Customization
Everyone wants to be special in an MMO and be able to stand out from the crowd of players. This is either made possible through extensive customization options in character design (which both games offer), or options to further adjust the character’s equipment to personal preferences.
Black Desert struggles a bit here. Although there are many beautiful dresses that even have “damage models” and can look torn or brand new, most of them are available in the item shop. There is little variety in freely accessible clothing, and many adventurers may hardly notice any change in their appearance over the course of the game. However, housing and even mounts that can be bred and equipped with various talents are available.
Both games allow armor to be dyed differently, but only Blade&Soul will (at the current stage) offer the possibility of transmogrifcation, allowing weapon skins to be collected and applied to actual armor. While there are numerous costumes in the in-game shop, the prevailing selection available in the game is much greater, meaning there is less pressure to spend hard euros for a nice appearance.
Conclusion – Age vs. Youth, Black Desert vs. Blade and Soul
In summary, it can be said that while Blade & Soul is the older game, it also has a longer maturation period and is significantly more polished. The systems feel refined, there is enough content to keep players entertained, and exciting new features are on the horizon to maintain the game’s attractiveness with its aged graphics.
Black Desert, on the other hand, offers especially bombastic graphics, an incredibly detailed character editor, and promising housing. The game world is expansive, and there are many details to discover, but especially in the endgame area, there is still a lack of content. Since Black Desert is still in alpha and some changes are announced for its Western port, one should allow the game a certain growth process.
Ultimately, you must decide for yourself whether to opt for an older game with more solid systems or give in to a younger representative of the genre, with the risk of boredom and a higher density of errors. Both are definitely worth a look.
