Grinding for abilities actually has more of a point, as you’re not just gaining new powers that are essential for a slugfest-based rotation, but situational abilities that can be used to gain a tactical advantage. Playing as the Blade Dancer class, I had to time my two-second block to essentially counter and riposte at the exact moment, which allows for even small skirmishes to be pretty engaging. Blocking and dodging is a key mechanic in Blade & Soul, which gives combat situations a lot more weight than your average MMO (just like TERA). The default control scheme uses left mouse button for standard attacks with a built-in combo of sorts, with right-click and additional buttons (1-4 by default) reserved for alternate abilities.
Combat is much, much faster than most MMOs, sporting a full-on action system inspired by fighting games.
I’m surprised at how smooth the game runs in general, which helps as the combat system is more action-oriented than most games in the genre.
The game is playable in its free incarnation without feeling like you’re entirely missing out, but keep that all in mind. “Premium Memberships” grant you increased XP, more gold, and in-game discounts. For reference, a 365-day membership costs roughly $125, and many bonuses are not cosmetic in nature, including faster death recovery time, crafting items, and the aforementioned XP and gold bonuses. It’s important to note that this is a free-to-play game, where real money purchases will net players items, more skill build slots, and extra character slots. Everything on the UI can also be customized, for those of you who yearn for full control. I actually don’t even mind the voice acting at all, but it’s nice that said scenes can be skipped. The western version even features fully-voiced cutscenes in English (even the screenshot feature gives you a vocal confirmation, with widescreen support to boot), which is a nice touch and adds to the already impressive in-game engine. I took it for a spin, and found a mix of both fresh ideas and stubborn legacy concepts.įrom the screens alone, it’s easy to see that Blade & Soul is a beautiful game, and that has translated very well into the localization. Do you have time for another MMO? NCSoft sure hopes you do, as the long awaited localization of Blade & Soul has finally arrived this week. It was released in Korea in 2012 and took the country by storm, and now, nearly four long years later, it’s available in the West.
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