Bless - Review in Progress - First Steps & Early Days - MMORPG.com

SBFord · May 2018

Bless - Review in Progress - First Steps & Early Days - MMORPG.com

With dozens of hours under my belt, and server stability problems subsiding, does Bless have what it takes to rally players all the way to its official launch in August, or is the western release of Bless just another misstep in an abundance of disappointing regional releases?

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berlight · May 2018

They had millions of $$$$ and 2 years to develop the game to the west AKA fix the bugs. All the bugs are still there... The item dupe exploit already broke the economy on the first two days and they stated they are not going to wipe the servers. So GG.

Rukushin · May 2018

Wow, I must say you were very mild in your review of this game. Quite literally every other review I have seen of this game has had it fall on a sword or commit seppuku for bringing shame to the MMO family name.

The UI is unable to be customized at all. The combat is lackluster and has issues with latency. Due to the combo system animation lock is worse than it ever was in ESO. This is made worse with the telegraphs on the ground and that particular style of combat not being conducive to latency and a combo system that locks you from being able to move out of the telegraph.

Then apparently the questing and early game is so "run of the mill" aka "meh" aka "boring" that most reviewers have not hesitated one bit in saying, "DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!". I put this in caps because in about 3 of 7 review videos I've seen the reviewer actually screamed it and repeated it so passionately it was impossible to ignore. Others even remarked how it's rare for them to give a verdict so early, but the questing/early game is so boring that there is no aspiration to get to the end game to see what it is like and that even if this game had come out back in 2011 it would be hard pressed to do well.

Once I heard all of that from 7 different reviewers I'm shocked to see your review be so mild. Especially in 2018 (really? using DirectX9? not even 11? much less 12?) I think a bit more criticism is warranted in this case.

ultimateduck · May 2018

This is still a game I am interested in.

Can you tell me about the loot system? I am not a fan of games in which everyone is wearing the same gear at the end, e.g., all mages are wearing the (tier 1 through x) mage set or all paladins are wearing the same plate set. DAoC had a great dynamic gear system mixing class set armor, player crafted, legendary drops, RoG, etc. GW2 also did a decent job with gear.

Thanks!

BillMurphy · May 2018

This isn't a "review", but rather a first impressions. Review is next week, folks. After he's had enough time to get to the end-game (or lack there of).

StevenWeber · May 2018

There are several considerations to my early impressions leading into the review of Bless. One of those considerations is that I have not nor do I intend to play the Japanese or Korean versions of Bless. Basing something on a comparison of other versions of itself isn't a luxury I have, so while I acknowledge problems in the combat system I'm not going to base my perspective on other versions.

I also won't be able to review what isn't in the game yet. Currently Bless is in Early Access, as much as everyone believes it has released in other countries and should be out of a developmental state, it currently is not. We will have an in depth discussion on a lot of the issues Bless has experienced, as well as several early player perceptions this week on the GameSpace Game Show.

If you would like your questions answered as a new player or would like to be part of the conversation, join us this Friday Night at 10pm EST on the MMORPG.com Twitch, Youtube, Periscope or GameSpaces Facebook Page, or if you miss it, check out our podcast on iTunes, Tunein, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Naitakal · May 2018

BillMurphy said:

This isn't a "review", but rather a first impressions. Review is next week, folks. After he's had enough time to get to the end-game (or lack there of).

SInce when are games being reviewed in EA? Shouldn't this actually be a preview at best? End game will be patched during EA phase and will not be at 45, just saying.

Splattr · May 2018

I agree the combo system is very rigid and some combos don't make sense. My biggest combo issue so far has been a melee attack followed by 2 ranged attacks. Sorta silly to run up and then do the ranged.

As far as missed attacks ending combos, I would expect that. Seems "realistic" that if a link in the chain breaks, the chain ain't no good no more.

Nilden · May 2018

JeffSpicoli · May 2018

Nilden said:

Is it really that bad?

Slapshot1188 · May 2018

Naitakal said:

BillMurphy said:

This isn't a "review", but rather a first impressions. Review is next week, folks. After he's had enough time to get to the end-game (or lack there of).

SInce when are games being reviewed in EA? Shouldn't this actually be a preview at best? End game will be patched during EA phase and will not be at 45, just saying.

The EA shield does not protect against a Review. Are they taking money for the game and are the characters persistent? ( no wipe)

If the answer is yes to those then the game is launched and should be reviewed.

Splattr · May 2018

maliboy said:

Come on men did u realy play the game. Stop it plzzzz WHY MMORPG Pollyanna's this much popular. They were have the time They didnt even fix 2,3 years old bugs. its a Scam. They dig and try to erase the content all this time (three is still assians items drops) They didnt do any improvment in their mind its realy clear they put parts of they erase piece by piece try to keep the game popular every time they put some think in the game u kind Pollyanna's will come back the game and spend money then they see its still shit. and leave Come on as big trusted Comminty like MMORPG . com U cannot say right stuff like this miss direct ppl. Put Truth stop this Pollyanna shit %50 mmorpg players already three stop play on the stage only Truth matters. i hope u didnt get payed to publish this

Exaggerate much? 50% have quit? Facts to back that up? I am sure plenty have quit, but the servers still have tons of players on them.

