Tutorial: The Story – Like a Lovely Load of Glutamate Instant Noodles
During the tutorial, I was already warned by the announcement stream back then: The story of Blade and Soul is, in our opinion, “a bit exaggerated.” And with “a bit” I mean “totally.”
It’s like using the flavor enhancer glutamate. When you eat some instant noodles, reach the bottom of the bowl, and find a lovely treasure trove of chemicals that you slurp up with delight. And when you chug that down, you realize how it tingles all over your brain.
Such moments also exist in the story of Blade and Soul. It is strongly exaggerated. Some NPCs make grimaces. The drama is turned up to eleven; there are the big “Oh, wow” moments. Even in the tutorial, it becomes clear: Subtlety is somehow different.
When a beautiful woman is introduced in Blade and Soul, and it should be clear to everyone that “this is a beautiful woman,” then 30 men around her drop their jaws to their chests, and it’s shown again in a still image how fantastic she looks. When a “friendly” NPC dies, it takes place according to the rules of village theater, gasping and wheezing in a tear-jerking cutscene in slow motion.
Well, story is a matter of taste. In any case, everything looks good. And you can also easily ignore the story.
The Movement System: Only Flying is Better … and That Works Too
In the tutorial, you get to see the movement system for the first time. This will be expanded throughout the hero’s life.
At the beginning, you can simply run quickly, later you can run on water, fly through the air, and initiate cutscenes, which are basically the same as the good old “ride on the griffon of the flight master from Orgrimmar into the Barrens” – but the cutscenes look about 400 times more spectacular with automated jumping passages.
Players can also teleport from waypoint to waypoint, which is all quite well done.
On the next page, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Blade and Soul.
