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Members Ratings for Elsword Online (Vote [1] Low to [10] high)

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0.00% (0 votes)
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25.00% (1 vote)
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50.00% (2 votes)
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25.00% (1 vote)

Total Votes: 4

Elsword Online - Review
Posted:

Elsword Online - ReviewPosted:

Katsumi
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Joined: Jan 23, 201113Year Member
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Status: Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 201113Year Member
Posts: 17,169
Reputation Power: 2031
Elsword Online

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Game Information

Release Date: December 27, 2007 (Korea) March 23, 2011 (North America)
Developers: KOG Studios
Platforms: Microsoft Windows
Genre: Fantasy, MMO, Platform, Side Scrolling
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Synopsis

The Elsword plot involves a mystical land named Elrios which was nurtured to life through the power of gem known as the El Stone. When the El Stone is stolen, Elsword and his allies go on a quest to recover it and bring the thieves to justice. Along the way, new allies join his team, now known as the "El Search Party". While this story ties the eight regions of the world together, each region also has multiple subplots that unfold as players complete the dungeons in that region. In addition, each character has a personal story that is told as they level up and select their job class path.




Plot

While Interesting the plot of Elsword Online is quite standard when it comes to an MMORPG. The game is set in the medieval themed fantasy world of Elrios and follows the fundamental plot of a life giving artifact called the El Stone being stolen and a group of various adventurers banding together for both their personal goals and to save their homeland from a terrible fate which is about to unfold. The story more acts as an incentive to keep playing through the various dungeons that the game has to offer and has no real 'wow factor' after the first few hours of Gameplay. Most players will find themselves simply skipping through most of the dialogue to progress faster (while fine now i have to note that the translation work used to be sub-par at best, further hindering the story). It is because of this that i can not much praise to the story as a whole. It simply goes down as "what i expect from an MMORPG".

The real high point of Elsword Online when it comes to aspects of the plot is the well established and intriguing back stories that have been given to each of the games characters. I find that they are much more interesting then the core story itself and work well in heightening the immersion factor when playing. While simple they help the game stray away from the cliche of a group of friends trying to save the world and gives each character their individual circumstances regarding why they are doing what they are doing. Things like this are essential in an MMORPG because they differentiate the game from it's competitors and make it stand out above the rest




Gameplay

Elsword Online is a side-scrolling game with combo/skill orientated combat. Originally being a brawler on release the game has developed into a MMORPG through various updates. Adopting features such as towns, guilds, chat and an item trading system. In general Elsword Online offers a pleasant game-play experience through an addictive medieval soundtrack and above-par anime inspired art backed by extensive optimization options making the game suitable for most modern PC's on the market. There is enough content in the game for 100+ hours of play and monthly updates constantly further this number through adding more content to the game. This content is yet seriously hindered from the stamina system that has been inducted into play. Each day a player is given 100% stamina which then slowly runs out as they do dungeons and quests, at lower levels players are given around 2-3 hours of solid play on a daily basis before this runs out yet at higher levels stamina tends to run out in 1 hour or less. It is possible to reduce stamina drain through playing with parties (a nice touch to say so myself, it encourages team play which is a great aspect of online games) or using exclusive event items which restore this stamina but for the most part it doesn't fit in with the tone of the game and makes it seem much more 'casualised' then it really is. For a game with a level cap of 60 the concept of stamina seems unnecessary and acts to make leveling much more tedious then it really is

The game features an interesting combat system which leaves room for much experimentation while playing. Players are initially given 2 different core attacks and 4 skill slots which they can place special abilities in, these abilities becoming available as your character gains levels through earning exp. Due to the game giving the player little guidance when it comes to the use of abilities and combos the need to experiment in these aspects arises, allowing the player to develop their own style of play while remaining true to the core gameplay mechanics. Combat can be performed in 2 different modes of play. PVE (Player Versus Enemy) in which the player enters one of a variety of dungeons fighting monsters while earning exp and items, finally reaching an intimidating boss offering a large amount of these resources if defeated and PVP (Player Versus Player) in which the player enters one of 6 fields, being matched with another human player from anywhere in the world. Depending on how many matches they win the player is given a rank from F to SSS , being matched with players of a similar skill level

As far as the PVE aspect goes Elsword seems to have it nailed. When in a passive environment players are able to select from a wide range of dungeons offered, these dungeons span across 8 regions with around 5 dungeons per region. At first the player is only given a single dungeon to choose from but as stages are cleared further dungeons are unlocked, providing the player with a wide range of choice. The main problem that arises through this is that monsters do not scale, remaining at the same strength despite the level of a said player. Meaning that despite this array of choice most dungeons do not provide the challenge that a player would expect. While most people wouldn't worry about such a thing, as a person who likes a challenge in my games i see it as an issue. The monsters themselves are given a standard amount of variation and it's unlikely that you will see the same monster in 3-4 different dungeons, with several different strength levels they should provide hours on entertainment for players of every style. One of the shining factors of Elsword PVE is the multiple difficulty levels that can be set on each field. Going from Normal to Hard and then to Very Hard, even reaching hell mode in higher level environments. This further adds to the variation and challenge the game has to offer, often requiring a player to form parties with others for a common reason. While there are many good points to Elsword PVE it suffers one major downfall in line with the questing system, which is that it begins to feel repedative after a while. Some quests go as far as requiring the player to run through the same dungeon multiple times to gather items, only to repeat the process on the following quest. Creating a cycle which can potentially push the player away from the game

