Not all plants are
what they seem.
RuneScape
PREVIEW
RELEASE
July 1, 2019DEVELOPER
JagexPUBLISHER
In-houseLINK
http://www.runescape.comNEED TO KNOWThis new island was first teased to the
public on May 21 in the form of a bite-sized
trailer. It shows the mysterious boat that
was recently placed beside the newly
reworked Dig Site. Before departure,
players will have to work together to get
the boat shipshape and ready to sail to
Anachronia. Once there, you’ll realize
the grand scale of what you’re
dealing with as a bipedal T-rex chases
you all the way to the safety of a
rundown but fortified outpost.
It’s here that you can begin
construction on amenities like the town
hall and merchant stands. The player then
gets to work on asserting dominance over
the local wildlife. Just be sure not to
underestimate the cute little raptors—they
hunt in packs. “We wanted to provide a
twisted fairytale feel to surprise and
delight our players, but at the same time
ensure it’s something that you’d expect
from a RuneScape update,” says project
lead Kevin Grantham-Murray. “Anachronia
allows us to provide new content but also
use locations like the temple to allude to
future quests.”
Ask any RuneScape superfan for their
favorite nuance, and there’s a goodchance it will be the Examine option. Back
in my early RuneScape days, I would
examine everything from raw potatoes to
quirky NPCs. When stepping foot on
Anachronia’s shores, my magnifying glass
was put to good use as I prowled the
environment for those witty gems. A
standout one-liner belonged to the
Asciatops itself and referenced
RuneScape’s most iconic OST, reading,
“It looks like a punk rocker but secretly
loves Sea Shanty 2.”TIME’S UP
The dinosaurs in Land Out of Time were
more vibrant than I expected. In total, the
Jagex team designed over 50 dinosaurs,
but only the most interesting will make it
into the update itself.
“Our main requirement was that they
had to be colorful, flamboyant, but
recognizable as dinosaurs,” lead concept
artist Daniel Barker told me. “The player
shouldn’t have to look at them and ask
themselves, ‘What the hell is this thing?’
They need to stand out in an already
colorful environment. Of course, we cry
when our little darlings are killed! But we
can always use them for something
else later down the line.”
When finally going toe-to-toe with
these vibrant monstrosities, players
should expect a battle of wits rather
than typical combat. Capturing one of the
dinosaurs requires lots of sneaking
around to assemble harpoon traps and
gather resources like wood and vines.
Meanwhile, your quarry is patrolling the
perimeter, and will be vexed if it spots you
in its cone of vision. Fortunately, there’s
long grass to hide in, which gives this a
Monster Hunter meets Metal Gear feel.
Other than combat, plenty of activities
await the player. The island is vast—
although smaller than the notorious
Wilderness—and sports one of the largest
Agility courses in the game. This eight
minute trek across vines, fallen trees, and
rocky slopes is the perfect way to explore
the island on first arrival. Players may even
stumble across Clue Scrolls to decipher,
and it’d be rude not to climb the temple to
admire the sun setting over this paradise.
Combined with a whole outpost to rebuild,
Anachronia is a skiller’s playground that is
set to only get bigger.
Alex SpracklingO
ver ten years ago, the concept of
dinosaurs in RuneScape was the
scientific formula for my teenage self ’s
perfect adventure. But how did this
come about and how is RuneScape’s biggest update
looking for players? I visited Jagex for my own
personal trip into the Land Out of Time.A first look at Anachronia,
the Land Out of TimeRUNESCAPE
A BIPEDAL T-REX CHASES YOU
ALL THE WAY TO THE SAFETY
OF A RUNDOWN OUTPOSTNEW
UPDATE