We were able to play the western version of the MMO before the start of the closed beta. For whom the online role-playing game is worthwhile and who should keep their hands off it, you can find out in our preview.
Are your fingers tingling with anticipation for the next action role-playing game? Now that Diablo 4 has been postponed indefinitely, Korean MMO Lost Ark might be the right pastime for fans of ARPGs. Provided you can overlook one or two weaknesses.
We were allowed to play the western version of the online role-playing game before the official start of the closed beta. In our preview, we explain how the MMO works, why it could be suitable for Diablo fans and where the weaknesses and problem areas of Lost Ark lie.
Table of Contents
Character classes in Lost Ark – The agony of choice
Before we can plunge into the action role-playing MMO, we create our hero. The character editor offers us a surprisingly large selection of customisations for an ARPG. We can give our protagonist two different eye colours, determine the colour intensity of the hair strands and decorate his face with tattoos.
But even more important than the appearance is the class of our character. In Lost Ark, we first decide on one of seven classes:
- Warrior
- Mage
- combat artist
- Martial Artist (Male)
- Canonian (Male)
- Canonian (Female)
- Assassin
Each class begins the MMO with its own prologue. At the end of it, we reach level 10 and can now choose one of the subclasses. The specialisations have a great influence on how the characters play, because the weapons and abilities differ fundamentally. In total, we have 15 classes to choose from.
The male gunner, for example, has the choice between the specialisations “Artilleryman”, “Artificer” and “Sniper” and thus arms himself either with heavy artillery, two nimble pistols or bow and arrow. Before we decide on a specialisation, we can try out the character’s abilities in a training room. Once we have decided on a play style, we are then released into the world of Lost Ark.
By the way, the individual back stories were removed for the beta and replaced by a uniform prologue. In the closed beta, you will start at level 10 and decide on your class specialisation right at the beginning of the game.
Sexy Costumes
In an interview, Amazon revealed to us that changes will be made to character design to “make sure our players feel well represented and that we don’t over-sexualise the characters.”
Still, be prepared for revealing outfits, exaggerated proportions and extra staged assets of the female heroes in the western version.
The battles of Lost Ark – Diablo says hello
No matter what class you end up choosing: The battles always feel fantastic. Each ability is unique and it’s fun to try out different combinations to find your own play style. The numerous explosions and magical effects also provide the right amount of oomph and visually beautiful feedback.
For the press beta, we chose a female artificer. The female gunner is a nimble class. She can quickly switch between pistols and rifles, act in both close-range and long-range combat, save herself from dicey situations with somersaults and also do a fair amount of area damage by flinging her weapons. The dodge roll and the rechargeable special attack bring additional dynamics into the fights.
Of course, the abilities can also be improved and further developed. With each level-up, we receive ability points that we can put into our special moves. When we reach a certain level in a combat skill, we can also choose to improve it. For example, we can choose whether our skill causes more critical damage, has a greater range or whether we can execute it faster.
In total, there are three improvements per skill. The talent tree does not bring the complexity of a Path of Exile, but still leaves room for experimentation. Similar to Diablo 2, Lost Ark also has runes that can be used to strengthen the character’s special abilities.
By the way, we control our hero with the left mouse button. The right mouse button is reserved for normal attacks, and we operate the abilities and the quick inventory with the keyboard. The controls, the combat feeling and the isoperspective are thus strongly reminiscent of the Diablo games, but do not have to hide from the forefather of hack ‘n’ slay.
The Endgame
For many Lost Ark fans, level 55 is where the game really begins. If you want to hunt for the best equipment in the endgame, you have to pass difficult raids and Chaos Dungeons, which can often only be mastered in a group of high-level players.
Chaos dungeons work like instanced dungeons in other MMOs. In them, you explore the mostly tubular environment, slay bosses and bag lots of loot. In Lost Ark, however, as in other MMOs, there is a daily and weekly limit for raids and dungeons.
The end-game content also includes a PvP arena where you can prove yourself against other players in 1-on-1 or 3-on-3 battles. Those who fear Pay2Win advantages can breathe a sigh of relief: in the arena, everyone fights on an absolutely equal footing. Before the fight, each participant can allocate a certain number of points to stats and skills in the Fighter’s Diary. The progress made in PvE therefore plays no role here.
The world of Lost Ark
Even when it comes to the story, developers Smile Gate seem to be taking a bit of a cue from the genre top dog. The short version: In the past, God Regulus created two worlds – Arkesia and Petrania, to bring order to the world and displace the darkness. In the process, the so-called Ark lent its power to the followers of the light.
Now the peace of Arkesia is once again threatened – and our hero naturally sets out to find the seven pieces of the Ark scattered around the world to stop the evil. You can probably imagine that this search is not to the liking of some of the antagonists.
The world of Lost Ark is divided into several areas, similar to Guild Wars 2. Each zone is visually different from the others and we are offered a huge variety: Whether fantasy and medieval cities, salt deserts, Tomb Raider-like temples or futuristic environments, there is something here for everyone.
The long-term motivation
Many MMOs wrestle with the problem that many players drop out after only a short time. So what does Lost Ark come up with to keep and motivate the players over a longer period of time?
