Lost Ark has finally released in the West and MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch is already busy playing. Since the release nearly 40 hours ago, he has already spent 12 hours in the game. However, he is not really happy with the MMORPG.
Lost Ark is here and for me, the release is going exactly as I expected. Minor problems, long queues and the same areas through which I have already battled multiple times in the beta.
However, one thing surprised me: the positive press reactions. Just before the release, the NDA from a press event, to which we from MeinMMO were also invited, was lifted. Our author Mark Sellner took a closer look at the tower and wrote a detailed conclusion.
Several gaming sites awarded scores beyond 90 based on their experience during the press event, even the top score of 100 was given. Our German colleagues from GameStar also issued a preliminary score of 78-88 (via GameStar).
On the one hand, it pleases my MMO heart. There haven’t been so many tests and so much positive feedback for an MMORPG in a long time. On the other hand, I am surprised that this is happening specifically with Lost Ark. Because I have some issues with the game.
My Problems with Lost Ark
In essence, there are five things that bother me about Lost Ark:
- The Introduction
- The Areas
- The Combat System
- The Key Mapping
- Work Points and Crafting
Some of these problems can be relatively easily solved. Others, however, are so fundamental that I probably won’t get used to Lost Ark in the long run. But let’s take it step by step.
An Absurd Start
One problem I have stumbled over repeatedly in the last 40 hours is the entry into the game. It is incredibly exhausting. The first problem lies in the class selection because I have to choose from one of the basic classes at the start. Two dialogues later, I decide on a specialization. An unnecessary step.
I am aware that the beginning is a remnant of the old class tutorials. But then the system could have been completely removed.
It even happened to me that I chose the wrong basic class and had to delete my character. One stumbling block is the fact that they have separated the basic classes Gunner and Huntress. So I needed two attempts right away to create an Artillerist, my new main in the game.
And yes, there is a hint about the specializations in the character selection, but anyone who has no idea about the game won’t immediately understand what to do with the button “Preview (advanced class)”.
Every day the same linear level
What I have always appreciated about MMORPGs is the freedom to explore, the choice of my starting and leveling area. Guild Wars 2 has implemented this almost perfectly, where each race has its own area, but I can also travel to the areas of the other races right from the start. This way I can play with friends, but also discover different areas without having to switch races.
Lost Ark is the complete opposite. The leveling process up to 50 is almost linear. Each area is relatively small, and you are sent dryly from quest hub to quest hub. There are things to discover, such as Mokoko seeds, but I didn’t really feel a sense of exploration.
Instead, I run in each area from the bottom left to the top right, follow the story, and do a few side quests. Although my highest character is only Level 30 and the journey there was not even long, every level-up felt like chewing gum for me.
For me, this is partly due to the lack of soul in the game, something that has also bothered me in games like Elyon.
I also see the quests as a mixed bag. There are small highlights now and then, such as when I need to use emotes or spy on a camp. But these highlights are too few and far between to really stand out. The developers are already in the process of deleting many of these quests, but many are still there.
Basically, I criticize Lost Ark for the same reason I did with Swords of Legends – leveling is not fun. But at least the developer Smilegate has come up with something:
- On the one hand, they gift me two additional Level 50 characters
- On the other hand, they allow me to level more classes with in-game currency
This saves me the annoying process, but it is a shame that this process exists at all.
Action-packed fights yes, but with too little variety
The combat system. Here the testers rave about it. They talk about it being the “best combat system in the genre”. Personally, I can’t get into it. Objectively, I can say that the attacks are powerful, and some of the animations are beautifully executed.
However, I have four criticisms, entirely independent of the isometric perspective:
- The animations are often too long and force me to stand in one place, especially on the Paladin. This destroys any feeling of action for me.
- Dodging interrupts many, but not all actions. Therefore, sometimes I stood like an idiot in the boss’s AoE.
- It looks just silly when I shoot up through a stairway and the enemies at the top take damage.
- At least in the early levels, there are many classes that play very similarly. There are noticeable differences between melee, ranged, and assassins. But within these species, a lot feels too close together for me.
This may be nitpicking at a high level, but almost everywhere the combat system gets full marks. So I hoped for a bit more – both for myself and perhaps some readers of the tests.
Aside from this aspect, I personally have major issues with the perspective and the controls. I have never been a fan of hack and slash games and actually miss my third-person view. I lose a certain level of immersion for my character and the world around me.
Perhaps this is also why many areas simply feel completely the same.
Why on earth is interaction mapped to “G”?
I have to interact with “G”. For me, it feels wrong. In some games, I interact with “F”, in others with “E”. It gets really crazy when I have to press Enter or Space. But the “G” key has never been offered by any MMORPG before.
