Our MMORPG enthusiast Karsten Scholz loses interest in Aion 2 after about 100 hours. This has to do with the structure of the endgame and the community. However, players and the game do not part ways in conflict.
I consider Aion 2 to be the best new MMORPG in years. This is due to its qualities as an Asia grinder with a PvE focus, but also because of the weak genre competition of the recent past.
Its Korean roots cannot and will not be denied by the successor of Aion at any time. This includes characteristics that automatically and significantly diminish the enjoyment of many Western players solely by their presence – regardless of which Asian game it is.
After 100 hours, for me it is not the immersion-breaking skins, the omnipresent mobile feel due to features like auto-run, or the monetization with its clear pay-to-win elements that make me hit the uninstall button. I stop because the endgame does not support cooperative play sufficiently from my perspective and simultaneously does not adequately appreciate my invested time.
The Battle with the Community and the Grind
The endgame of Aion 2 relies heavily on running certain dungeon experiences over and over until item level and combat power are sufficient for the next milestone. If you’re unlucky, you’ll run instances like Vakron’s Air Island dozens of times. There are hardly any alternative ways to fill gaps in gear – and those are similarly or even more dependent on luck or time-consuming (like crafting or world bosses).
The endgame grind is worsened by parts of the community contributing to a toxic or at least frustrating gaming experience. For instance, by setting excessively high demands for the various dungeon challenges. Or by pulling bosses before everyone is there, leaving as soon as there’s a wipe, and foregoing any kind of constructive communication.
After some initial, less successful attempts, I wanted to finally successfully master the Transcendence dungeon Shattered Arcanis last weekend. There, as a reward, Arcana cards await, which are essential if you want to bring your item level to a level that grants access to the important Fire Temple. Spoiler: It didn’t work out. My last two runs on Sunday went something like this:
- Several players in the group apparently didn’t know the mechanics very well. The great thing was that there were useful tips for each boss, and progress could be seen immediately on the second pull. We were just too slow. In the end, we lacked about three or four seconds of combat time to take down the final boss before the timer expired. Bitter.
- The next group was significantly more experienced. The first two nasties fell without a hitch. However, just before victory at the final boss, there was a wipe. The angelic nasty had maybe 5 percent health left. Even though there was still plenty of time for another pull, my comrades vanished faster than my sons when they are supposed to clean their room.
These were not the only attempts over the weekend, but certainly the most bitter. Plus, the time it takes to find a group … at some point, I thought: Why am I torturing myself for hours on my free weekend? A moment later, Aion 2 was off.
Can you relate to this? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
More about Aion 2 can also be found on our MeinMMO YouTube channel – feel free to check it out!
Nearly 100 Hours of Fun for a Few Euros
Of course, I regret that I won’t see the entire endgame content of Aion 2 now. But I knew from the beginning that I am not the core target audience of the MMORPG. Nevertheless, NCSoft’s new game has ultimately brought me quite a bit of joy over the past few weeks.
Anyone who bought the founder’s package and, like me, invested almost 100 hours can say: That’s a really good deal, and I agree! Especially since I was able to easily earn the two Battle Passes and those interested can also start Free2Play in Aion 2.
I want to emphasize once again that I do not consider the theoretically optional subscription, which is active through the founder’s package for one month, to be optional at all – due to the associated unlocking of player trading and currency exchange. So you should plan for the roughly 15 euros for the subscription if you don’t just want to take a quick look at Aion 2.
By the way, my disappointment is limited because the upcoming weeks seem very exciting for every MMO fan. At the latest, the launch of WoW: Forever in November will likely tie up a large part of my free time for months. And already today, on October 19, 2026, I will be able to try out a Korean online role-playing game that is quite different from Aion 2 – and you can check it out as well: ArcheAge Chronicles: Demo – Everything you need to know about the Open Beta on Steam
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