Player versus Player offers a refreshing break from the PVE aspect. Introduced in 2012 through an update it has become a vital part of the gameplay experience. Offering 6 different stages and 2 different modes of play, One Versus One and Three Versus Three. In general there is a good sense of balance when matched against other players meaning that the winner is decided often through skill more then luck. Various skills have been balanced out specifically for this mode of play and are all available when playing. Resulting in the outcome of a match being unpredictable in most cases, requiring players to adopt quick decision to ultimately come out on top. The ranking system is a great addition, ensuring that players are matched with an opponent of similar skill. After taking part in 10 matches a player is given a letter to symbolize their level of skill, ranging from F to SSS. Once given a rank it is possible to either be given a higher or lower rank dependent on the outcome of following matches. This really pushes the competitive aspect that comes with every player versus player game, allowing players to set goals and improve at their own pace.

When it comes to playable characters the game does a good job when it comes to providing the player with a choice. As of now six characters are available to choose, each with differing play styles. There is Elsword the sword wielding knight, Aisha the magician, Ruena the elfish bowman, Raven the close combat specialist who fights with the mix of a sword and mechanical arm, Eve the robotic princess using drones to destroy her enemies and Chung the mid-range fighter who wields a large cannon. On top of this each character has three roles that they can specialize in when leveling through the game. This diverse range of characters comes to offer a suitable experience for players of every style and is truly the definitive factor of elsword as a whole.




Graphics

Elsword Online features pleasant anime inspired graphics that stand out among it's competitors and is a driving factor into why the game has gained so much popularity over the past year. The character models incorporate a high level of detail and the games environment seems absolutely breath taking at times. A minimalistic interface leads to a distraction free game-play experience and the extensive graphic optimization ensures that it can be ran on most PC's currently on the market. Along with this the game takes a nostalgic approach in line with classic side scrolling games released in the early 2000's in which it provides panels in a comic book style when each stage is cleared. Showing the character eliminating an enemy with a phrase such as 'bam' in large stylized writing. While definitely eastern influenced the graphics are suitable for a western audience, being pleasant in every aspect

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Controls

Elsword Online can be controlled in two different ways. Through a keyboard and mouse or game controller.

The mouse controls on Elsword Online are as of standard, allowing the player to navigate through the graphical user interface through left clicking on the object of interest and bringing up further options through pressing the right mouse button. The keyboard controls on the other hand are completely customisable, allowing the player to assign commands to any key on the keyboard. Commands include walking, using skills and bringing up various menus through the use of hotkeys. This customization allows players to find what they are comfortable with and is a large befit when it comes to the games controls.

The game-pad controls are shown to be far inferior to it's keyboard and mouse counterpart. The lack of buttons on a standard game controller limits the hot-keys a user can assign and lowers the customization opportunities immensely. The lack of a mouse pointer makes the graphical user interface difficult to navigate and this continues to be a hindrance in combat. While responsive i see no reason to use a game controller over a keyboard and mouse when playing elsword, mainly due to the large amount of buttons that are required for a fully fledged experience.




Ratings

Plot: 6/10
While the core plot is standard for an MMORPG, acting only as an incentive to play through the games dungeons it is picked up through the established back-story given to each character. Making the game seem individual and interesting

Gameplay: 7.5/10
Through various aspects such as music and graphics elsword offers a pleasant game-play experience as a whole. With a wide choice of characters and a combat system which encourages experimentation the game stands out in the area of combat. This is yet brought down through the repetitiveness of the games quests and induction of the stamina system.

Graphics: 8/10
With pleasant Anime-Inspired graphics taking a nostalgic approach the game offers a satisfying visual experience to anyone playing

Controls: 7/10
The keyboard and mouse layout offers extensive customization, tending to the needs of a wide range of players while keeping the responsiveness that is expected in a game. The Gamepad on the other hand has much room for improvement, not coping well with the large amount of buttons needed to effectively play the game

Total Rating : 7/10

The following 5 users thanked Katsumi for this useful post:

Tom (08-05-2014), Tsukkomi (03-08-2014), Int (02-18-2014), Craig (02-02-2014), Frog (12-28-2013)
#2. Posted:
Kieran-
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Nice Review. Very clear to understand.
#3. Posted:
Ciel_Phantomhive
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i love this game it is so fun to play, but i had to delete it off my pc because it was to slow. but anyways, good review!
#4. Posted:
Craig
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Woah, now that's a long ass review haha. Well Katsumi, thank you, that was ones of the better ones I've ever seen on here. Hope to see more in the future.
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