Blade and Soul – will what takes a long time finally be good?
What is Blade and Soul? Blade and Soul is a Wuxia MMORPG from Korea and has been very successful there for several years. Wuxia is an Asian narrative style that involves exaggerated martial arts and revenge stories.
What does Blade and Soul focus on? Blade and Soul focuses on a dynamic combat system, impressive graphics, and an exciting exploration of the world in a kind of parkour system that makes you literally fly through it.
How big is the Pay2Win risk? Smaller than in Skyforge, larger than in WildStar, you could say. Currently, there are no negative aspects in sight. However, it is common for Asian titles to sell auxiliary items in the cash shop during “weapon upgrading” that increase the probability of success. Whether such methods will be employed, which often have a significant impact on the atmosphere of a payment model, remains to be seen.
When does it start? Blade and Soul is set to enter an open beta this autumn, likely making this date equivalent to a release. The game is expected to officially launch in winter, which might not occur until 2016. Update: There is now a release date: it is set to launch on January 19, 2016, in Europe and America.
- What speaks for Blade and Soul? It is successful in Korea, has a lot of game content in store. This should ensure that the game does not fall into a content hole – unlike what happened to Tera for many years. Moreover, it is a high-quality, visually appealing MMORPG with mature gaming systems.
- What speaks against Blade and Soul? It may come two years too late. The port to the West has taken a long time. Asian aesthetics and the Wuxia narrative style may not be to everyone’s taste.
