Online game "Lineage 2: Essence"

Lineage 2: Essence is a free-to-play fantasy role-playing game. This is the most classic MMORPG: with a huge map, on which wander elves level 80, countless magic artifacts, clan wars, raids on bosses and other attributes of the genre. But even here there are several features that distinguish the project from its peers. And the main thing that attracts "Essence" against the background of other versions of the game is its friendliness to newcomers.

Lineage 2: Essence takes place on the continent of Aden, where humans, elves, dwarves, orcs and the winged warrior race of the Kamael live together. All the global catastrophes of this world have been left behind - it has endured the war of the gods, and the flood, and devastating raids, but now the people of fairyland are building a new society on the ruins of ancient civilizations. And they draw information about the past only from legends. However, the backstory only adds to the atmosphere, but does not oblige you to join any of the sides - there are simply no bad and good, good and evil, everything is initially on equal rights.

After registration, the game offers to create a character. This is entertaining in itself, because you can choose your race and gender, customize your appearance and give a name, and at the same time decide on your class. And if the hairstyle of the hero does not affect anything, then from his class depends a lot: how your ward will develop, what kind of role he will get in the group of other characters and in what style he will start to destroy enemies. Meanwhile, the types of characters are classical. There is a "tank", able to withstand a hail of blows, a hero with a powerful attack (more often called damage dealer), a support fighter and a healer. At the same time, each race has its own perspective. For example, you can make a human or elf into a real wizard, but you can't make a dwarf or a kamael. But the same dwarves can forge armor, for which the elven warrior does not have the guts.

Newly minted hero gets to the starting location, where characters of other players hang out, as well as give tasks to the actors under the control of the computer. What exactly to do now is up to you. You can pick up a bunch of tasks and go to fulfill them, learn something interesting about the world of Aden, chat with someone, find friends to go to a strong enemy or just look around. As is customary in the genre, not all lands and classes on the Lineage 2: Essence map are available at once. To, say, fish and exchange your catch for a reward, you need to develop your hero to at least level 20, and to hunt the undead in the Cemetery location you'll need at least level 47. The game is full of such content, divided by levels, and it's for the best, because not only a beginner, but also an experienced user always has something to do.

There is no common task for all participants. Here everyone sets his own goal: someone does nothing but pump up his hero for the sake of victories over others, and someone creates clans and captures castles. Singles spend their time destroying ordinary opponents, factions organize joint forays on bosses, and mass events involving hundreds of players have an impact on the entire virtual world. It's easy to find your place in this cycle - you just need to understand what you like to do in the game more.

The first type of activity, which you get acquainted with when completing tasks, is battles with monsters under the control of artificial intelligence. This mode is more often called PvE - ordinary enemies in it are usually weak, so the hero lays down each of them with one left, especially if you are lucky enough to inflict critical damage. However, in order to collect more rewards, open new missions and develop your character, you have to slay dummies by the hundreds. To make the combat routine not too tiring, Essence has an auto-hunting function from the start. You just click on the autofight icon and the hero starts hitting opponents himself, collecting prey that falls out of them. Even if you need to take a sip of strengthening potion or apply some charms, he also does it without any guidance from the user. The gamer sleeps - the pumping goes on.

This simplification is very much in the spirit of the genre. After all, it's as if it was created for relaxed mouse clicking after work, sipping a cool drink. But even without that the game will find ways to make the tasks easier. For example, in his wanderings through Aden, the hero is assisted by pets - creatures that can provide support in battle and lift trophies. There are six such animals in total: Wolf, Hawk, Dragon, Buffalo, Cougar and Kookabarra. Each of them acts in its own way, and all of them can be improved - for example, to grow from a small puppy to a wolf in armor.

In addition, there is no need to run through spacious locations, unnecessarily exposing yourself to risk. Special teleporters help with this. And you need to use them often, because, as it was already mentioned, new territories are opened as the hero grows in levels - and each of them has its own enemies. True, while traveling outside the walls of peaceful zones, your hero is not as afraid of ordinary monsters as other characters under the control of players. They can easily attack. Not always, of course, because in Lineage 2: Essence you can't remove armor and weapons from the innocently killed, but at least for the sake of a joke - they can. This format, in which users fight each other, is called PvP.

