Entity Burst Online | |
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VRMMO Information | |
Kanji | エンティティバーストオンライン |
Romaji | Entiti bāsuto onrain |
Developer | Nexus Theory |
Release Date | March 27, 2025 |
Genre | Role-Playing |
Usable Hardware | Nexus-Gear |
Entity Burst Online, or EBO for short, is a VRMMO released worldwide on March 27, 2026. After the game was hacked and made into a recreation of Sword Art Online, a group of players worked to stop the hackers and shut it down from within. Following this, Nexus Theory released the ARMMO RPG Hazard ReBurst as its sequel.
Overview[]
Entity Burst Online uses the Nexus-Gear's "Omniversal" VR Core to bring players into a highly realistic setting and game. By tapping into neural transmissions and redirecting them to this VR Core server, players feel as though they haven't left the real world. They feel like the world around them has been changed to the world of Entity Burst Online.
Premise[]
The world of Entity Burst Online is based primarily on gaining fame through killing dangerous monsters in the wild or by defeating other enemies. The titular Entities are stored within a variety of physical object, usually cartridges, cards, or metallic top-like pendants. By using certain "Driver" units, these Entities can be channeled into armor and weapons for players to use.
Setting[]
The setting of Entity Burst is within the realm of Hatena, a world very similar to our reality of Earth. The world exists as one super-continent taking up 40% of the surface of this world, with the remaining 60% being made of water. Unlike Earth, Hatena is inhabited by a wide plethora of voracious beasts and humanoid creatures. Instead of dogs, bestial canines exist. Cats can take the form of dangerous beasts or humanoids with the trademark ears and tail of a feline, maybe even share some cat-like behavior. Perhaps the biggest deviation from reality of all, humanity has been able to seal supernatural entities inside of objects. Cards, pendants, and cartridges are used to house these entities and channel their power into combat against other denizens or roaming monsters.
In spite of such dangerous conditions, the humans live relatively peacefully. Factions exist, helping players monitor their in-game lives with legal, militaristic, and economic protecion. Players are free to fight and live in this world however they live. Beware. The beasts of Hatena are destined to overrun and destroy everything. It's up to the denizens of Hatena to defend their society, lest they be torn to ruins by the lurking beasts.
Gameplay[]
Players are free to choose how their character evolves and what weapons to wield. Currency in this game is known as Levs, which can be converted into real-life money and vice-versa. In-game banks have heavy security as a result, with an in-game police force of players and NPCs dedicated to protecting banks for added security. Conversion rates from Levs to real currencies depend on the latter type of currency (examples include the Euro, Japanese Yen, American/Canadian Dollar, etc). Factions exist in-game, allowing players to make a bigger impact on the game by helping with hunting monsters, regulating trade, developing new equipment, policing the players, and working with the game devs to create new updates and laws.
Entities are stored within a wide variety of physical objects. The most common storage device is a card, due to the simplicity of such an object. Powerful entities can be stored within simple playing cards, or housed with metallic pendants or electronic cartridges. Driver units come in three varieties: the Cartridge Driver, the Card Driver, and the End Driver. The latter two are wrist-mounted Drivers, with the Card Driver using cards and the End Driver using pendants. The Cartridge Driver is a belt-based Driver unit, obviously used in tandem with Entity Cartridges. All three have the ability to arm its user with Entity-based combat armors or equipment; equipment can range from weapons to miscellaneous devices, such as weapon conversion attachments or grappling hooks. Each Driver unit also has a dedicated slot meant for powerful finishing moves.
Two classifications for Entity storage exist. The first is Change units, which give users combat armor. Change units can be switched out after the first unit's transformation is cancelled and swapped out for the second unit. The second classification is Action units. Action units grant weapons, weapon conversions/attachments, or external devices that assist in combat. Players are allowed to carry as many of Change/Action units as they want, provided they have the inventory space to do so.
