Although wuxia is a well-established film genre, it seems less prevalent in video games. This could be due to many western developers not aligning perfectly with the genre, and those from other nations preferring to focus on their unique cultural heritage. However, NCSoft has been offering a wuxia-themed MMORPG for quite some time through Blade & Soul, and they’ve recently updated this title using Unreal Engine 4, making it available to a broader international audience beyond South Korea where the studio is based.
With a deep affection for traditional martial arts and wuxia films, the opportunity to immerse myself in Blade & Soul NEO was irresistible. Regrettably, playing this MMORPG brought back memories of old east-Asian MMORPGs from the 2000s, but unfortunately in a negative way. Blade & Soul NEO seems to have several problems that may prevent it from making a significant impact in the international MMO market, where games like World of Warcraft, despite initial costs and monthly subscriptions, have reigned supreme for so long.
As a dedicated gamer, I can tell you that Blade & Soul NEO offers an incredible amount of content to be earned purely by engaging in the gameplay itself.
It’s quite clear that Blade & Soul NEO functions as a free-to-play game, not only because there’s no initial financial commitment required to begin playing, but also when you delve deeper into the game and observe its various monetization strategies. The game seems to be an MMORPG engineered to maximize your time with repetitive actions and trivial chores, in an attempt to motivate you to spend as much money as possible.
You don’t necessarily need to spend a penny if your main goal is grinding in an online game like Blade & Soul NEO. The game offers numerous opportunities for earning everything you desire solely through gameplay. However, be warned that the vast array of currencies, crafting materials, marketplaces, involvement in the player economy, and cosmetic items can easily lead to confusion or getting lost in the complexities.
Initially, Blade & Soul NEO seems quite straightforward, as it gradually familiarizes you with the fundamental gameplay aspects based on your class and provides basic gear for a gentle beginning. However, soon after completing the tutorial, the tempo dramatically changes, plummeting at an alarming rate. Following the intense spectacle of demonic invasion in your martial arts school, you’ll find yourself engrossed in prolonged conflicts involving various groups of bandits for numerous hours.
In contrast to most 3D MMOs which follow the tab-targeting system popularized by World of Warcraft, Blade & Soul NEO opts for a gameplay style more reminiscent of traditional third-person action games, where you dodge, weave, and strike as needed. Your chosen class grants you specific skills, but beyond that, the core mechanics remain consistent.
In Blade & Soul NEO, the gameplay is more similar to a conventional third-person action game, where you’ll dodge, weave, and strike just as you would in such games.
As you advance in level, you acquire additional skills, but the fundamental gameplay of your class that you learn at level 1 remains consistent. For example, as a Blademaster, I was still occasionally blocking attacks to accumulate energy points for a strong thrust attack at level 10. While it’s enjoyable that enemy attacks are predictable enough for timely blocks to be easy and profitable, there is no real variation introduced. The only significant change as you progress and acquire new gear is seeing damage numbers increase.
In terms of your character in Blade & Soul NEO, you’ll find several choices when customizing it at the start. Once you select your race, you move on to choosing your class. There are 14 distinct classes in total, each offering a unique playstyle and special characteristics; some excel as frontline melee fighters, while others may thrive by operating covertly to execute surprise attacks. Some players might opt for a supporting role, casting beneficial spells from the rear.
Essentially, most classes share a fundamental similarity, but unique aspects typically revolve around one key gameplay element. For example, the Blade Master heavily relies on blocking abilities, whereas the Assassin focuses more on employing stealth for delivering critical strikes.
The encounter becomes less intense due to the observation that opponents aren’t crafted with the intention of testing your class to its maximum potential. Most adversaries in the game have a single, clearly predictable attack that can be effortlessly dodged or parried, allowing for extended combos. In reality, the main challenge during solo quests stems from being faced with numerous enemies at once. However, this becomes truly challenging infrequently, as you can just as easily evade or block multiple enemies’ attacks.
“Things start out innocently enough with Blade & Soul NEO.”
As you advance, you acquire new capabilities for your character class mainly by increasing levels and accruing skill points. For basic abilities, it’s straightforward, but there’s a touch of intricacy when delving into the skill tree further. To do this, you must discover a particular book associated with a skill you’re interested in. This book can then be employed to assign the skill to one of your equipment items. Using this equipped item will grant you the ability to utilize the skill. The power of these skills can be amplified by finding the same skill book again and applying it to the same piece of equipment.
Additionally, you have the option to amplify your abilities with Valor Stones. This feature enables you to boost the skills you prefer. While the enhancements may seem ordinary, such as a straightforward damage increase or resource reduction, they can significantly impact battles. Moreover, the skill points you invest can be returned for use on alternative abilities, providing room for exploration and discovery of the ideal skills that align with your gaming approach.
In terms of progressing to the later stages, Blade & Soul NEO encounters some significant issues with its pacing. The majority of the game’s quests follow a typical template common in MMORPGs that aren’t particularly innovative. You’ll find yourself wandering through expansive open areas, waiting for specific creatures to appear, and slaying them numerous times. Unfortunately, there isn’t much diversity in these tasks, and even the story-focused quests eventually boil down to you carrying out the same type of assignment over and over again.
As a gamer, I’ve got to admit, the gameplay in Blade & Soul NEO really kicks up a notch when I dive into those dungeons. It starts feeling like a proper challenge at last! The enemies in these dungeons seem designed with some serious encounter strategy – they force you to think ahead about your moves. Charging headlong into a fight here is a recipe for disaster, and more often than not, I find myself relying on my crowd-control abilities to stun the toughest enemy first, while I swiftly take out the others.
“Things do get somewhat better with a few quests that put you in dungeons.”
Typically, the Player-versus-Environment (PvE) content in Blade & Soul NEO often seems overly repetitive. However, there are moments of excitement such as when you join a group to conquer a dungeon together. Unfortunately, most of the time, the game is filled with rather dull and unimaginative quests. Fortunately, the game offers excellent matchmaking that allows for easy entry into dungeons with other players. Just be mindful about ensuring your character’s level and equipment are appropriately upgraded.
In the game Blade & Soul NEO, the user interface seems rather crowded. Yet, when it comes to functionality, it performs well. It’s straightforward to determine where each piece of equipment belongs, and certain features, such as the Quest Journal, can be quite useful in guiding you towards your next destination.
In simpler terms, the upgraded version of Blade & Soul, called Blade & Soul NEO, while running on Unreal Engine 4, doesn’t seem to offer a significant visual improvement. The environments can look decent at times, but the NPC models appear to be from an older console generation. This inconsistency in design isn’t intentional as the player characters look more modern and detailed. It seems like some NPCs were pulled straight from a PlayStation 2 game, with noticeable aliasing issues. The only positive aspect is that the new engine runs smoothly on my mid-range PC, even when I max out all graphics settings.
To put it simply, Blade & Soul NEO isn’t an exceptional MMORPG to play. Even among free options, there are superior alternatives available. The monetization strategy is excessive, featuring both microtransactions and a battle pass. Unfortunately, the storyline lacks excitement and can only be endured when there’s something engaging on another screen nearby. If you’re seeking an immersive narrative, engaging gameplay, or thrilling boss battles, it would be wiser to explore other options.
This game was reviewed on PC.
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2025-03-10 15:42