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My impression of ArcheAge

jRokoujRokou Member CommonPosts: 3
in ArcheAge

{This is an overview/semi-review covering what I have experience of ArcheAge.}

Summary-   ArcheAge is quite the open ended MMORPG; while not quite a full-on sandbox, it has more than enough engaging and interesting elements to be respectfully called a “sand-park.” This is not to say that the game suffers from having a few themepark elements such as traditional combat and questing, but rather that the game is able to bring the two together (with far more emphasis on the sandbox portion) in an effective way. From meaningful crafting to naval warfare, the game brims with the opportunity for your character to advance in whichever way you see fit, and with a seamless and vast world there is nothing stopping you from exploring and making a name for yourself, barring tough enemies or other players out to take your life. Overall, while ArcheAge is not totally re-inventing the wheel, the game brings so much together in a quality fashion that many players can overlook the fact that not everything is completely fresh and innovative.

{Below covers various game aspects individually with a personal score}

Gameplay (8/10)- In ArcheAge you won’t always be doing the same thing. Sure, if one solely grinds out quests, they may find the entire experience underwhelming but make a small shift into crafting a ship and your entire outlook can change. In short the gameplay changes up depending on what you feel like doing. It can go from being a bit of a life simulator with owning a home and tending to animals to the game transitioning into a stressful PVP brawl involving dozens of players all within a matter of minutes. The labor point system may limit just how varied your game choices are however and if you are not a patron then you miss out on a few nice things. With so much to think about it can be difficult to have a sense of direction and one may notice that not every activity is done up to an exceptional level, but that is to be expected with such a large to-do list, if you will.

Combat and Classes (7/10)- The most important thing to note about the combat is that it follows a more traditional point-and-click format. However, I have found the combat to be a good deal more fast-pace than what one would expect with fairly good animations to boot. Also, the skill “combos” can lead to a good bit of strategy down the line. What truly helps though is that there are 120 class combinations. I chose sorcery, shadowplay, and songcraft and became a spellslinger as a result. You can have a lot of fun finding which skillset combinations suit your play-style and that in itself keeps the combat from becoming an entirely stale affair.

Visuals and Presentation (9/10)- ArcheAge makes pretty good use of CryEngine 3 as the lighting in many areas is fantastic and the detail rendered throughout the games immense landscapes can be quite a sight. However I find that when areas are not bathed in sunlight they tend to look a tad dull and in few cases outright bland. Some may be put off by the eastern styled appearance of ArcheAge (personal taste) as well as the run-of-the-mill quest hub look. What truly wins me over is that the world has no loading screens while traveling and you are presented with this right from the start with plains and oceans stretching for miles seemingly.

Sound (7/10)-  I personally found nothing too spectacular about the games musical score/sound effects. While the music overall is not too subtle nor too overbearing, I would say it is just above average, though mostly fitting for trotting through the game’s world or taking to the sea and sky. The combat sounds are quite good and weapons and spells sound like they should upon striking an enemy, again, nothing amazing.

Longevity (10/10)- This is where ArcheAge truly shines, with so much to partake in ranging from exploring, to crafting a ship, to trading, to playing a tune you yourself composed in game, it is a role-player’s dream. If one can overlook the questing and instead focus on the heart of the game, which is immersing yourself into a feature filled world, then you may find it very hard to truly put the game down as you can make progress with your character for what seems like an eternity.

 Tl;dr---Overall I would recommend this game to players who tire of completely on-rails experiences and seek just a little more freedom than they may be used to.

Comments

  • laz3rNach0zlaz3rNach0z Member Posts: 59
    Originally posted by jRokou

    {This is an overview/semi-review covering what I have experience of ArcheAge.}

    Summary-   ArcheAge is quite the open ended MMORPG; while not quite a full-on sandbox, it has more than enough engaging and interesting elements to be respectfully called a “sand-park.” This is not to say that the game suffers from having a few themepark elements such as traditional combat and questing, but rather that the game is able to bring the two together (with far more emphasis on the sandbox portion) in an effective way. From meaningful crafting to naval warfare, the game brims with the opportunity for your character to advance in whichever way you see fit, and with a seamless and vast world there is nothing stopping you from exploring and making a name for yourself, barring tough enemies or other players out to take your life. Overall, while ArcheAge is not totally re-inventing the wheel, the game brings so much together in a quality fashion that many players can overlook the fact that not everything is completely fresh and innovative.

    {Below covers various game aspects individually with a personal score}

    Gameplay (8/10)- In ArcheAge you won’t always be doing the same thing. Sure, if one solely grinds out quests, they may find the entire experience underwhelming but make a small shift into crafting a ship and your entire outlook can change. In short the gameplay changes up depending on what you feel like doing. It can go from being a bit of a life simulator with owning a home and tending to animals to the game transitioning into a stressful PVP brawl involving dozens of players all within a matter of minutes. The labor point system may limit just how varied your game choices are however and if you are not a patron then you miss out on a few nice things. With so much to think about it can be difficult to have a sense of direction and one may notice that not every activity is done up to an exceptional level, but that is to be expected with such a large to-do list, if you will.

    Combat and Classes (7/10)- The most important thing to note about the combat is that it follows a more traditional point-and-click format. However, I have found the combat to be a good deal more fast-pace than what one would expect with fairly good animations to boot. Also, the skill “combos” can lead to a good bit of strategy down the line. What truly helps though is that there are 120 class combinations. I chose sorcery, shadowplay, and songcraft and became a spellslinger as a result. You can have a lot of fun finding which skillset combinations suit your play-style and that in itself keeps the combat from becoming an entirely stale affair.

    Visuals and Presentation (9/10)- ArcheAge makes pretty good use of CryEngine 3 as the lighting in many areas is fantastic and the detail rendered throughout the games immense landscapes can be quite a sight. However I find that when areas are not bathed in sunlight they tend to look a tad dull and in few cases outright bland. Some may be put off by the eastern styled appearance of ArcheAge (personal taste) as well as the run-of-the-mill quest hub look. What truly wins me over is that the world has no loading screens while traveling and you are presented with this right from the start with plains and oceans stretching for miles seemingly.

    Sound (7/10)-  I personally found nothing too spectacular about the games musical score/sound effects. While the music overall is not too subtle nor too overbearing, I would say it is just above average, though mostly fitting for trotting through the game’s world or taking to the sea and sky. The combat sounds are quite good and weapons and spells sound like they should upon striking an enemy, again, nothing amazing.

    Longevity (10/10)- This is where ArcheAge truly shines, with so much to partake in ranging from exploring, to crafting a ship, to trading, to playing a tune you yourself composed in game, it is a role-player’s dream. If one can overlook the questing and instead focus on the heart of the game, which is immersing yourself into a feature filled world, then you may find it very hard to truly put the game down as you can make progress with your character for what seems like an eternity.

     Tl;dr---Overall I would recommend this game to players who tire of completely on-rails experiences and seek just a little more freedom than they may be used to.

    how u like viable endgame mechanics bro is it win

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