Initial part of the stress test worked as intended (took maybe 10 minutes to be able to connect to the game server). Considering the number of different regions that are being crammed into one server and stressing their infrastructure, the client/server performance was pretty decent during the time I played.
The actual game itself is a very lazy port of Xbox One version. The UI and game controls are pretty much controller optimized with very substandard optimization for PC keyboard and mouse. Trying to just customize your character is a mess since the mouse control there barely works (and you need to get past the prologue and then into the actual campaign, to get the rest of the settings that allow customizing the UI to display).
The prologue doesn’t really convey anything that you are initially in a prologue. Even though this is a server/client stress test, the game client itself should’ve been better designed for PC because this is a players initial impression of Bless Unleashed for PC. And it’s TERRIBLE. After an hour, it was enough for me to say nope. The combat itself was not satisfying at all and the graphics looked pretty lacking. Low grade effort seems to be a hallmark of Neowiz.
Again, I realize this part isn’t necessary the focus BUT not having a better PC centric experience ready as an initial impression, is the first important impression that players will get. Considering what happened with Bless Online, it does not matter if Unleashed is being developed by a different subsidiary studio (Round 8 versus the now defunct Neowiz Bless Studio), it’s still a Neowiz unit. And this does nothing to change my already low opinion of this company and its handling the Bless IP.
