![]() There's no tab-targeting, no auto-focus, and no static action bars. Where Blade & Soul excels and innovates is in its combat. Honestly, given the audience this game seems to be reaching, I think it might have been better for NCSoft just to leave the Korean voice acting in place, because it's much, much stronger. It probably doesn't help that Blade & Soul's Western release is plagued by poor voice acting and rough translations. It's certainly not up to snuff compared to games like Final Fantasy XIV or Guild Wars 2. That's pretty much the outline of the quest and while the game will touch upon your true mission here and there, it's mostly background to the leveling experience. So begins your quest to master the Hongmoon way and bring an end to Jinsoyun. When your entire school is destroyed by the power hungry Jinsoyun, you're found floating in the ocean and saved by an old war veteran. īlade & Soul's plot is threadbare and mostly forgettable: You're the last student of Hong Sokyun, master of the Hongmoon style. Blade & Soul looks really good when it wants to. You can even wall dash! Finally, there's static Dragon Pulses in each region that will launch you from place to place. Instead, the player character is completely self-sufficient, able to float through the air, push themselves forward off of nothing, and walk on water. Getting around those vistas is equally enjoyable. Mountainside cities stretch into the clouds, waterfalls dot the landscape, and vast deserts stretch out before you. This is a Korean MMO and that culture is painted upon every surface, alongside some heavy wuxia influences. Sure, Unreal Engine 3 shows its age here with relatively poor textures if you look at anything closeup, but the general artstyle is wonderfully unique. It depends on what you're looking for in your MMO.īlade & Soul is visually striking right from the beginning. Those fans have been asking for a Western localization for years and NCSoft West finally delivered in January. The game has since been distributed to China, Japan, and Taiwan, but North American fans have had to muddle through a different language to enjoy the game. It's an MMO built from NCSoft's best and brightest, featuring the art of superstar Hyung Tae-Kim and a robust action combat system. ![]() Nearly four years ago, NCSoft launched Blade & Soul in South Korea. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team. Leveling Clans in Blade & Soul unlock useful benefits such as a Clan Vault and Workshops.This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Aside from these two, there are local factions such as the Skyhaven Resistance and Talus Dominion in the Misty Woods areas. Following a faction lets players wear faction uniforms and gain prestige points. Clans can join either The Cerulean Order or The Crimson Legion Factions. Players in Blade & Soul can also interact through joining up in parties, clans, and factions. Another option is going through the daily dungeons, but these have a limited number of times that can be done per day. Experience charms can also be acquired to boost leveling. Quest XP give a higher reward and are more consistent. However, grinding through killing mobs can slow to a halt, once a character reaches a higher level than the mob of enemies. Aside from facial shape and structure, Blade & Soul includes options for tattoos and markings, makeup, and body weight and height sliders.īlade & Soul character level progression is achieved through killing enemies and quest fulfillment. One of the major draws to Blade & Soul's character creation is the level of detail for customizing appearances. ![]() For instance, only the Lyn have access to the Astromancer, Blade Dancer, and Blade Dancer classes. Each race can then choose to follow one of the classes in Blade & Soul, although some classes are exclusive to a certain race. The races are represented by Chinese mythical creatures such as the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermillion Bird, and the White Tiger. Players in Blade & Soul can choose between 4 races: the muscular Gon, the human-like Jin, the beautiful Yun, and the child-like and large-eared Lyn. It also has a very anime and manga looks for the in-game character models. The setting and environmental design is heavily inspired by Asian aesthetics and philosophies, specifically the Chinese traditional martial arts and cinema. Blade & Soul is set on a fantasy world divided into three major realms: Earthen Realm, the Dark Realm, and the Divine Realm. ![]()
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