A review from someone who gave the game a chance.
And for those who are wondering, I currently have a level 37 Accretian on the Spirit server, so I have definitely played through this game quite a bit.
Gameplay:
Well, let's just say things start out rough for a new player. You choose your race and your starting class, and get into the game. After getting through the almost pointless tutorial (They really idiot-proofed this one, although they really should have covered more since some info is left out of both the manual and this.), things start getting a little better. Now, the grind in the beginning goes by extremely quick and you see yourself quickly going from level to level and moving on to tougher mobs. What makes the grind so interesting is there are so many things leveling at the same time, at lower levels it seems to be hard to keep track. On top of the usual "exp" grind, progressing your character's level, there are also character abilities that you are leveling up parallel to your exp. Every time you hit an enemy with your sword for at least 2% damage, you gain Melee PTs, making your sword proficiency better. On top of Melee, there's Range, Defense, Shield, and your racial PTs. Getting back to the different races, each has their own special trait for lack of a better word. Accretian Robots use large missile launchers which can transform to even larger siege cannons, Cora mages have their summons, and Bellatos have their giant mechs. On top of Exp and PT, you also level your special skills which in turn makes them stronger as well. With this system in place, it really discourages power leveling, so if you want a strong character end-game, you really have to work for it. That being said, this is a Korean MMO, so don't expect level 50 to just be handed to you. With potions being inexpensive and on a 3 second cooldown timer, you can find mobs much higher level than you without fear of dying, which also leads to no downtime. Quests are given at the beginning of every level and are only really there to "lead" you to the next mob that you should be fighting for experience.
Now for the main aspect of the game, PvP. For all the people that complain that PvP is pointless because of the very small potion delay, that is on purpose. If you're fighting a character on par to yours, you aren't supposed to be able to take them down with ease. Since this is a RvRvR game, you really need a support group to effectively kill anything. I know everyone has covered the Chip War every 8 hours, so I'm just going to digress from that and say it is extremely enjoyable in my opinion. Lots of insane action which leads to the 3 hours (if that) flying by. On top of the Chip War, there are various neutral areas where anything goes really. One of my favorite past times is raiding enemy settlements with a small group just to stir things up. With every kill you gain contribution points (and with every death you lose it, but only CP), the top 10 CP holders in the race getting special bonuses such as the ability to talk to the entire race. The small potion delay is very defeatable if you have a well-coordinated team. Focus fire and timed burst damage are key to taking out even the most pesky tank. There's nothing more satisfying than really having to earn every CP.
I find the economy to be rather innovative and player driven. There is a tax rate that fluctuates due to Chip War wins/losses and the amount of gold held by a specific race. There's also an auction house so you don't have to run around every territory spamming "WTS/WTB" in Map chat.
However, there are still quite a few bugs to be fixed but this game is still new. For those who say the game sucks because of them, just give it time. The chat system is atrocious, that I will admit, but at least they tweaked the filter. Character movement is rather easy to get used to, and targeting is fine as well. However, your experience will definately change depending on what server/race you choose, since this game is VERY player driven.
Graphics:
Being an accretian, the local landscape is very bland with war torn desert with the occasional grassland mixed in. However after spending some time in the other races areas, I must say they have a LOT more to look at. The armor/weapon designs, in my opinion, are very slick and detailed. Obviously the higher level you are, the better you look. A lot of people complain about the lack of character customization and the fact that lots of people look exactly alike because of the same armor/weapons. However, since this game does not display your level in PvP, being able to determine level with weapon/armor designs is key. Some of the PvE enemies also look extremely detailed, especially the more difficult ones. However, I have some of the eye candy turned down to help with the chip war graphics lag (which can have 100+ people on your screen at one time), so your experience may be even better.
Sound:
Not really much to say on this subject but I will say that the music/ambiance/sound effects are rather well done. Playing for extended periods of time tends to lead to your sound looping and not working (but it may be just for me). I have turned my music off however since I am an avid PvPer and use voice communication through Ventrilo (I also heard that there's an in-game overlay for teamspeak, although I cannot comment on that). Overall for the time I had it enabled, I found it enjoyable, especially the Crag mine battle themes.
Value:
Since it's brand new, of course it's going to be in the $50 range. The monthly fee can range anywhere from $15 (one month plan) to $10 (yearly plan) per month. So if you want to save a couple bucks, you can prepay months in advance.
Conclusion:
All I can say is this game is highly addictive. I've been playing since release and am showing no sign of burnout. This game is far from perfect, since things are still being fixed. However, I will give credit to the developers as it seems they are working to fix this game, throwing in some fixes in the weekly server downtime. The servers I will say are great. I have no problems with disconnections and I have not seen any unannounced downtime at all.
So basically it boils down to this:
- Looking for extensive PvE content: Not for you
- Not willing to work for your character: Not for you
- However if you have a bloodlust and are willing to put in the necessary time to develop your character, I suggest you give this game a try.
As stated before, this game is very community driven, so your experience may vary between which server and race you choose. Some servers have a problem with population balance between races. Some race leaders just don't care (which they can be booted if you surpass them in contribution points). It seems each race has its time to shine and is the most powerful, however with appropriate numbers and leadership, anything can turn the tide of battle.
Thanks for reading :)