Salem

Salem has already garnered a lot of interest from the gaming community since it was previewed behind closed doors to members of the media in late January. Known for its controversial permanent death feature, an essential game mechanic that introduces risk as players progress in the new world, Salem is a fresh twist on the MMO genre giving players control of their towns in the game and introducing frontier justice in the open Player-versus-Player (PvP) environment.

Set in a fantastical New England, Salem offers free form Massively Multiplayer gameplay in a persistent, ever-changing, online world. Players take the roles of intrepid colonists from the Old World seeking to make lives for themselves in the New. The colonists are able to use a unique crafting, farming and building system inspired by 17th century alchemy.Although Salem takes place in a light-hearted gothic setting with a charming and cute art-style, there is also open Player-versus-Player combat and permanent death. Players will also experience creatures based off actual colonist folklore like Squonks, Hidebehinds and of course witches in an open sand box world.

Step off the first boats to the New World and try to survive. That’s the basis of this newly announced Paradox strategy MMO. We hear there’s a realistic game element where if you die you’ve got to start over again.

There have been April’s fool day jokes about that sort of mechanic but it seems Paradox is really going in that direction.

The game is set to be free-to-play and crafting-based