Forsaken World in an upcoming free-to-play MMO developed by Perfect World Entertainment, creators of Torchlight and Jade Empire. It’s the first MMO they’ve built from the ground up for a Western audience. It tells the story of a world that has been left godless and will soon be overtaken by an evil dragon. Naturally, the task of driving back this evil falls on the players’ shoulders. Players can choose from one of five races: Humans, Kindred, Stonemen, Elves, and Dwarves. These races are further divided into classes such as Assassin, a speedy offensive-based class, and Bard, a support class that uses music to cast status effects.

One innovative feature of the Forsaken World game is its floating guild bases. Guids bid to win the bases, then customize them to their liking. The bases then provide new NPCs, missions, and equipment to the guild members.

Forsaken World uses a microtransaction-based business model. New gear can be bought with ZEN, the virtual currency used in all of Perfect World Entertainment’s MMO games. MMO fans will be pleased to note that the game’s crafting system is completely independent of cash shop items, however.

The game is well along in the closed beta phase, and should be available soon.