Hatena is covered with towns and cities, with the areas in-between these places full of wildlife. Towns and cities act as safe zones, where monster cannot enter and players are allowed to engage in regular interactions. The remaining space on Hatena is full of dangerous wildlife. These NPCs make up the enemy force that players can fight if they don't want to participate in the PvP combat.
HP gauges do exist, as well as a level system. However, the HP gauge is merely one of many ways to tell how much damage one has taken. For example, being stabbed with a sword shares the same results as it does in reality, with the HP gauge dropping a certain amount to reflect the damage taken. When engaged in PvP combat, players wear combat armor with their HP gauges displayed on their chests, allowing opposing players to measure the amount of health their enemy has taken. The level system in this game is unorthodox, since levels correspond to the type of combat armor worn by players; a player wearing a level 1 combat suit would have a very bulky suit, but they would have slightly increased defenses as a result. Players can also level up at any time they choose by casting off their current combat armor to achieve a higher level suit. This allows players wearing a Level 1 suit to level up and switch to a sleeker Level 2 suit, or players can automatically equip a Level 2 suit right away depending on the functionality of the Change unit used.. The current level cap in EBO is Level 50, though players commonly use Level 2 or Level 3 suits due to the rarity of suits that are Level 10 and above.Very few players have Level 50 units, and those who do supposedly never use them in fear of how powerful they are or use them as a last resort. Nexus Theory has stated that a future update will increase the chances of acquiring Level 10+ suits and raise the level cap, stating that the current level cap is just a precursor form to a higher Level armor. Armors are denoted by a specific name, such as "Mighty" or "Slicer," which is used as a prefix to identify a player with the level number of their armor used as a suffix. An example would be "Mighty Hunter Level 2" or Dangerous Demon Level X(10)." Roman Numerals can be used as a substitute for certain level numbers, such as Level 10 being Level X or Level 20 being Level XX.
The Esteem system acts more like the traditional level system. By killing monsters or winning PvP duels, players gain Esteem points, which allow them to ascend the Esteem ranks and earn perks to be used in-game. Ascending to a higher Esteem rank gives players Rank Points to save up so they can earn new Entity units. Some Entity units earned via the Esteem system are purchasable exclusively with Rank Points, and players can earn Rank Points only by gaining Esteem points to increase their Esteem rank. Weapon blueprints and certain weapon components can be unlocked from the Esteem system.
The Ethics code can be switched off, allowing players to indulge in mature gameplay. This allows players to engage in sexual intercourse in-game, see and experience varying levels of gore instead of the usual colored indicators of damage, or visit mature establishments such as clubs with exotic dancers. However, this feature is strictly for players 18 years of age or older. Exceptions can be made for players who can fully convince a game developer/administrator that they are mature enough to handle these 18+ features.
Entities[]
There are a 4 classifications of Entities for players to choose from. Each Entity have a passive healing factor that activates after avoiding taking damage for a certain amount of time; the speed of the healing factor depends on which race is chosen and what items are equipped. Each Entity has "Burst" potential, allowing their users to execute powerful attacks when channeled to a certain limb/weapon or channeling the entirety of the Burst potential into the entire player's avatar in order to boost combat parameters.
The four classifications are:
- Hunter - Stealth specialists with balanced parameters.
- Marksman - Long-range armaments and master snipers.
- Knight - Melee weapon wielders with a decent amount of armor.
- Racer - Vehicular assault, ranging from simple bicycles to customized motorbikes or even cars.
For a list of known Entities, check here.
