Pax Dei launched into Early Access today, but its grand entrance was overshadowed by the sheer disappointment of its initial player base. Following its debut, the game was bombarded with negative comments, resulting in Pax Dei achieving “Mostly Negative” status in all reviews.
At first glance, Pax Dei seemed to offer a magical world that could only get better with its promising sandbox mechanics. But technical problems, like rubber banding, and a lack of content caused a wave of outrage among fans. Considering Pax Dei also has a hefty price tag, many early adopters felt a deep sense of frustration as they had set high expectations for the game.
Overall, going over the reviews, the $40 price tag was a sticking point for many. Players felt it wasn’t justified for a game in such a raw state. Reviews like “Not yet worth the $40 starting price” became a common sight amongst the sea of downward-facing thumbs on Steam.
Performance issues have also been apparent. Players reported problems like lag, desync, and rubberbanding, even with high-end machines. The content was another major disappointment. Players complained about the need for meaningful activities beyond basic building and crafting. “For such a large MMO, there is very little content. It seems to cater only to zergs,” one review reads, highlighting the feeling that the game failed to deliver depth and variety. Getting Flint in Pax Dei was one of the more complicated tasks in the game during its launch, which spoke for the lack of features in the game.
Pax Dei‘s rocky launch comes amidst a wider trend of struggling MMORPG releases. Even high-profile titles like New World launched in 2021, failed to live up to expectations, plagued by bugs and a dwindling player base. While New World eventually got better, it did so after most of its player base abandoned it for other adventures.
It might be early to make bold assumptions regarding Pax Dei, but the game started on the wrong foot. Many beta participants pointed out that the game has stayed the same since the last time they played Pax Dei. Combining this with an almost triple-A price tag was the final nail for most players, triggering a refund frenzy.
At the time of writing, Pax Dei pushed its way back to “Mixed” status on Steam, but considering it had to battle through “Mostly Negative,” it might go back and forth between the two tiers.
