It’s been a little more than a month since Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of The Second went Open Beta. Of course, due to its awesome reputation as one of the first MMO’s in Malaysia, the server population sky-rocketed and the three servers were filled with huge amounts of different players everyday. As a former RO player, I would like to share my experiences in this new world of Asgard.
Remember folks, this is an Open Beta, where the unconditional rollback may happen in the server and encountering bugs is very common at this point of time. So, be nice.
I love things in High-Definition
Graphics matter for me, most especially when I am walking down memory lane with my favorite game. It’s like experiencing a Final Fantasy 7’s remake where Cloud’s fists aren’t boxes and he actually has a mouth. Seeing familiar monsters in HD was an exhilarating feeling; the wow factor was definitely there. “Wow, that’s how a Poring is supposed to look like?” It’s like bumping into an old friend, he just looks incredibly better. Guys at Gravity.Co did a very good job with the new designs. It felt very much like Ragnarok Online.
Learning Curve’s Pretty Steep For Veterans
This only applies for most veterans that had their own concept of the game before hand. Some individuals may expect too much, resulting in huge disappointments because of the game’s learning curve. Now, now, before I really frighten you – for a new player, this game isn’t difficult to learn at all. RO 2 has totally overhauled its gameplay mechanics, so this is actually a whole new ball game for old RO players. However, for WSAD MMO players, such as WoW and Star Wars: TOR, this is nothing new for them and they can actually catch up very quickly.
Other than player’s movement, RO 2 is now very heavily quest driven. In order to gain experience, the game encourages you to finish quests more than actual grinding. It’s the exact opposite of the first game, where there are no actual story lines involved.
Even The Lag Feels Nostalgic
Like most MMOs, connection issues were a norm. It’s everywhere, even in RO2. The maintenance teams have been trying their best to cope with the connectivity issues since day one of the Open Beta. There were several unannounced shut downs for maintenance which received huge complaints from players. However, numerous fixes have been released to resolve those issues. But still, the lag did give me a sense of nostalgia, as players started rubber-banding and getting killed by wolves. Priceless moment.
How Do I Feel About RO 2?
Let’s put it this way. In my opinion, RO 2 came a bit too late in the MMO market. I am more of a western MMORPG player where my first WSAD MMO was WoW: Burning Crusade. That was back in 2007. Moreover, the quest systems and instances were actually very similar to other MMOs as well. As a gamer, all I can say is, “been there, done that”. RO 2 means nothing more than a trip down memory lane for me. The gameplay is actually pretty good though, and it definitely does have huge potential if there were more new classes to try out and new enemies to slay.
The new Khara system surprises me though, it’s basically some sort of “Medal” or “Title” system, which you gain by completing a certain quest. Bestowing an awesome title to myself such as “Poring Slayer” Ziwen will always make the game more enjoyable, not forgetting that these challenges actually add bonus stats to your attributes as well.
Overall, its RO2 is worth a try, if you like cutesy, “cartoonish” artwork and since it’s Free-to-play anyway, you won’t lose more than your time. The Khara system is interesting too. It may not be a robust system yet, but its definitely unique in its own right. Anyway, that’s all from the Open Beta for RO 2. I think I have spoiled you enough for today. Still, remember to try the game since it is F2P anyway, guaranteed one of the best free-to-play available that are worth the time for both old and new players. See you in game folks.