Stands to reason that you don't like a first impression piece that shows both the positives (yes, there are some) along with the negatives when you point towards "reviewers" that get their views by screaming and ranting about the bad (or good, never both) as opposed to giving a real critique. I have played many MMOs with better, and worse, systems, but that doesn't mean that every single thing in Bless is a deal breaker.

Am I still playing Bless? Yes. Will I be in 2 or 3 months? Maybe, maybe not, but right now I am having fun, and it was worth the $40 I put down for it.

berlight · May 2018

thunderC said:

Nilden said:

Is it really that bad?

It was the worst experience I've ever had in a mmorpg release. In my clan/friends more than 30 people refunded the game already.

Octagon7711 · May 2018

Are they working on fixing the translation issues? Few comments about this so far but the ones I've read make it seem like a big deal.

Deadrites87 · May 2018

Really starting to dislike this early access thing going on with games nowadays, as it seems to give devs a reason to release subpar, incomplete games. How many times has this game failed now? They should have known better than to release a game for full retail price that doesn't even have endgame content in it but look on the bright side it had what? 150k-160k viewers on twitch at one point in the first couple of days? There is a huge audience of people that desperately want a good mmorpg. We just need someone to come along and fill that void.

maksula234 · May 2018

They made this game so easy now its almost like an insult... I cant believe there are people who actually enjoy it.

Filbur · May 2018

berlight said:

It was the worst experience I've ever had in a mmorpg release. In my clan/friends more than 30 people refunded the game already.

Oh, really? You couldn't login for days during the XIV 2.0 launch:

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-09-05-sony-offers-refunds-as-final-fantasy-14-launch-catastrophe-worsens

The same goes for Elder Scrolls Online, ArcheAge, Warhammer Online and many more...

This is nowhere near the worst MMO launch.

AnnaTS · May 2018

maksula234 said:

They made this game so easy now its almost like an insult... I cant believe there are people who actually enjoy it.

Strange they posted this in the Dev talk 3 back on April 9th, I thought it would be more challenging, Obviously not.

In Bless, players level up through PvE combat and by experiencing a variety of events. As much of the PvE combat was relatively easy and repetitive, most players were quickly bored.
In order to solve this problem, we have updated the mobs with special skills. We are also currently developing more features that will make leveling up an exciting adventure!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/681660/announcements/detail/1653259610124065062

IceDark · May 2018

AnnaTS said:

maksula234 said:

They made this game so easy now its almost like an insult... I cant believe there are people who actually enjoy it.

Strange they posted this in the Dev talk 3 back on April 9th, I thought it would be more challenging, Obviously not.
In Bless, players level up through PvE combat and by experiencing a variety of events. As much of the PvE combat was relatively easy and repetitive, most players were quickly bored.
In order to solve this problem, we have updated the mobs with special skills. We are also currently developing more features that will make leveling up an exciting adventure!
https://steamcommunity.com/games/681660/announcements/detail/1653259610124065062

If you believe this type of shit without even playing the game, then be my guest.

Game is no where near "easy" . I mean every hater this days, back up his "claims" based on some .. youtuber. Game already have Mixed reviews now , after the trolls gave bad reviews and it was Mostly Negative yesterday.

After yesterday's patch , the game plays a lot better.

So whoever say something bad about a bad experience in the first day of Launch, it has zero credibility in my book.

I mean, trolls are even bring up the first day launch problems even today, when most of the first day launch problems have already been fixed.

All they have now is : Dupe Bug ( which I really hope it will soon be fixed and the ones who abused it banned ) and end game content , which .. is NOT a problem and it will not be a problem in the next few weeks, as most people are still in the early/mid game content. I mean, is not like end game content isn't there. We all know they already have it and that it might be localization "problems" before they release it.

So beside those 2 things , they don't really have anything to QQ today. Yes sure, there is always the performance issue , but to be honest, it plays a lot better today, then almost 2 days ago.

All in all , game is going in the right director, with or without trolls.

And about the "easy" PvE , they already stated that we do increased damage, which we shouldn't , and it will be fixed along with the healing increase.

It has been 3 fucking days since the game launched ( 2 days of head start and 1 day of early access ) . What do you want? Roses and flowers in the first day of a MMO?

Whoever cries about the Launch problems of a MMO, then he's not a MMO players.

PS: In before "...but they already released..." . Stop! This is a new experience for them, with lots of changes and upgrades to the core game. Shit happens. So move along if you guys don't like what you are seeing.

Octagon7711 · May 2018

maksula234 said:

They made this game so easy now its almost like an insult... I cant believe there are people who actually enjoy it.