Right at the beginning, it is noticeable that there are many different collectibles to be found in Lost Ark, which are rewarded with more or less lucrative items. The adventure folio wants to be completed with moko seeds, viewpoints, monster types, quests and much more.
Stronger long-term motivation is offered by the unique loot and valuable equipment in the endgame, which can be farmed in raids or chaos dungeons.
Korean players can also look forward to new challenges, events and raids on a regular basis, because Smile Gate constantly delivers new end-game content. For Reddit user and long-time Lost Ark player luckystart1, Lost Ark even offers too much content, (as he explains in his post). For him, Lost Ark’s superior ideas conflict with the boring and uncreative content such as the fetch quests.
What the roadmap with new content for the western version of Lost Ark looks like, Amazon has not yet announced. So it is not yet clear if and when the content from the Korean version will also spill over to Europe. Whether Lost Ark, despite its weaknesses and the criticism of the in-game shop, will nevertheless succeed in convincing its European players and retaining them in the long term remains to be seen after its release in 2022.
Still an MMO at its core
But before Diablo fans and solo players get too excited: Yes, Lost Ark is reminiscent of classic action role-playing games in its best moments, invites you to explore and sets the bar particularly high in the battles – but it still remains an MMO at its core. Although the main story is excitingly told and beautifully staged through in-game scenes and cutscenes, the actual quests largely fall into the category of “MMO monotony”.
Sometimes we have to procure five large, sticky bones by smashing a few monsters. Sometimes we have to transport a crate from point A to point B, two steps away. And of course the classic tasks à la “Defeat 30 [insert any monster name here] before time runs out” are not to be missed.
While we are doing these generic MMO quests, other players run into us all the time. Our actions also have no lasting effect on the world, as monsters respawn within seconds to allow other players to complete the quest. So you can’t expect the immersive feeling you know from a Diablo in Lost Ark.
One exception here, however, are the instanced quests. Here, for example, we enter dungeons and are completely on our own against the hordes of monsters and the end boss. Depending on your preference, even on a somewhat harder difficulty level with better rewards.
Speaking of bosses: These can really be seen! Lost Ark offers a variety of enemies with different attack patterns, so that the fights against dungeon bosses – whether small or large – demand tactical skill from you. Especially in the endgame, you have to put in a lot of effort to defeat an enemy. This is usually only possible with a group of well-equipped players.
Dispute Pay2Win
The MMO-esque nature of Lost Ark, however, may not be the biggest problem with the online role-playing game, which has met with displeasure from Western gamers. Many turn their backs on the MMO from Korea even before release because they suspect a Pay2Win system behind the offers in the in-game shop.
In a blog post, the publisher explains:
“Amazon Games, in collaboration with Smilegate RPG, has revised the business model to better match Western perceptions and expectations of Western gamers. ”
The following changes are announced by Amazon:
- The publisher emphasises that Lost Ark is a Free2Play game and thus all purchases shall remain optional. In addition, all players should have the opportunity to purchase all items in the game without using real money. This refers to the trading post in the game.
- If players want to purchase items that are otherwise only available for premium currency without real money, they have to hope that other players will offer them for sale for in-game currency in the trading post. This is an economic system that has already been established on the Korean and Russian servers, as a long-time player explained to us in conversation. What exactly Amazon wants to have changed here is therefore unclear.
- The companions (pets) in Lost Ark have other functions in addition to the automatic loot collection, which can be rented monthly for real money (or the premium currency Royal Crystals). A Pet will be available as a quest reward in the western version at the beginning of the game. In addition, “purchases for companions will be permanent”. What exactly this means remains unclear. Because the next sentence says that abilities that could be rented before will now be available via the Kristalline Aura subscription model. In the press beta, as in the Russian version, we were shown that we could activate our companion’s abilities with 120 Purple Crystals for 30 days.
The Crystalline Aura has been adjusted and Pay2Win benefits removed according to the publisher. So the increased movement speed and battle XP bonus are no longer part of the premium service.
- Last but not least, the publisher claims to have “adjusted the timing in Mari’s shop” so that players now have 72 hours to make a purchase decision before the items on offer disappear from the shop.
Whether these changes are enough to appease the European gaming community, however, is questionable. Pets still bring advantages to the character if one is willing to reach into one’s real money pocket. The pressure of missing out on limited items and the feeling of having to buy them immediately will probably also come up if they are available in the shop for 72 hours. Furthermore, the random principle of item upgrades is criticised by players – the use of real money quickly becomes a gamble and does not guarantee an upgrade. Amazon has not yet commented on this.
The shop was unfortunately not yet available in the press beta. However, you can already take a look at the changes in the closed beta. Every player has 40,000 Royal Crystals at their disposal, the currency that can normally only be purchased with real money. 1,000 royal crystals are roughly equivalent to 10 dollars. So in the closed beta you can really splash out on money. However, the credit will of course not be transferred to the release version.
After a postponement, the Korean MMO Lost Ark is also to be released for the western market in early 2022. From 4 to 11 November, you can play in the closed beta and get your own impression of the MMO.
