Before the end of the year, two new MMOs from Asia, Elyon and Sword of Legends Online, will be released, competing for the players’ favor. Elyon comes from Korea, while Sword of Legends Online is from China. Both fundamentally follow the same payment model, but which MMORPG suits you better?
What kind of MMORPGs are they? Elyon and Sword of Legends Online are two Buy2Play MMORPGs. Once you purchase them, you can play the games forever.
Elyon itself is a classic theme park MMORPG but is wholeheartedly dedicated to PvP – players will hardly be able to avoid it. Elyon will have a cash shop that may contain pay-to-win elements. Details about the Western shop version will be revealed later.
Sword of Legends is also a theme park MMORPG and targets players who focus on PvE with optional PvP on their wishlist. There is also a cash shop here, but it only includes cosmetic items.
When will the two MMORPGs be released?
- Elyon does not have a fixed release date yet, but it is expected to be released in Q4 2021.
- Similarly, Sword of Legends Online: The MMORPG is officially set to release a few weeks after the end of Beta 2 (June 8). The release is therefore expected to take place at the end of June/beginning of July.
How much do the games cost? The creators of Elyon have not yet communicated any prices. We suspect that there will be a normal full-price title at launch, as well as different editions. Whether these will provide players with a direct advantage at launch is currently unclear.
Sword of Legends Online comes in three variants. It starts at €39.99 for the standard version and goes up to €99.99 for the Collector’s Edition. Each package includes multiple beta keys and cosmetic items. You will not receive any gameplay advantages.
Elyon – Open-World Theme Park MMO focused on PvP
How is Elyon structured? Elyon targets classic MMORPG players but also relies on a modern action combat system to add more dynamism to the game. Former TERA players should feel at home here, especially since it is from the same developer.
Additionally, there are:
- 6 classes
- Holy Trinity
- Open PvP / Faction PvP
- Combat arenas
- Dungeons
- Housing
- Crafting
- Linear quest progression leading from area to area
In Elyon, quests serve as a means to an end; through the linear design, you grind through the levels to then tackle more challenging endgame content and experience exciting PvP battles.
How the MMORPG performed in the first test was shared by MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch in this report: The new MMORPG Elyon will not be a flop like Bless, but also not a huge hit.
Sword of Legend: Beautiful game world, no open world, less PvP
How is Sword of Legends structured? SOLO is also a theme park MMORPG, but it lacks the open world of Elyon. Areas are instanced here. Level progression is rather uneventful, and you are guided by quests from area to area until you reach the maximum level. Like Elyon, the game offers:
- Six classes
- Holy Trinity
- Dungeons
- Combat arenas
- Linear quest lines
- Crafting
- Raids / world bosses
- Housing
- Faction PvP (with limitations at launch)
In the leveling phase, Sword of Legends does not differ significantly from Elyon: here, you sequentially tackle quests and fight your way to the next area. Once at max level, dungeons and raids become more challenging and offer various difficulty levels. The PvP system is also unlocked only at the highest level.
The combat system uses a hybrid tab-target and faster action combat system. Here’s a peculiarity: Each of the 6 classes has two paths, which can function as healer, tank, ranged or melee DPS based on type.
The story background is based on the Chinese XianXian world, reminiscent of classics like “House of the Flying Daggers.” You can float, fly on swords, and travel especially quickly through the fantastic world of SOLO.
MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch also took a closer look at SOLO and wrote a conclusion: I played 80 hours of Swords of Legends and say: “The MMORPG is much better than you think”.
Elyon focuses on customizable skills, SOLO impresses with strong graphics
Are there features not found in other MMORPGs?
- Elyon boasts its elaborately designed skill system, where skills can be extensively tailored to match the player’s style or current requirements.
- Sword of Legends Online is currently the most beautiful MMORPG, captivating you with its stunning game world and excellent animations. The MMORPG also offers a large arsenal of features, leaderboards, and achievements, even in the friends list, waiting to be discovered. Additionally, there are small mini-games that provide entertainment on the side.
Significant differences in endgame
In the endgame, you will clearly notice which of the two MMORPGs suits you. Here lie the biggest differences between Elyon and Sword of Legends Online.
