Players have full ownership over all of the hard-earned NFTs they collect in the Illuvium universe and can trade at their own discretion but most likely with the same goal in mind, earning crypto.
Earnings
Illuvium has a few different avenues for players to generate earnings. Firstly, players can extract fuel and other resources from the land and then sell them on the exchange. Secondly, players can collect or craft NFTs that can also be sold on the exchange. Finally, players can earn in-game rewards in the form of ILV tokens by competing in the multiplayer battle arena or by completing the many quests and competitions spread throughout the game. The diversity of earning options is a feature that allows players to remain engaged while at the same time earning.
Currency
The in-game currency of Illuvium is the ILV token and all of the game’s economics are based on the ILV token. ILV tokens can be earned by playing the game or purchased directly from crypto exchanges. Once the ILV tokens earned in the game are in your digital wallet they can be converted or sold via crypto exchanges. The value of the ILV tokens will be dictated by the popularity of the game, so if the game can live up to the hype, then ILV tokens may become a valuable cryptocurrency.
Conclusion
The game has already built up a strong community and moving forward that will provide a solid base for success. The game’s upcoming full release will be a watermark event for blockchain gaming. If the game is able to deliver a legitimate AAA gaming experience while at the same time giving players the opportunity to earn crypto, it will be a game changer for the industry.
