ArcheAge Game Review
ArcheAge is a free-to-play role-playing game from Korean developers. It has absorbed the brightest signs of the genre: a huge world with a fascinating history, a wide variety of locations, monsters, heroic outfit, and it is also full of shapely elves in armor-lifters. But this work has some unique features. Among them is the setting at the intersection of fantasy and steampunk: magic neighbors with machines running on steam engines. And for those who don't want to break their spears over robots, ArcheAge offers plenty of peaceful entertainment. You can get a homestead, grow potatoes in the garden and even start a family. Let's find out what's remarkable about this colorful work.
About the game's universe
The world of ArcheAge is based on the books of the famous Asian writer Min-Hee Chung, so it is well detailed and each location has its own fascinating story. There is magic and technology in the spirit of Jules Verne, and traditional Korean beliefs are mixed with biblical motifs. The game is set after a war that has lasted for over 1000 years. The conflict involves overbearing engineers who create robots with the support of demonic forces on one side and defenders of nature and the magic associated with it on the other. The former created the Dwarves and the Battleborn as servants, while the latter created the Elves and Humans. Even after gaining their freedom, all of these peoples continued their struggle for power. You can join one of them to conquer the disputed territories.
The game map is a huge space with forests, plains, mountains, villages and even the ocean. The world is seamless, that is, when you move from one location to another, there are no downloads. So it is very convenient to explore the local attractions. You can run on your own, ride a pet, drive a car, fly a hang glider or sail a ship. There are different activities associated with each mode of transportation. For example, while sailing, no one prevents you from gathering a team of friends to transport goods or engage in piracy and gunfights board to board. Interested in the underwater world? No problem with that either, and the bottom of the sea is full of treasures.
Wherever you go, you'll encounter locals, heroes under the control of other players as well as computer characters and monsters that act automatically. There are peaceful areas where fighting is forbidden, where everyone communicates, gets tasks, settles down and trades. But in most areas of danger awaits. Sometimes monsters will attack, sometimes you'll find yourself in a "bad area", inhabited by representatives of a hostile faction, and then the conflict can't be avoided. Although for a fair fight in ArcheAge provides Arena, many PvP-battles between characters of users taking place simply in the open world. That is why it is especially important to enlist the support of friends and go together with them not only on strong monsters, but also on missions in general.
Wherever you go, you'll encounter locals, heroes under the control of other players as well as computer characters and monsters that act automatically. There are peaceful areas where fighting is forbidden, where everyone communicates, gets tasks, settles down and trades. But in most areas of danger awaits. Sometimes monsters will attack, sometimes you'll find yourself in a "bad area", inhabited by representatives of a hostile faction, and then the conflict can't be avoided. Although for a fair fight in ArcheAge provides Arena, many PvP-battles between characters of users taking place simply in the open world. That is why it is especially important to enlist the support of friends and go together with them not only on strong monsters, but also on missions in general.
Territorially the game universe is divided into several large zones, not including small islands. We are talking about the Western continent, the home of Elves, Dwarves and Nouyans, the Eastern continent, where there live Battleborn, Harnians and Ferre - creatures that resemble cats and humans at once, as well as the disputed lands, for which there are fights. Those wishing to join the fight for resources and more quickly develop the hero at some point will be useful to join the large associations of players - guilds. As part of their membership is easier to kill monster bosses and participate in mass events, such as the siege of castles, requiring 70 people in each army. On the other hand, do not have time to be bored and the loners: they are engaged in crafts, trade, grow vegetables or trees in the garden, equip houses, fishing - whatever you like. But first things first.
Which race to choose?
The first thing you have to do in the game is to choose gender and race, as well as to customize the appearance of your character. Traditionally for games of the genre, the character editor allows you to do a lot of things: change the body, hairstyle, tattoos, eye size and color, clothes - just about anything. Given the beautiful graphics and little things like realistic physics of female breasts, this in itself is entertainment. But if appearance offers only aesthetic benefits, small bonuses already depend on race. There are six nations in all: the Battleborn, the Dwarves, the Nouyans, the Harnians, the Ferre, and the Elves.