There are rules to it: you are challenged, and you are free to accept or refuse. Although it is possible to kill a hero who is not participating in the duel, it spoils the attacker's karma - stronger players will be rewarded by avenging him for you. That's why instead of petty mischief it's more profitable for users to join forces in a group - "party" - and go to smash serious enemies, which, unlike ordinary monsters, are able to crush a loner in no time. In general, the lion's share of the game is devoted to social interaction - it's no coincidence that the name of the genre calls multiplayer "mass". It's not just about banal communication in chat or joint battles, but also about trading, competition for hunting grounds, joining clans and alliances. The principle of "look at others and show yourself" is used here to the fullest extent.

The most popular association of players is a clan. Anyone who has reached level 10 and is not a member of any groups can create one. For reference: the tenth level is not difficult to gain in half an hour. That is, almost all users, including newcomers, are free to register such gangs to command them, distribute bonuses among the participants and fight together. A clan can rent a dwelling or take over a castle by force, thus gaining not only a headquarters, but also various privileges such as accelerated upgrades or trading opportunities. Once you have at least 15 heroes in your party, you can declare war on another clan and fight them for rewards. Or you can take on players from another server in the Olympics mode. As we know from the movies, only greater power comes with greater responsibility: a clan with a tarnished reputation gets penalized and becomes less profitable for its members.

Three non-belligerent clans form an alliance with its leader at its head - the same options are available here, but on a larger scale. All the changes on the map of the game world are somehow connected with the activities of clans and alliances: they capture castles, take control of territories, and are always fighting among themselves. In other words, if you want to be in the "movement" - cooperate. It doesn't mean that a single player in Lineage 2: Essence won't get anything. It's just that there are more interesting opportunities and events in the company.

The progression system in the game is traditional for the whole MMORPG genre. The hero defeats enemies and accumulates experience, which can be invested in new levels and skills. The path of development depends on the initial choice of race and class - over time, it allows you to acquire a profession, followed by a second and third specialty. For example, you have a human warrior. Having gained enough experience, he can be turned into a knight, warrior or brigand. Let's say you've taken a knight - further, already at level 40, you will have a choice between a pugilist and a gladiator. Each specialization has its own features, advantages and disadvantages in combat. Don't like the profession? At levels 20, 40 and 76 you can change it.

In Lineage 2: Essence you can upgrade not only your character, but also your pet, your servant (a creature summoned for the duration of the battle), your equipment, your clans, your alliances - in short, everything in the world. However, there is no straight path to perfection here. On the one hand, a lot of things depend on luck - the chance to knock a certain item out of the enemy, the chance to improve a trophy to the required parameters and so on. On the other hand, pumping is technically multifaceted. Both scrolls and special stones for "sharpening" help to strengthen the same weapon. And even those have different properties: for example, a scroll can be stable, improved or cursed, i.e. reducing the characteristics of the thing.

Collecting equipment is an adventure in itself. In the game, you can't say that the items you need are guaranteed to be there. And even if you get a coveted trophy, you risk losing it because of the character's death. Randomness rules here, expressed in percentages and the "Saiha's Patronage" scale. This indicator affects the probability of getting more or less loot, as well as the amount of experience. Patronage points are spent during fights with monsters: the longer the hunt, the less likely you are to get something rare. To keep up the momentum, you can feed your hero with various boosters, such as the "Blessing of Saiha". Or invest real money - whichever is more convenient.

Lineage 2 is a varied, long-lasting and terrifyingly addictive game. From monster hunting to clan feuds and epic castle battles, there's something for everyone. Besides, the Essence version simplifies immersion into the fairytale world: for the sake of battles with bosses in it you don't need to go down into dungeons, there are teleports on the map, heroes are able to act automatically and strengthen themselves with charms - you don't need to take support characters with you on outings. There are a lot of nuances, and the conclusion is the same: if you want to get acquainted with the classics of the genre and to pass time among like-minded people without stress, this option is just right.

Zarium. August 2023