A classic that will be talked about for years.
You start off choosing one of 10 different classes -- Knight, Soldier, Hunter, Magician, etc. Some of these classes are pure melee or pure magic characters, or a mix of both. You assign skill points to your character(s) as you level up your Soul Level. The soul level can go over 700, and believe me that will take you a long time.
The multiplayer aspect of this game is truly unique, and I've never seen it done like this before in any other game before. When you first start off, you go through this little tutorial. Then you are in soul form and go out on your first quest. I believe that the first quest is the true first tutorial. It will teach you the basics of the game as you venture to defeat your first boss.
When I first started, I loved taking in the uniqueness of this game. You will see occasional "ghosts"--ghostly images of other players online playing. Later on you can summon phantoms to help you, and you can also become a phantom to help other players or to invade a player's world and challenge him to a fight. You can also leave messages for players, helping them out or to try to throw them off track.
The controls are very responsive, and they are easy to learn. The challenge will be learning your enemies and how to deal with them. You need to have some patience and think in this game, or you will die a lot more often. Oh and you WILL DIE. But on the other hand, you can obtain items in the game that will help you immensely.
The graphics and sound are very well done. The world is alive even though it's in a dark setting, and the sounds fit right with everything your encounter. You swing your sword and it will "clank" against a wall or the floor. You will find a dragon and the fire it breathes at you will have you scared out of your pants. The animation of the characters are very animated and well done.
This game came to the United States and caught many people off guard. Since then I've seen people wonder if they should get this game--and they should if they think this is the kind of game for them. This game has consumed me since I got it in the mail. It's an instant classic that will take many hours of your time.