I keep catching myself using a different key. Or I want to use “G” to open the guild window.
The annoying thing is that you cannot change the key for interaction. You can change it with almost any other key, but not for interaction.
By the way, I would also like the option to walk with WASD instead of the mouse. Thank you!
Work Points in Crafting
In this section, two points of criticism accumulate, which are partly related. In Lost Ark, there are work points that are consumed for various activities, such as gathering and crafting. Overall, you can have 10,500 work points, which apply to the entire account.
However, you only regenerate 4,320 points every 24 hours. So anyone who plays actively will find it difficult to return easily to 10,500 points after starting.
In crafting, I can only create “secondary items”, such as potions, bombs, items for my housing, or new gathering tools. Equipment or weapons are not part of crafting. And since I liked that aspect in New World, I miss it immediately in Lost Ark.
Many Little Things I Can Overlook
In addition to the five mentioned problems, there are numerous little things that can be criticized. These include inappropriate animations for characters, sometimes weak dialogues, flowers that move in inns as if there was wind, sound issues, and a German dubbing that I personally do not find very successful.
But I can easily overlook these little things, even though I understand that some people might find them bothersome.
No problem for me, but Lost Ark has many Asian elements
Lost Ark is an Asian MMO. In my short check before release, I was even mocked in the comments when I claimed that Lost Ark has Asian elements.
But for me, it starts with the interface. Lost Ark throws an incredible number of menu options and content at me right at the start. However, it does it more discreetly than mobile MMORPGs like Lineage 2M, but I hardly notice a significant difference compared to classical Asian MMORPGs.
Another classic Asian aspect for me is the swapping of gear. In the inventory, there is a small blue arrow indicating when a piece of equipment is better than the previous one. Well, that’s at least half true because this arrow does not take into account the type of stats but only focuses on item level.
This fast swapping of equipment without really focusing on the item is an element that I first learned about in Asian MMOs.
Continuing on, for me, the overemphasis on women’s breast sizes is often prominently showcased, as seen in my screenshot above regarding the menu. Although the name Sputzeline is displayed, the portrait does not look at all like my character. And the perspective shown doesn’t add any value either.
If I look a bit beyond the horizon, for instance at upcoming skins and outfits, I also see lightly clothed characters, fishnet tights, wings, and oversized swords. The icing on the cake is the upcoming painter class, which has a very childish look. Oh, and there is gender lock for most classes as well.
Also, the sometimes oversized animations and the rather “smooth graphics” can certainly be labeled as “typically Asian”.
Also, the shop is a topic that some reviews fell short on. I would not classify it as pay-to-win, but there are things that can be bothersome, including:
- Buying materials through Maris Secret Shop for real money
- Daily quests that can simply be completed with real money
- One can exchange real money for in-game currency. This is also possible in Guild Wars 2, but item level doesn’t play a major role there. Lost Ark, on the other hand, is a grinder, a game where equipment needs to be farmed hard.
These are all criticisms that can and must be mentioned. If you’re more interested in the shop, you can learn more about it here:
I personally don’t mind the Asian aspects at all. I enjoy playing Blade & Soul or Swords of Legends, where the dimensions are comparable. Only TERA is a bit too overboard for me with its costumes. Therefore, this aspect is not one of my criticisms. But I know of games that have been criticized much more for far fewer Asian elements.
Looking forward to endgame, even though I am skeptical
Is Lost Ark a bad MMORPG? Definitely not.
Do my criticisms now prevent me from playing Lost Ark? No. It’s just not my dream game.
Because there has never been a MMORPG release where I completed daily quests in Guild Wars 2 and ESO in the meantime, and even played a round of TFT while I could have been playing Lost Ark. I simply needed a change.
Because overall, Lost Ark feels too uniform in many aspects. The first time playing in beta until level 30 was okay. The second time now at launch was a torture with the Paladin because he is just incredibly slow. That’s why I switched to the Artillerist, my beta character. And I’m experiencing the same leveling content for the third time.
Still, I am looking forward. Looking forward to the first dungeons and raids, to my own island and sailing. Here I believe that Lost Ark truly has potential. Also, my guild with my friend Mark Sellner and his crazy friends motivates me because they are all really excited about the game.
But secretly, I play other MMORPGs on the side because I don’t believe that Lost Ark will remain my main game for long. It pulls me too strongly into other MMORPGs.
What do you think of Lost Ark? Are you as excited as most here on MeinMMO or do you see the game more critically, like I do? Feel free to share in the comments.
By the way, my colleague Mark Sellner has a completely different opinion. He loves Lost Ark and would even like to invest more money in the game:
Lost Ark is so good that I spent 250 euros and would love to spend more!
