Remember the first episode of Futurama? Disgruntled pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry stumbles his way into cryo-stasis, thaws out 1,000 years later, and wakes up in a world where man has colonized the stars, wisecracking robots chug beer for fuel, and every noteworthy figure throughout history lives on as a talking head in a jar. Things finally appear to be looking up for the guy — that is, until a purple-haired cyclops gives Fry his permanent career assignment: Delivery boy.
I can relate. Playing TERA, the new MMORPG from Bluehole Studio, I often get the impression that I’m staring at the future of the genre. Some of this game’s innovations, primarily when it comes to combat, make the competition seem almost archaic by contrast. The moment I start to think this might be the MMO that changes everything, a farmer with an exclamation point over his head stops me dead in my tracks. Could I do him a solid and kill 10 wild boars? And would I maybe collect five weeds for his brother? Oh, and while I’m at it, why don’t I deliver this package for him?
Sigh.
