How does Bless Online, the latest MMORPG from Korea, play during the Open Beta at the beginning of 2016?
Bless – perhaps the last big “classic” MMORPG from Korea?
Not only is the western market increasingly saying goodbye to high-priced, high-risk productions from the MMO sector. As large profit margins are increasingly being found in the mobile sector, a change in thinking has begun in Korea, the home of MMO classics like Lineage.
Even successful titles like TERA or Echo of Soul are not immune to this worrying trend and recently had to look for a new publisher rather unwillingly, as they were deemed unprofitable compared to games that are quick and cheap to produce for mobile devices.
During this time of change, Neowiz Games (Crossfire) is trying to make one last effort to mobilize the masses for a traditional MMO. The developer already announced beforehand that this would be their last game of this size.
Bless is a theme park MMO with great visuals
Thanks to reaching the Open Beta test phase, which was preceded by a two-year Closed Beta, the broad public can now find out whether the wait for the often invoked MMO savior was worth it. At first glance, Bless has everything one would expect from a classic theme park MMO.
There are a handful of races, including the small, cute Masku or the animal race of the Pantera, the familiar holy trinity of tank, healer, and damage dealer, and of course a colorful assortment of quests, dungeons, and PvP options. While this may initially sound unimpressive, in Bless it comes together to form a coherent and high-quality whole where every aspect has its justification. A bit more sand in the box would have been nice in times of ArcheAge and the like.
Sometimes we help farmers clear their fields of pests or shady bandits. Other times we are part of dark conspiracies aimed at the seemingly untouchable nobility. This is standard fare for MMOs, but it is told solidly. A fully voiced and exciting main story serves as the common thread, guiding us through the impressive, expansive, and highly varied landscapes.
Bless also impresses on the technical side. The developers have extracted everything from Unreal Engine 3 and crafted a world that is unmatched in the MMO sector, thanks to its complete accessibility and sheer size.
There is always something to discover and explore everywhere, and even high mountain ranges present no obstacle for the seasoned adventurer and climber.
On the next page: How does Bless play?
