The biggest, glaring issue is that at heart, Elsword is a grind. Now this may be a negative to some, and a positive to others, depending on each person's playstyle, but expect to be going to the same areas very frequently. It's also not super obvious at first where you should go, though obviously in a 2D MMO, you should be expected to just go right, right? Well that's fine, except that you also get access to a world map which seemingly takes you to any level, but if you're too far from that level's starting area, it won't let you access it. It's a strange design that can be easily overlooked when you actually realize you just need to advance to the next area by foot.
Elsword's Free-to-Play formula is fairly standard, although it might cause some people to quit. You can download the game and hop in immediately without even touching your wallet. In fact, you can go through a bulk of the game, and honestly not think twice about whipping your credit card out. Once you settle in on your class, and realize you want to stick to it, that's when you can opt to whip that shiny piece of plastic out.
The in-game store contains a myriad of items to outfit your character with. There is a plethora of costumes that will completely change the way your character looks, which is good considering the actual gear doesn't really change your character all that much. You can either buy a complete set of matching costume pieces or you can mix and match from the various costumes available to truly give your character a unique look, which in Elsword is fairly important since most of the time you find a lot of 'clones' running around. There are also stat boosting accessories, consumables, inventory expansions, pets and more.
The only problem I had with this is that it essentially becomes a pay-to-win situation, where players spending money will ultimately get them better stats faster. Another glaring issue, and one that is sure to turn some people off is the fact that resetting your invested skill points costs actual money. The in-game store allows you to buy a Skill Return Medal which returns a single point or a Complete Skill Reset Medal which returns all invested points; just be prepared to fork over some of your lunch money for it.
The game's graphics certainly won't push your processor to its limits, but the game certainly has charm, which is largely thanks to the beautiful cel-shading. Quirky anime characters permeate the game. You'll find friendly, talking dogs with eyepatches; traveling bards with badass hairstyles; stern-looking, short haired female warriors with oversized axes; and even cute shop owners dressed in maid outfits. It goes without saying that if you're a fan of anime and manga, you'll find a lot to like in Elsword's art style. Same goes for the sound design. Amidst battle, you'll hear your character shout and yell his or her attacks during every swing, punch and shot, which can get a little overbearing, but given the amount of action going on, it somewhat complements it.
The fact is, Elsword doesn't require any sort of commitment to have fun. It's a type of game you can simply jump in, complete a few quests and log off satisfied. If you don't ever feel like delving into your characters appearance or buying accessories, you don't have to; the in-game market is fully optional. If you are the type of player who enjoys PVP, however, then investing in your character might be something to look into down the line.
The game is constantly updated with new content, which is always a plus, not to mention a huge content update is coming very soon, with a completely new continent of Hamel. Chances are if you read this all the way through, you must be interested in trying Elsword, so with that in mind, here is a link to download the game right from our site. It's a hack 'n slashing good time.
I'm a big fan of Manga and Anime, so it comes as no surprise that I was quite enthused going into Elsword, the Korean action 2D MMORPG. I was able to experience the game in two ways, one as a lower level character to see natural progression, and then another as a high level character. Did my sidescrolling experience match up to my expectations?
Put simply, yes. There are quite a few 2D successful action MMOs on the market. From Maple Story to Grand Chase, they all offer a similar 2D experience, but they branch off as far as actual gameplay goes. For example, I view Maple Story as a game that's much slower paced. Elsword, on the other, hand is a fairly fast paced game. Not long after the initial tutorial, are you venturing off to different maps to take on hoards of brightly colored beasts and some towering bosses.
That's what makes Elsword a great experience right from the beginning — there is so little downtime that you'll find yourself pulling off combos in no time. Each class, of which there are five, are pretty varied. From the bow wielding elf Rena and sword slashing Elsword, to the noble, pet throwing Eve — each of them have a unique attack style that translates into their combat.
The combat is where the game truly shines, thanks to its combo-based system with quick attacks. You have two buttons relegated to your weak and strong attacks, and then four buttons for your specials. Your weak attack powers up your magic bar, which then lets you unleash your more powerful attacks or special attacks.
The special attacks are worth mentioning because not only do they do a great amount of damage, they are extremely cool to look at. Upon activation, a border will surround your screen and make the game look like an actual still from a manga, all while your flashy attack animations fly by. Sweetness!
While the default control style is mouse/keyboard, you can plug in a PC-compatible gamepad and map your buttons to it as well, which given the game's beat 'em up nature, actually make it a much more enjoyable experience with a gamepad. Be aware though that you'll still need to use your keyboard and mouse for chatting, navigating through menus, accepting quests, etc., so if you don't fancy hopping back and forth between those two, you might as well just stick to the default control scheme.
Each of the classes/characters have their own skill tree which progressively makes you a force to be reckoned with. At later levels, you're able to expand your class even further, depending on how you want to specialize it. It's important to map out your skill points however as resetting them can be a pain, but more on that later.
While Elsword can easily be played as a solo experience, it's a much better time to be had when you have others to take along with you. Not only are you able to tackle given quests at a higher difficulty level, the rewards are usually better, and let's face it, it's just plain more fun to slash up monsters with others tagging along.
You do have the option to raise and bring pets along with you as well. The raising and taking care of these pets is actually quite sophisticated, since they involve getting stronger and eventually evolving. Taking care of it doesn't really require much aside from battling enemies in dungeons which keeps it happy, and feeding it when its hungry. Your pet is able to buff and attack as well, which makes it a worthy companion.
