One thing I agree with is that PLAYWITH will need to do something about the NPC’s voice dialogues. From the same one word response to the run on audio stacking of those same responses when interacting with these NPC’s, that will be off putting and rather obnoxious for most players. I’m also not going to excuse PLAYWITH either just because this is early access; for one, this isn’t a new game (just a renamed one). Like Bless Online, the early access moniker shouldn’t be used as an excuse.
The renaming/rebranding isn’t anything new though and PLAYWITH wouldn’t be the first company to do that while marketing it as “new”. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve made it clear that I had concerns about this being another cash grab. But there are key points why I feel the above video review is just over the top (and anyone who has read my rants about the modus operandi with many of these Korean design studios looking at the western market as one final cash grab, know that I am normally skeptical).
Even in light of the fact that I know about the recent closure of the Korean version on the cusp of this Steam Early Access release, the sheer lack of hype, the reasonably low retail price point, the amount of free keys they are looking to give away via contests/events (uhm yes, I am purposely not linking them because it should be easy to find these IF this thing was being hyped), doesn’t even remotely put this on the same level as Neowiz with Bless Online’s early access launch where it still had the same underlying core technical issues while they tried to peddle a $150 (initially priced at $199) Collectors Edition Founders pack with extras that weren’t even account bound (while hiding under the Early Access moniker to serve as temporary cover for the long ongoing technical deficiencies). And weeks prior to their EA launch, Neowiz was in full PR mode granting interviews to media outlets in order to drum up even more hype. And how many of these MMO reviewers obliged them (including the above channel)?
We haven’t yet seen what exactly is in the Warlords Awakening cash shop (and what they intend to do with VIP status/perks). PLAYWITH still confounds me because as I mentioned before, while they had previously licensed the ELOA IP, they eventually acquired it from NPICSoft. Charging $12 isn’t going to recoup those acquisition costs unless they move six figure units (and I doubt they will even hit low 5-figure CCU’s on July 26th) and also have a decent recurring revenue stream past the initial buy in price.
Here is what are clear cash grabs to me: Revelation Online (Founder pack pricing and pushing exclusive items that were heavily discounted depending on pack tier purchased), TERA Console was a blatant one (Founder pack pricing which gave a head start plus items that weren’t account based as well as the Item Pass), Devilian ($150 high end Founder pack pricing which also included Alpha and Closed Beta Test access as well as 2-day head start), ArcheAge ($150 high end Founder pack pricing, fresh start servers with new packs in those same $150 and $100 price points), MU Legend (Frontier pack with items that weren’t account based)
From a quick perusal, the above channel was on the Bless Online hype train and eventually fell off it to where this particular video comes across as a kneejerk reaction to having fallen for that cash grab hype. Yes, I do agree and have written ad nauseum here that players need to stop falling for the hype. And that is the keyword here; HYPE. Bless Online was hyped and people still fell for it hook, line, and sinker when you look at the peak CCU of 34K. As I mentioned up top, PLAYWITH hasn’t really hyped this game (and if they are, they are then doing a lousy job at it).
Finally, if you are going to criticize the actual game play and combat mechanics, then at least learn to play it within the core design. Some titles, you can tell immediate off the bat if the combat, movement, and mechanics are garbage. This renamed version of ELOA does not fall in that category. It’s not out of this world awesome but neither is it absolute garbage. That core design is 3 stances. And until you unlock all your skills and augment them with better items and stats that offers things like cooldown or resource reduction (as examples), the early leveling game play will entail changing stances and utilizing their associated skills (which does make the game play engaging).
It doesn’t mean one has to try and then get the proper skill combos available to them in order to maximize efficient damage output (because even I don’t intend to play the low level game that way since I know I’m going to be doing my usual experimenting as I level because that is just a habit I have). All I’m saying is that stance switching is part of the combat routine early on. I get it; channels like this have to review a lot of games and can only play so much but all too often, highlighting only low level questing play and making opinionated judgement calls does not equate to offering an informed one.
As I’ve written many times before, I’m not the easiest person to even convince to put money into an early access/kickstarter title (I barely talk about any). The fact that I am even writing this much about this game and even looking to play it in early access, says a lot considering the lack of hype surrounding it. I’ve mentioned the reasons up top. I am disappointed that PLAYWITH hasn’t at least addressed the closure of the Korean server because that level of transparency would go a long way to at least offering a counterpoint to reviews like the above video.