Combat[]
Combat in EBO is dependent on a variety of factors. The higher priority factors include a player's HP gauge, the level of their combat armor, the weapon type used for the attack, and any elemental effects included. Pain tolerance in this game is 0, making EBO very similar to reality; being stabbed with a knife in-game feels the same as it does IRL. Pre-set skills in EBO do not exist, which means that players need to learn to fight themselves. This does promote free-flowing combat and encourages players to create their own fighting style. Natural elemental resistance are also taken into account when in combat, though such stats are only applicable to combat armor. Real-life hindrances can also be applied in EBO, but won't appear as status effects. Most combat is Player versus Player, though players can fight NPC beasts outside the safe zones in Hatena. Players are also able to execute attacks that exceed the limits of their normal combat parameters by channeling Burst potential, with Burst attacks used to finish off opponents. More often than not, PvP combat ends with the winning player executing a Burst Strike to destroy the losing player and claim their virtual life. However, Burst Strikes aren't always used to finish a player. Cartoonish "Hit!" effects can be seen when players successfully attack an opponent, though this feature can be disabled in the options menu; effects can range from "Hit!" to "Great!" and ending at "Perfect!" depending on how strong or how well-placed the attack is.
Elemental damage types and their effects include:
- Fire - Includes a chance of causing damage over time as the "Burn" debuff. Those afflicted with this feel an intense burn when first struck with this elemental effect, and said burn will continue to be felt until negate via recovery items.
- Ice - Chance of dealing the "Frozen" debuff that slows down the affected. Players relate the effect of feeling this debuff to feeling a painfully cold sting wherever the attack made contact; more intense ice-based attacks can feel like frostbite.
- Shock - Chance to apply the "Stunned" debuff that overrides motor functions temporarily and leaves the target twitching. Twitches can range from minor to severe, depending on the amount of Shock damage applied.
- Stone - Higher impact damage that can also apply the "Stunned" debuff. However, this version of the debuff is intense pain from the impact or penetration of the Stone, depending on the shape and type of stone hit with.
- Light - A bright light that can temporarily cause the "Blinded" debuff, where players cannot see clearly until the effects wear off. This variant of "Blinded" is seeing white for a specific duration of time. Enough exposure to this elemental effect may permanently damage players' vision.
- Shadow - A pure darkness that can also cause the "Blinded" debuff. Unlike the previous version of "Blinded," Shadow causes the affected to see nothing but blackness until effects wear off. Can be used for psychological advantages/disadvantages depending on users and targets.
- Dynamis - Pure energy condensed into a damage type. As noted by some players, this damage type can be equated to "death by overloading." The highly-condensed energy is released upon contact and will direct itself into the target to deal damage. Rarer to come across this damage type in units.
- Void - By replacing a target/impact point with literally nothing, it can be used to essentially erase targets from the game by slowly deleting the data of a player's Avatar from the given scenario. Player data is saved and stored periodically to ensure nothing is permanently deleted unless otherwise erased. This is the rarest damage type to encounter.
- Rotation - Though not necessarily an elemental effect, it's considered a type of elemental damage. To access this damage type, a player or the player's weapons must emulate the "Golden Rectangle," a rectangle with a 16:9 ratio that can be continually divided into rectangles and squares within to make more Golden Rectangles, thus creating an infinite spiral. By doing so, the weapon or player is able to access an infinite amount of energy through the perfect rotation, which can then be imbued into attacks of any kind. Projectiles and hand-to-hand techniques are used for the most part. Though it's rare for melee weapons to use this, it is entirely possible. There's no actual effect given to this damage type, just a significant increase in damage.
Weapons[]
Weapons in EBO are generally equipped with a unit, whether it's an Augment unit or provided with a Change unit. In addition, they're relatively similar to weapons in reality. Firearms are sorted into categories such as pistols/handguns, sub-machine guns, assault/sniper rifles, shotguns, and launchers. Melee weapons can range from a simple dagger to elaborate swords, with energy-based weapons included in EBO. Firearms, melee weapons, and energy weapons can be combined together, usually with a ranged weapon combined with advanced mechanical frames to change into a melee weapon; example being a sniper rifle combined with a scythe. All weapons can be crafted with basic blueprints accessible from the start. From these blueprints, players can incorporate or remove designs to suit their tastes. Entity unit slots can be installed to allow for Burst Strike finishers with weapons. Elemental effects can be added to firearms by changing ammo types, while melee weapons can change elemental effects by using Action units designed specifically for such a purpose. EBO encourages players to customize weapons and produce unique weapons for their personal fighting capabilities, though custom blueprints can be unlocked with the Esteem system. Players can also save and sell blueprints they've made at markets or through online trade systems.