What does Elyon prioritize in endgame? The focus of Elyon is expected to be on:
- Combat arenas
- Equipment and weapon upgrades
- Dungeons
- Conflicts in the open world
Elyon quickly makes it clear where the focus of the game lies: you need high-quality equipment to prevail against monsters or players. Unfortunately, this is evident in the required grind.
Thus, the equipment must be upgraded to keep up with the best players in Elyon. These upgrades are facilitated in the Korean version via the cash shop, similar to the upgrades in Black Desert. Whether the shop will also come to the West remains unknown at this time. The publisher Kakao Games has not made the shop accessible in the first beta.
In combination with mob grind, repetitive tasks, and cash shop, the game seems more suitable for hardcore players who do not necessarily reject real money spending rather than casual players.
What does Sword of Legends prioritize in endgame? Sword of Legends Online offers you similar content but is not as time-consuming as Elyon. Here, you will spend most of your time with:
- Combat arenas
- Dungeons
- Housing
- Raids
- Cosmetic items that adjust character appearance
Sword of Legends also speaks a clear language here. Due to the fast leveling progress, you can participate in endgame content quickly and tackle world bosses and dungeons of various difficulty levels. There is a leaderboard for almost everything, and achievement-hungry players find enough motivation to invest a lot of time in the game.
Furthermore, there are only cosmetic items here, and players will receive no in-game advantages through real money spending. So if you have earned and upgraded your equipment in PvPvE, you can take it easier.
Sword of Legends offers you the opportunity to simply enjoy the game world or wait for the next content update. The mandatory online connection through competitive progress is limited here.
How fair the equipment system in Sword of Legends Online is can be found out here:
Differences beyond gameplay
How does the graphics look? Elyon and Sword of Legends both differ significantly in terms of graphics and art style. While Elyon reminds the inclined viewer of games like TERA, AION, BDO, and similar Korea MMORPGs, Sword of Legends comes closest to Age of Wushu or Blade and Soul with its Chinese XianXian setting.
Sword of Legends Online can score with a wonderful user interface, which can be completely customized by you. Valuable tools like a damage meter are included right at the start.
Do both games support German? Both Elyon and Sword of Legends Online feature English voice acting and German texts.
Do the MMORPGs have Pay2Win? Both MMOs have a cash shop.
- Elyon will likely offer content-relevant items that can influence character strength or speed up game progress (ElyonAIR).
- Sword of Legends Online relies solely on cosmetic content that does not change gameplay. This will not change under the German publisher Gameforge, as they assure.
The future of Elyon and Sword of Legends
What is planned for upcoming updates? The plan is to align Elyon as closely as possible to the Korean version (ElyonAIR).
Sword of Legends is also progressing well, as the MMORPG has been on the market in China since 2019 and regularly receives new content that is also supposed to be free for players in the West.
Both games are also set to receive a comprehensive graphics update that should enhance performance.
Which game should I play?
For this type of player, Elyon is worth it: If you are willing to invest a lot of time in an MMORPG and love to collect success in PvP against other players, you are generally not wrong. Although there is also PvE in Elyon and the dungeons are quite well done, everything is a means to an end. And that end is to improve equipment and compete against other players. It also becomes clear that lone wolves have a harder time in Elyon.
The combination of time investment, social interactions in guilds, and the obvious focus on competitive aspects targets mid to hardcore players who take Elyon seriously.
Of course, you should also keep an eye on the cash shop, which has a few items to speed up the process for such situations. Even if it’s just the collection companion that picks up loot for you or small potions that temporarily enhance your character attributes.
For this type of player, Sword of Legends is worth it: The MMORPG offers a wealth of content and appeals to both casual and hardcore players. If you are just starting fresh in an MMO, the game might seem a bit overwhelming. It makes sense to quickly join a guild and receive support from your comrades. Social aspects are indeed present in Sword of Legends Online.
However, the game is based on a traditional Chinese story and aesthetics that might not appeal to every player.
Besides, you can do a lot in the game, provided you fight through the somewhat slow leveling system. After that, you have a great selection between dungeons and future raids at various levels, can indulge in PvP in different game modes, or explore the various game areas.
It is not particularly complicated to obtain the appropriate equipment in Sword of Legends, and even breaks from gameplay are forgiven. This is rounded off by a cash shop based entirely on cosmetic items that does not interfere with gameplay.
