Summary
In a time when the monetization practices of free-to-play titles are increasingly under the microscope, it’s very rare that a game comes out with much credit.The First Descendantplayers declared they were"done" with the gamewithin hours of launch due to its “predatory” practices, and last year,Overwatch 2wasslated for a similar thing.
So, when a game launches andthe monetization is fair, especially a game that doesn’t cost a penny, it’s easy to overlook. Especially given that’s what should be the norm. However, players of the recently releasedOnce Humanbelieve that the monetization is so fair, that they had to “hunt through [the menus] to find the shop.”
“The monetization of this game actually makes me want to buy something to support it”
Athread on Redditclaims that Once Human is the “least pay-to-win game release I’ve seen in years” and that it’s “not being talked about enough,” a sentiment echoed by many other Metas. The microtransactions weren’t deemed pushy or aggressive and instead focused mainly on cosmetics.
The praise was exemplified by the fact that the shop was so hidden. “I just found out yesterday there are microtransactions and a battle pass after playing for a week,” acommenter said. Asecond added, “It actually takes a lot of effort to find all the shop options.”
NetEase was praised for sticking to its word that the game would not be pay-to-win. It was called “the thing I love most” and the “Path of Exile of survival games. The first game since PoE and LoL that is truly f2p.” The positive comparisons continued, and alongsideLeague of LegendsandPath of Exile, Once Human was also compared toWarframe, a game with “great monetization.” And, while the comparisons with Warframe could be considered a compliment on its own, Once Human was called even “less P2W” than that.
The battle pass was also something that regularly came up in discussion. Although it isn’t deemed as being the most interesting on the market, players were still happy to speak with their wallets. Oneplayer saidthey “bought it anyway to say thanks to the devs”, with another saying they’re “more than happy to splurge on what I would have paid for a game of this standard and top up every few months.” Athird claimedthey had already “spent €100 on this game”, but they were happy to do so to “support the dev”.
All of this isn’t to say that Once Human didn’t launch without at least a modicum of controversy.Six-weekly seasonal wipes, theinability to delete characters or switch servers, and"excessive" terms of serviceall marred the game’s launch. However, NetEase and Starry Studios have now built up enough goodwill that the game continues togrow in numbersandgo from strength to strength.
Once Human
WHERE TO PLAY
Once Human takes the MMO in new directions, placing the player in the role of a Meta-Human in the midst of a post-apocalyptic future. You must survive Stardust, an alien creature infecting and influencing a dark and chaotic world.