The first and look like combat mutants, and behave accordingly - they are hardy, and after level 30 get to use demonic powers in battle. Dwarves are classic fantasy dwarves: six feet tall and with a cap, but with golden hands. If you plan to do mining or crafts, this dwarf is a good choice. Noians are ordinary people who have a starting characteristic gain, but on top of that they are also gifted builders. If you've decided on a life in ArcheAge with gardening and regular battles in the guild, you can choose this option because it's average in every way. Harnians are the same people, just living on another continent and being friends with Mother Nature. Those of them who don't pursue a career as gatherers or traders thrive on the waves under the black flag - thanks to the bonus to the shooting of ship's guns.
Elves have a peculiar talent - they can stay underwater longer than others, making it easier for them to get all sorts of treasures from the bottom. Add their natural ability for magic to complete the picture. As for the Ferre, that resembles cat-men, their element is air. Members of this race deftly climb ladders and trees and fall from heights painlessly. A handy trick if there are any problems with the glider in the sky.
Usually immediately after the description of this stage follows a discussion of the classes of heroes, which are of great importance in the role-playing system. But the uniqueness of the game is that you can combine different skills to create a special character.
Elves have a peculiar talent - they can stay underwater longer than others, making it easier for them to get all sorts of treasures from the bottom. Add their natural ability for magic to complete the picture. As for the Ferre, that resembles cat-men, their element is air. Members of this race deftly climb ladders and trees and fall from heights painlessly. A handy trick if there are any problems with the glider in the sky.
Usually immediately after the description of this stage follows a discussion of the classes of heroes, which are of great importance in the role-playing system. But the uniqueness of the game is that you can combine different skills to create a special character.
How does the role system work?
All combat skills in the game are divided into the following branches: offense, sorcery, pursuit, stealth, healing, mysticism, defense, hypnosis, resistance, and elation. In each you can improve as you gain new levels. But only three out of ten categories can be chosen for a single hero. The combination of these skills creates a variety of classes, which in ArcheAge there are 120 pieces. Want a mage who can hold a punch in close combat? You're welcome. Need a hypnotist archer? Healer ninja? There's a way to do that, too. Form a character to your liking. After all, your role in the team depends on your skills: you will only support your comrades or do the main work, initiate combat or finish blows, call fire on yourself or strike stealthily.
But, as is customary in the genre, you can not become a cyborg assassin at once - first you have to level up. And to develop your hero you need to gain experience by completing story tasks. Missions are designed as usual: talk to the character under the control of artificial intelligence, then kill monsters or get something, go back for the reward - and so many times. Also this valuable resource is accrued for PvP battles - against heroes under the control of other players. You can also improve your protagonist by crafting. Whichever applied profession you choose, from creating items to trading them, any success in the work performed develops your hero. But when he dies, some of the experience is lost, so in the fantasy world it's important to calculate your strength and use the support of your friends.
Battles are based on the combination of blows and skills: take the enemy in the crosshairs and unleash all the knowledge you have, at the same time not forgetting to add hand to hand. This is where the constructed from different skills class shows itself. For effective attacks, especially in group fights, you have to make such combos, that you can make the opponent as tough as possible or help your teammates as much as possible. For example, to stun several opponents at once and fire a fireball at them before they come to their senses.
There are many roads to excellence, but each one has a limit in the form of work points. These are a valuable resource, as they are spent on any action that brings experience. Roughly speaking, it's a reserve of energy, which is replenished for no reason (5 points every 5 minutes), while sleeping, drinking special potions and using magic items like pajamas or pickaxes. If you don't bother buying any artifacts, you can spend your evenings at a very leisurely pace. But for an active user who wants all the excitement, this may not be enough. This is where the premium subscription comes in handy - for the sake of an initial bonus to all income, a beginner only needs to subscribe for at least a month, and then look at the circumstances. Or you can take a more difficult route to your goal, but that does not mean that it will be less interesting.