Battle Mechanics[]
Players first equip one type of Driver unit. After using a Change-type Entity unit, the players equip a combat armor and use weapons such as swords or guns to deplete the health of opponents. If desired or needed, Augment-type units allow for access to special abilities or additional weapons when used. Pre-programmed skills are not in Entity Burst Online, requiring players to create their own fighting styles and use equipment designed to compliment their style. When fighting enemy NPCs, players must learn to adapt their fighting styles to the tactics and artificial behavior exhibited by the beasts. Certain monsters require certain strategies so that players can survive encounters and defeat them.
Player vs. Player Combat[]
Player vs. Player combat is a significant portion of Entity Burst Online. First, a player must challenge another player by sending a duel request to the challenged player. If both parties have a mutual agreement to the duel, they then decide on the victory rewards. Rewards must be equal or greater in value; i.e. a player can challenge another player for a high-level Entity Unit, but if the challenger loses, they can choose what they give the victor so long as the value of the given items is equal. Esteem points can be earned from PvP. The total Esteem points earned depends on combat performance. Once the duel has been officially confirmed with the proper consent, players must fight each other until the opponent's HP gauge has been fully depleted. Duels can range in size, from one-on-one combat to teams of 10 fighting each other. Killing or attacking another player without the proper warrants will be consider criminal activity, and the system will automatically deploy police forces to deal with the criminal or alert any players involved in the in-game police service nearby the crime scene and have them pursue the criminal.
Tournaments[]
EBO has a two major tournaments. There is the yearly tournament known as the Hatena Hunting Royale, where players compete against each other to get as many kills as possible; player kills and monsters kills are both accepted, with the former type bringing in more points than the latter. Rewards for the HHR can be in-game such as additional Lev and Esteem points, or as physically trophies such as cosplay replicas of a desired in-game item; cosplay replicas may come with a USB flash drive containing a copy of the data of the item it's designed from, depending on how well the player did in the tournament. The quarterly Hatena Battle Championship pits players against players to determine who is the best player of a select group. Rewards for the quarterly tournament are strictly in-game, with rewards such as high amounts of Levs or Esteem points.
Factions[]
Factions act as political parties. Players join a faction, and fight for the sake of that faction. An unwarranted attack on another player of the same faction will be marked as criminal activity and a betrayal of that faction. Players are allowed to hide their true allegiance and infiltrate enemy factions to cause an imbalance and bring one faction higher than the rest. Players also go on hunting missions with fellow faction members for the glory and to earn Esteem points for their faction. Factions also have their own Esteem system, where factions members pool their collected Esteem points into a large, faction-wide Esteem rank. This faction Esteem system is very much the same as the individual Esteem system, only on a much larger scale with much greater rewards as a result. There are five Factions in Entity Burst Online.
Hatena Monster Hunters[]
The HMH faction is known for their aggressive monster hunting methods. Players who love the thrill of the hunt usually join this faction, as they offer additional perks for monster hunting. The HMH coordinate their movements with the EF division of the HMP, with the two factions often working together as close allies to fend off the wild beasts of Hatena.
Hatena Organized Trade[]
The HOT faction are more passive than the HMH, with a focus on creating and selling merchandise. Players that enjoy the life of an entrepreneur tend to join this faction for the additional business perks and high discounts in shops. Most goods sold in EBO are regulated by the HOT, as they are the second-highest authority in business affairs in-game in terms of player hierarchy; the Hatena Civil Government is the highest authority of all in-game affairs due to the nature of their work.
