With access to the closed beta, I was able to try Lost Ark, the Korean “Devil” from Smilegate. A free MMOARPG coming early 2022 in the West.
Lost ark arrives distributed by Amazon Games (after the success they had with New World) but unlike this one mentioned, the Korean game seeks its success in fans of classic RPGs with some MMO overtones.
Lost ark It is not a new game of course; It took a long time to arrive but it is a success in Korea, Russia and Japan. In Korea it was launched in 2018 so you can imagine that it already has a very large fan base. Many say that 4 years is a long time to finally reach our territory but perhaps this delay is better defined in the phrase “Slow but steady wins the race.” For example, look New World; It had a very impressive launch with millions of players simultaneously but its numbers began to decline in recent months and this may be due to multiple factors: server crash, cheating or lack of content.
So can Lost ark survive long term?
In search of the Lost Ark
Obviously there is something biblical in the story and in the title of this massive new game. Our character created from scratch (which we will go into in detail) arrives in a world being chosen by a goddess to find the place of the lost ark and the power it contains. We must hurry as a demon and his allies invade this land in search of this power. The story falls into the typical confrontation of good vs evil; and the lore of the game is most likely going to expand beyond the main plot.
Of course, like all MMOs, his world sometimes lives both in the game and in the ten sites and videos that cross the internet; to learn more about their characters or the settings.
A combo of keys and styles
To say frankly that Lost ark is a new version of Devil it is an understatement; since the Korean game mixes a little for there and a little for World of warcraft; uniting both worlds with a more accelerated style that brings it closer to hack and slash games.
At the beginning and before starting the game we will have to select our character and his class. The level of detail that each one has is not only aesthetic (which in itself is a charm for the eyes and for anime lovers) they also have unique styles and subclasses within them.
The main classes are: warrior, martial artist, gunner, mage, and assassin. Each of them has others that give a total of 15 different combinations. The interesting thing is that the tutorial or practice prior to entering the story gives us the possibility to test each one in random battles.
When we agree and choose a class (mine was a lethal sword assassin) we started the game. The first steps will also serve as an introduction and the game is not quite advanced when we begin to understand how everything works.
The combats as indicated before are fast, in my case they were extreme being a murderer of three swords. We have eight skills, one ultimate, plus others that are unlocking; so when we start to battle the confrontations are a variation of keys as if we were playing the piano. We also have curative elements or elements that generate greater damage; etc. They are all essential for boss raids.
“Raising” our protagonist works like any other MMO, the more enemies we kill, the more experience we get. But in this case there are two bars, one is for our character and the other is for our account. Both are vital to moving forward. When our account reaches level 10, we unlock other skill branches.
I put the “open world” in quotes because its levels work more like areas or islands that are unlocked when we advance in the story, if we don’t finish something we won’t be able to move on. The enemies are quite varied and at least I did not find a very big challenge outside of the dungeons or raids. Speaking of the latter, when we reach the end of an area we will find its access if or if it will match us with other waiting players. We can choose a medium or difficult level (to obtain better boots). I was surprised by how fast I found allies to play with and not having any problems connecting in those cooperative moments.
And thinking about loot and items there are loads. From outfits to groceries. I don’t know if it was because of the beta but I had so many life potions that I felt they would last me the whole game and I didn’t need to buy more. We also have mounts and pets.
Action is not everything and we will also have time to socialize with some NPCs like the sweet Neria. The more our relationship increases, the better gifts we receive.
With perfect perspective
The overhead view of Lost ark plays in your favor. Many of the effects in combat are best appreciated from this perspective. We can bring the camera a little closer but its charm is lost a bit although the shadow and texture work is great. This added to a marked variety in the areas we visit and the designs of heroes and villains.
Music is another interesting incentive, with quite epic moments in the final boss battles; the same goes for the effects of our abilities. Or when they combine that of other players; a feast of sound.
conclusion
First of all the only bad thing I found of Lost ark there were some bugs such as losing the first character to create or that the sound (but not the music) disappeared in some parts. Outside of that everything is very fluid; considering it was a beta.
Going from place A to place B can be tedious in the first missions; But the world that is opening up and what awaits from Lost Ark left me so eager to continue pounding keys that I can’t wait for its official launch.
System Requirements
MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system – OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) – Processor: Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 – Memory: 8 GB RAM – Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 / AMD HD6850 – DirectX: Version 9.0c – Network: Broadband Internet connection – Storage: 50 GB available space – Additional Notes: Internet connection required to play; includes in-game purchases
RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system – OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 – Memory: 16 GB of RAM – Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
DirectX: Version 9.0c – Network: Broadband Internet connection – Storage: 50 GB available space – Additional Notes: Internet connection required to play; includes in-game purchases