Battles are based on the combination of blows and skills: take the enemy in the crosshairs and unleash all the knowledge you have, at the same time not forgetting to add hand to hand. This is where the constructed from different skills class shows itself. For effective attacks, especially in group fights, you have to make such combos, that you can make the opponent as tough as possible or help your teammates as much as possible. For example, to stun several opponents at once and fire a fireball at them before they come to their senses.
There are many roads to excellence, but each one has a limit in the form of work points. These are a valuable resource, as they are spent on any action that brings experience. Roughly speaking, it's a reserve of energy, which is replenished for no reason (5 points every 5 minutes), while sleeping, drinking special potions and using magic items like pajamas or pickaxes. If you don't bother buying any artifacts, you can spend your evenings at a very leisurely pace. But for an active user who wants all the excitement, this may not be enough. This is where the premium subscription comes in handy - for the sake of an initial bonus to all income, a beginner only needs to subscribe for at least a month, and then look at the circumstances. Or you can take a more difficult route to your goal, but that does not mean that it will be less interesting.
What else is there to do?
Games of this format is commonly referred to as "sandboxes" because they allow freedom of action and movement - go where you want and do what you like. For the realization of this great idea, the developers have thought of a lot of little things. For example, you can plant a tree, grow it, then cut it down and sell it on another continent - and for each step in the chain of events some reward is due. It's the same with building a personal cabin in the virtual world: you can choose any location you like, build a building, decorate it and put useful objects like a workbench in the yard. An act of creativity is always followed by encouragement. But at the same time there are new concerns - for the same homestead must pay rent in game currency.
Unlike most games of the genre, this one also rewards travel. In the universe of ArcheAge full of secrets: You can turn in an inconspicuous grove and meet there a character, giving a bonus, or suddenly find a valuable object. Wandering the waters, mariners discover many new things, including an island with a chain of pirate missions. Finally, in a world where trade and robbery are equally prosperous, the law is an issue. No one prevents you from killing a merchant of an enemy faction for a quick profit in order to sell his merchandise yourself - war is the mother of all. But the same aggression against your own is fraught with punishment: you will be wanted and, having been caught, will be put on trial. With live players as a prosecutor, a lawyer and a jury. The conclusion, by the way, is quite prison-like - for a term specified in the sentence you are put behind bars with other violators.
Unlike most games of the genre, this one also rewards travel. In the universe of ArcheAge full of secrets: You can turn in an inconspicuous grove and meet there a character, giving a bonus, or suddenly find a valuable object. Wandering the waters, mariners discover many new things, including an island with a chain of pirate missions. Finally, in a world where trade and robbery are equally prosperous, the law is an issue. No one prevents you from killing a merchant of an enemy faction for a quick profit in order to sell his merchandise yourself - war is the mother of all. But the same aggression against your own is fraught with punishment: you will be wanted and, having been caught, will be put on trial. With live players as a prosecutor, a lawyer and a jury. The conclusion, by the way, is quite prison-like - for a term specified in the sentence you are put behind bars with other violators.
The social part, of course, is strong, but no one is forced to join a guild for the sake of protection and joint wars. If you want, you can simply create a family of several people to own common property without any subordination and perform story missions. There's plenty of entertainment for the merry company - and new ones are constantly appearing. For example, the developers have recently added a "battle royal" mode in ArcheAge, where a group of heroes managed by users fighting on a shrinking map to the last survivor. The trick of this version is that the battles are not on land, and at sea - using the ship's guns. In other words, there are a lot of options to diversify your leisure time - if only you wanted to.
Conclusion
Even against the background of other representatives of the genre ArcheAge looks like an example of style and variety of mechanics. The game is built on the principle of "sandbox", where it is not difficult to find an activity for all tastes. It looks beautiful, impresses with the size of the open world and offers an interesting role-playing system with more than a hundred classes. In addition, it has been officially published in Russia, so there is no need to puzzle over hieroglyphics or amateur translations.
Zarium, October 2020
Zarium, October 2020