For MMO fans in the West, the wait for Blade & Soul has been a long one. During the past several years it has enjoyed massive success in Asia as a result of its beautiful presentation and thrilling combat system. Its attributes have been exactly what North American and European MMO fans have been craving during these past few rough years.
That arduous wait will soon come to an end, and Blade & Soul will arrive in North America and Europe on January 19th. With that, heavy competition will enter the market providing more choices for fans of the genre.
If you enjoy MMOs, Blade & Soul is a game worth checking out. But before you download and play, be sure to read the information in the gallery below to get started with some vital knowledge.
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Cerulean Order vs. Crimson Legion
Blade & Soul features two playable factions: Cerulean Order and Crimson Legion. A few hours into the experience you will be provided an opportunity to choose a faction to join, and that choice will limit your ability to participate in activities with others.
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rnIt should be noted that the two factions don't work the same as World of Warcraft's Horde vs. Alliance where both are completely separated from one another. Instead, Cerulean Order and Crimson Legion play alongside another, but are disintegrated in terms of some features as both compete for souls and progression.
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rnAs the story goes, these two Martial Arts Factions are tasked with fighting evil, but neither agrees with the other on how to go about doing so. On one hand, the Cerulean Order are a noble, communal people who desire prosperity for everyone. Meanwhile, the Crimson Legion believes in freedom of choice, individuality, and anti-government. -
Choose Your Class
There are seven classes in Blade & Soul (Warlock will be added in the future). Each has a unique resource and skills. Each class is also locked to only one to three of the four races, which consist of Gon, Jin, Yun, and Lyn.
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rnThe classes are as follows:rn- rn
- Assassin - a mobile class with good burst damage but lower defense. rn
- Blade Dancer - a well-rounded class that can tank, dps, and support. rn
- Blade Master - warriors that specialize in sword combat, parrying, and evasion. rn
- Destroyer - a short distance, slow, and heavy hitting tank-fighter. rn
- Force Master - ranged magical masters of control, and can apply movement impairing effects to multiple enemies rn
- Kung-Fu Master - utilize their own fists to attack and defend against foes with ease. rn
- Summoner - a highly balanced and versatile class that attacks from range. rn
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Tried-and-Tested Combat System
Blade & Soul features action combat not too dissimilar from games like SMITE and TERA, where players must aim most of their skills and press hotkeys to activate them. It's fast-paced, skill oriented, and in the case of most classes revolves around a combo system. Players will not only need to sequence their skills to achieve best results, but need to react to what enemies are doing to avoid damage and counterattack for maximum damage.
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rnThe action combat is considered one of the game's greatest strengths, and is a major reason why it has become so popular in Asia. -
Down But Not Out
Upon reaching zero health, players enter a Downed state for 80 seconds. In this state, they are able to crawl on the floor slowly. To return to a living state, the player must be revived by another player or enter Chi Restoration for roughly 15 seconds without being attacked. Players who aren't able to revive will die and must resurrect at a Windstride point or at the entrance of the dungeon/zone. -
Play At No Cost
Blade & Soul is free to play, allowing players to enjoy the journey at no cost. The game instead relies on Premium Membership and Premium Points. Premium Membership is optional and provides increased gold and XP acquisition in addition to some convenient perks. Premium Points are a microtransaction currency which allows players to buy vanity items via an in-game shop.
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rnIn addition to the above, Blade & Soul also offers digital Founder's Packs that include a multitude of goodies. These will only be available pre-release, and will grant players access to the game three full days before its official release. -
An Asian Phenomenon
Blade & Soul might be arriving in the West this month, but it's actually a game that has been available for play for more than three years. It launched in South Korea in June of 2012, and has since debuted in China, Japan, and Taiwan where it is remarkably popular. In-fact, it is the fifth most popular game in the MMORPG capital of the world, South Korea. The game already has a huge following, and even a manga that millions enjoy. This means great things for gamers who plan to play the game in the West as it's already achieved success and has strong support from the developer. -
The Flavors Of Content
Blade & Soul has wide breadth of content that includes both PvE and PvP, although it slightly favors the latter. In terms of PvE, there are thousands of quests to complete, dungeons, and raid bosses. On the PvP side of things, there's World PvP and Arena. Soon, some game modes including Capture Points and Domination will be added following focus testing. -
Training For Decimation
Blade & Soul's equivalent of skill trees is what's called the Training System. Unlocked at level 15, players earn one point to put in the tree per level. There are many choices to choose from in an effort to customize your character, including the unlocking of new skills, or augmentation of skills already equipped.
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rnSkill resets are available, although at a cost. -
Objective #1
At present, the level cap is 45 in Blade & Soul. Upon reaching this level you are encouraged to participate in group play, either in PvE or PvP. The game's immensely detailed armors and weapons have encouraged players to actively clear content and create flashy costumes of their own. -
Censorship
Blade & Soul has been mildly but controversially censored during its transition to the West. Although still bearing exaggerated physical features, much of the "revealing" clothing has been cut in an effort to tone down the game's pervasive sexuality.
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rnAlthough this might seem like a minus to some players, the game has tons of highly detailed armors to choose from.
