Project TL (Lineage Eternal: Twilight Resistance)

The Lineage series, include Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicles, has had a long and twisted history, once held in high acclaim for the original entry and since lamented for the mobile sequels—but the newest sequel, currently titled ‘Project TL’ (The Lineage), seems like a welcome return to form for the beloved property. As it is rumored to be called TL Origin, Lineage 3, Lineage Eternal or possibly Lineage Eternal: Twilight Resistance, this game developed by NCSoft, has already gone through a slew of development-related problems.

Announced over a decade ago, the lead director of the game left and they scrapped most everything they had worked on. Now, with the use of the Unreal 4 Engine, and a new director, they have rebuilt the game from the ground-up, and renewed their efforts to make yet another amazing isometric MMORPG.

What is Project TL?

Following the success of the original game this sequel is, as mentioned previously, is set to be another medieval fantasy isometric MMORPG. With a top-down camera angle similar to the original, as well as made famous by Diablo, Lost Star and Path of Exile—Project TL is set to have all the quirks that made those games popular, and some of its own. One, in particular, that fans are looking forward to seeing a return of is siege-warfare. In the original Lineage, players engaged in large scale siege battles that saw the ownership of entire castles made to be breached by opposition. This mode, which really made Lineage somewhat unique is set to make a return.

What Have We Seen So Far?

While reports have been scattered about the game for over a decade, a ray of hope came in the form of a cinematic gameplay reveal in 2017. Even though that seems a long time ago now, it was a good sign that production had renewed and a new design system was being implemented.

That said, the use of the Unreal 4 engine gave players hope, almost definitively, that this would not be another mobile game. All that being said, the cinematic gameplay reveal offered information about a lot of what Project TL would involve. Most notably the graphical style, the world, the variations of classes, the return of isometric MMORPG mechanics—and, of course, siege warfare.

What Happens Next?

Project TL has gone through a number of changes in the years. Even the names hinted at, which have been changed frequently as a result of various reveals and negative feedback. Not wanting to begin their new adventure on a bad note, they’ve elected to change how they propose and promote it. That being said, the most recent announcement related to Project TL came in the form of an upcoming closed-beta. While it was set to release in 2020, it hasn’t come out yet—likely to COVID-19 related delays.

With all that in mind, Project TL as a moniker might be most recently updated to TL: Origin. Using that as a framework, it might be easy to see that there isn’t really that much new information regarding the game’s release. The rumors lead toward late 2021 and a global release, but the developers have kept relatively quiet. Additionally, the closed or open beta set for 2020 was replaced last year with internal testing. That being said, a beta will likely be announced soon.

However, as the release of next-gen consoles passed up their development—part of the delay is likely because of an intention to bring the game to wide-range of console platforms.

Pros

• Likely coming to multiple next-gen consoles
• Siege warfare is testing well
• Back to series roots and expanding further

Cons

• Limited, selective information released
• No beta yet announced
• No updated gameplay video as of yet