The new mobile MMORPG Lineage 2 Revolution mostly plays itself. And it is incredibly successful. Our author Dawid refused to touch games with “autoplay” until the very end. But now he can no longer escape it. It reminds him of his old days with the soccer manager Anstoss.
After insane reports in Asia, Lineage 2 Revolution continues its victorious march with the release in the West and is storming the local app store charts.
The special thing: Your hero fights automatically, completes quests with a simple push of a button. MMORPG purists frown here: “I’m not a bot!” they say. Mobile MMOs are already a thorn in the side for these PC fans. They fear that in the future, the focus will shift more and more towards mobile. Because the numbers speak for themselves: Mobile MMOs generate significantly more revenue in Asia than PC MMOs. A Lineage M makes about 25 times more than a Guild Wars 2 worldwide. I haven’t been able to get into mobile MMOs much either.
I took the self-test and came to a surprising conclusion.
What’s so great about it?
At first, I was a bit confused. The combat was underwhelming (no wonder, I’m not fighting myself …), the mundane quests compounded the issue.
It felt just as I had initially suspected. Like a stripped-down MMORPG, squished onto a small display, which can now make a lot of money because the target audience is significantly larger. The numerous menus and pop-ups flooded my iPhone. Apparently, L2R has a lot of them as a full-fledged MMORPG.
Today’s kids are strange for finding enjoyment in something like this and spending money on it. I have nothing against mobile games in general; I managed to connect with the MOBA Arena of Valor quite well. But how do you transport a complex MMORPG onto a mobile device that lives up to its name?
After just a few levels, I already stopped. That was it, I thought. The first experience was indeed sobering, as it mostly followed this pattern:
- Click on quest
- Skip the texts
- Accept the quest
- Watch a cutscene
- Watch your heroes fight
- Complete the quest
Two days later.
Our colleague Jürgen is still raving about the game after his demo test of Lineage 2 Revolution. And even though he is sometimes odd and many of his favorite games consistently die, he is not alone in this opinion. A look at the reviews shows: Many people seem to be taken with it. I didn’t want to let that sit, I wanted to understand it. I logged back in.
Okay, it’s slowly getting better…
And indeed: It starts to be fun. After each level hurdle, new possibilities arise to further customize my hero – for instance with runes, a new subclass, skill trees or a deep equipment system. And the gameplay also becomes more varied.
I am now dealing with several dungeons, participating in PvP duels in the arena, checking off daily quests, and I’ve already opened a clan, for which I am actively promoting in the chat.
The world feels unusually lively for a mobile game due to the many players. With the UI and all the systems, I am now getting along significantly better after the initial difficulties.
My hero, I am your manager
After several hours, I still can’t put the smartphone down. I increasingly distance myself from seeing it as a substitute for a PC MMORPG. It is far from that. Because even though many typical MMORPG elements overlap, it plays quite differently.
Curiously, I don’t miss fighting; instead, I’m much more motivated to manage the hero, watching him diligently complete his tasks and grow stronger.
Even the PvP can be automated. You can set it so that you take revenge on players who attacked you first.
The question is no longer, as in conventional MMOs, how to best evade a boss, but rather how to best manage my hero: What do we do next for the hero to become stronger quickly? Which quests, daily activities or achievements should we tackle now?
While my hero continues to level up happily and listens to my commands, I am also busy with the clan. Which guild member do I still need to greet to gain resources? There is always something to do; the game systems are intelligent and interconnect.
A different game principle that can pull you in
It has awakened feelings of nostalgia in me. But I think less of my first MMORPG here and much more of the soccer manager Anstoss, into which I have poured countless hours. I buy players, extend contracts, set up my team, and click through the results in a frenzy. Again and again. I buy skills, improve equipment, choose tasks, and click. Again and again. To my surprise, there is something meditative about just watching my hero grind through the quests and tracking how the progress bar gradually fills up.
The MMORPG elements are by no means innovative in Lineage 2 Revolution. They are extensively present, but ultimately just familiar fare. What is new for me, however, is the perspective of the hero manager. One thing is certain: It’s a new way to play MMORPGs.
I am now approaching level 30. The question is whether the gameplay can keep me engaged in the long run. We will see. Generally, much is designed for progress. In almost all areas, there are bars that need to be filled. Addiction mechanisms kick in quickly. Since skill seems to be just a small factor, a stronger character is key. This could become problematic in the endgame if it turns out that you are almost forced to buy your game progress because otherwise it would take too long.
Interested in the game? Then start perfectly into the mobile MMO with our beginner’s guide to Lineage 2 Revolution.
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