ESO started out the same way. Every boss fight at the end of a quest line was a challenge and life was short if you didn't have a decent build. When the masses came in there were complaints all over the place and everything was dialed down. What it comes down to is casuals out number hardcore which means a game makes more money over the long run.

MidPrincess · May 2018

DMKano said:

The combat currently is totally messed up

Berserker has to most functional combat but pitiful damage, guardian has a super op CC + burst combo, mage 3 button spam + op absorb shield, ranger is busted, paladin is awful

So the combo system made combat worse not better.

Now what players dont know about is the end game gear progession system - as usual in Korean MMOs its heavy HEAVY RNG based system that will make you question your sanity.

You will need a master blacksmith - easiest part, it takes about 3 weeks of heavy farming, about 150 hours for most players

You will need to grind dungeon runs for mats:
2x a day limit it will take at least 8 days to make 1 piece of gear that will have 1 in 15 chance of being good

Didnt get the right one - 15+ dungeons runs for you - another 8 days, rinse and repeat until you get that eagle/bear rune slot.

Hey it might take 120 days if you are really unlucky - but it gets worse.

So you finally get the gear that has a bear or eagle rune slot - but its not legendary - start over. Legendary has about 1% chance of happening - already you see the insane RNG

Not even going to calculate how long this takes - and yes it gets worse

But it doesnt stop there - So Lets say that you luck out and get a 1% legendary gear with the right rune slots - now you enhance it to +15 - and have a 1 in 15 chance of getting another bear or eagle rune slot - didint get it?

Start over from scratch, and call your therapist

That is just for a single piece of end game gear - repeat the above for all gear slots.

Again why do Korean devs think that this RNG bullshit with 1000s of hours of stupid grind is a good end game system.....

God, that sounds even worse than Tera, and that game's RNG "end game" drove me away super fast. All this RNG crafting/enchanting is, to me, nothing more than artificial "content" designed to hide the fact that the game in question has very little else to offer at max level.

Leiloni · May 2018

Servers were opened up this morning so character creation should no longer be locked - https://steamcommunity.com/games/681660/announcements/detail/1653264683472465598

FlyByKnight · May 2018

Who didn't see this feature coming though?

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

No talk of DX9, Flash, performance issues.
No talk of ecosystem breaking exploits (I mean even Neowiz acknowledged them).
No talk of ridiculous localization errors and gaffes.

I'm just a negative nancy, and the person who wrote this is just a person innocently hobbying around. They haven't been on reddit, seen Emissary streams, looked at any of the forum posts on MMORPG.com.

Image: http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/You-Disgust-Me-Im-Getting-Out-Of-Here.gif

BillMurphy · May 2018

FlyByKnight said:

Who didn't see this feature coming though?

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

No talk of DX9, Flash, performance issues.
No talk of ecosystem breaking exploits (I mean even Neowiz acknowledged them).
No talk of ridiculous localization errors and gaffes.

I'm just a negative nancy, and the person who wrote this is just a person innocently hobbying around. They haven't been on reddit, seen Emissary streams, looked at any of the forum posts on MMORPG.com.

Wait for the final review before getting all bent out of shape. This is just his "first impressions", based on what he's played. He does not, and should not, go elsewhere to form his opinion on the gameplay. But as you may have seen in plenty of other news posts, we're paying attention to the sh*tstorm surrounding the other issues. In short... stop being a dick just because you disagree with Steven.

FlyByKnight · May 2018

BillMurphy said:

FlyByKnight said:

Who didn't see this feature coming though?

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

No talk of DX9, Flash, performance issues.
No talk of ecosystem breaking exploits (I mean even Neowiz acknowledged them).
No talk of ridiculous localization errors and gaffes.

I'm just a negative nancy, and the person who wrote this is just a person innocently hobbying around. They haven't been on reddit, seen Emissary streams, looked at any of the forum posts on MMORPG.com.

Wait for the final review before getting all bent out of shape. This is just his "first impressions", based on what he's played. He does not, and should not, go elsewhere to form his opinion on the gameplay. But as you may have seen in plenty of other news posts, we're paying attention to the sh*tstorm surrounding the other issues. In short... stop being a dick just because you disagree with Steven.

If the first impression is cuter than the later on review you got it backwards.

I'm sorry I'm a "dick", but I was literally staking out the MMORPG initial meatball pitch to Bless Online and lo and behold...

You guys could turn Wolverines claws into plastic butter knives.

Orinori · May 2018

BillMurphy said:

we're paying attention to the sh*tstorm

You meant temper tantrums right?

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Bless - Review in Progress - First Steps & Early Days - MMORPG.com

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Aloha Mr Hand !

"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

Howdy, Stranger!

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Bless - Review in Progress - First Steps & Early Days - MMORPG.com

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Comments

Aloha Mr Hand !

"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.

MMORPG is predictable. All I need is some editors or associate editor to WTF my post to complete the cycle.