Hatena Technical Development[]
The HTD faction is on the cutting-edge of weapons design. Weaponsmiths and weapon merchants join this faction with the promise of research and development facilities assigned to creating new ways to slaying monsters. HTD Research facilities are always testing theoretical weapon designs while the Development facilities of this faction work on fully fabricating the Research teams' plausible ideas. The HTD is also responsible for the development of new Entity units and more advanced Driver units. Hunter Kasai was invited to the HTD due to his amazing ideas, but politely declined after having a meeting where he pitched an idea for a new Driver system, but was told that it wouldn't work in accordance to the mass population of the game.
Hatena Military Police[]
The HMP faction acts as a player-made police and military force. Those who want to police the general public or join the front lines of monster hunting apply to this faction. There are three divisions of the HMP: Exploration Force, the Military Garrison and the Police Corp.
- The Exploration Force is usually sent on scouting missions and help the rest of the players plan coordinate strategies for monster hunting.
- The Military Garrison is the main military force of the HMP, and are allowed to impose martial law on a certain country/city/town should such an event be deemed necessary.
- The Police Corps assists the MG by helping to maintain the law wherever they're assigned.
These three divisions are the main categorizations of HMP forces, though there are several smaller units and forces within the HMP that are dedicated to specific roles within the game. One of the more well-known sub-divisions is the VIP Bodyguard service, an elite unit tasked with protecting important in-game personnel such as game masters in disguise or in-game political leaders.
Hatena Civil Government[]
The most politically active faction, the HCG faction keeps the players of EBO in order and helps decided the majority of in-game laws in conjunction with Nexus Theory employees playing the game. Beta testers for EBO are commonly found in this faction, though some beta testers prefer to use their knowledge of the inner workings of EBO as mercenaries or info brokers. Because HCG players are working closely with the EBO devs, members of HCG are treated with high respect so that harsh game rules are not submitted and passed.
Game Updates[]
Like all RPGs, Entity Burst Online is bound to have updates that will bring new additions to the game and fix bugs or glitches found and reported by players. Minor game updates include game patches to solve any player-reported issues. Major game updates introduce new mechanics or visual changes to pre-existing mechanics. As of September 2026, Entity Burst Online is at version 2.999, having gone through a closed beta phase before being released a the 1.0 version. From there, a very large game update brought forth a level cap increase as well as the implementation of a tournament. Following that, another tournament that occurred more often was added to allow players to test their skills without needing to wait for the yearly tournament. Additional updates were minor changes to aesthetics as well as patches for bugs and glitches. The 3.0 updates has been under development for sometime, with some beta testers from the original closed beta continuing their services in the current version to gather opinions from the entire EBO player-base. Most obviously want another level cap increase, as well as a change in the fundamental transformation mechanics. The change requested is in the armors, where players wish to merge with the Entity chosen for their transformation, allowing them to assume an armored form and gaining access to special abilities. Some players want a new driver system to allow them to mix and match Entities and their powers to create better forms. Others welcome both additions separately and/or together. Regardless of the case, the 3.0 update has EBO players excited for whatever comes next.
Trivia[]
- Aspects of Entity Burst Online were influenced by the following:
- EBO won Best VRMMO in the 2017 Polls.
- Beta testers in for EBO are given unique Entity units that contribute to their infamy/fame. Such units can range from a special Change unit to a custom set of Change/Action units.
- Vehicles from reality can be virtually imported after a request has been sent to the game developers.
- The Hatena Organized Trade faction was unintentionally given the acronym "HOT".
- The names of Entity units can range from general entities such as "Demons" to a specific Entity such as "Beelzebub."
- Generally speaking, the more specific an Entity unit's name, the more powerful they are.
- Entity units can also be named "[Prefix title] [Entity class]" if there is no specific Entity name to be used. Entity units named as such are generally not the greatest units, but players are able to make do with what the unit provides them.
- Not sure if staying til 2AM in my timezone counts as trivia, but I'm writing it down.