Chrono Odyssey calls itself a "next-gen" MMO, and there are no lies detected in its stunning Unreal Engine 5 gameplay trailer

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If the final product looks this good, this could be the prettiest MMO ever

Chrono Odyssey looks every bit the "next-gen" MMO it bills itself as in this incredible Unreal Engine 5 gameplay trailer.

Chrono Odyssey's gameplay reveal trailer is pretty even for most modern AAA games, but for an MMO it's utterly jaw-dropping. And that's not a knock on the genre! There are a lot of reasons for MMOs generally looking a tad dated compared to their single-player contemporaries - the hardware demands inherent in hosting so many players on a single server being a main factor - but it's never stopped me from enjoying them just as much. In fact, having grown up on games like Ultima Online and Everquest, it only makes me appreciate how far today's best MMOs have come from a visual perspective.

That said, if the full game looks anything like it does in this new gameplay showcase, Chrono Odyssey is leaps and bounds beyond anything I've seen in the MMO genre from a visual perspective. That's because most "modern" MMOs, particularly Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy 14, and Guild Wars 2, were made more than a decade ago, and there's a new engine in town. Chrono Odyssey is being built in Unreal Engine 5, and boy does it show.

The diverse range of environments shown off in the trailer are genuinely stunning both in night and day lighting, from the fields whose tall grass appears photo-realistic to the dazzling battles by moonlit rivers and magnificent architecture. Again, this would be a very good looking single-player AAA game, but with the context that it's an MMO, it's just that much more impressive.

Chrono Odyssey comes from the South Korean studio NPixel and it's planned for release on PC, consoles, and mobile without a concrete release date.

In the meantime, check out all of the new games of 2023 hitting PC and console this year.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.