Lost Ark
Developer: Smilegate RPG | Platform: PC | Release Date: February 8, 2022 | Model: Free2Play | Combat System: Action combat system in isometric perspective
What kind of game is it? Lost Ark initially seems like someone tried to reinvent Diablo. However, the first impression is deceptive, as behind the action-packed fights and the isometric perspective lies a true MMORPG with everything that goes along with it.
A large part of the game consists of fighting your way through various types of monsters with one of the numerous classes while exploring the world of Arkesia. Each continent you visit has its own unique setting.
Starting the game in Luterra, you’ll find yourself in a western-inspired medieval setting, but soon you’ll be in Arthetine’s capital, Stern, which resembles a steampunk version of dystopian Night City. There, a nasty guy named Krause wants to elevate humanity to the next level using technology, while just one continent later, you confront an evil fire witch wielding ancient magic.
Between continents, you sail with your own ship, and a significant part of the game also takes place on the open sea. Over 100 islands await to be explored by you, each one uniquely different and bringing its own story. The stories may vary in depth, but they are always worth your time.
Once you reach the endgame, the grind for ever-higher gear levels begins. You achieve this through weekly raids and the items you earn there, which you can then upgrade. Besides gear score, there are many other ways to further optimize your character.
You can expect a loop of daily and weekly content, specific events, islands, and creating additional characters. Almost everything in Lost Ark is character-bound, not account-bound. You progress most effectively by playing multiple characters. There is a lot to do daily.
If you want to avoid all of this, you can instead spend your time in one of the balanced PvP modes. In those, gear score does not matter, and you can start as early as level 25.
All of this is made easier if you use the “Crystalline Aura,” which costs around ten euros. Similar to ESO Plus, it is an optional premium service with some benefits. Additionally, Lost Ark’s shop offers some Pay2Progress options, but it never feels unfair.
Who is this interesting for? Lost Ark is of interest to all fans of action and fast combat. The crisp duels are the highlight of the MMORPG. It doesn’t matter whether you are smashing through hordes of weak monsters with powerful skills or facing a gigantic legion commander with eight players.
The combat system is always precise, feels incredibly good, and doesn’t get boring even after thousands of hours. This clearly makes it the highlight of Lost Ark. It is also exciting for fans of completion tasks and interesting stories, as the continents and islands offer an extremely vast amount of content.
If you have no problem with the grind in the endgame and can be motivated long-term by the hunt for a constantly better character, Lost Ark is one of the best MMORPGs for you currently on the market.
Is there a catch? One of the biggest problems with Lost Ark is likely the controversial shop of the MMORPG. While the game itself is free to play, you can purchase some conveniences in the real-money shop.
For example, there are tickets that instantly complete your daily quests for you. Upgrade materials can also be purchased directly in the shop, and you can easily buy in-game gold with real money.
Fairly, it must be said that the opposite works just as well. So if you don’t want to reach for your wallet and are grinding everything, you can also buy the desired real-money currency with gold.
Another problem with Lost Ark is unfortunately currently bots. Especially in the starting areas there are numerous automated characters, probably even more at low levels than real players. This quickly deters and is especially a serious problem for the game’s economy. However, the bots do not make it to the true endgame, so at least you won’t have to see them.
Is it worth starting in 2026? The MMORPG offers many so-called “catch-up” mechanics that allow you to catch up to your friends in the endgame much faster than they did back then. For this, you can buy “Power Passes” or use one of the frequent “Express Events”. These make it noticeably easier for you to get into Lost Ark.
But even without an event, it is definitely worth starting with Lost Ark. At just under two years old, it is a relatively young MMORPG, and those who keep at it can also catch up comparatively quickly.
Thus, those who have struggled through the bots in the starting areas will be rewarded in the end with a solid MMORPG that demands a lot of grind, but also rewards you with one of the strongest combat systems in the genre. At times, the game achieved great success on Twitch: MMORPG Lost Ark brings a new boss, rises to first place on Twitch, and even attracts stars like shroud.
