F2P Series - Dragon Nest

So it was only a couple days into our stint with DDO when Bheez kept shoving this F2P down my throat. He was so excited about it that he started it without me... which royally pissed me off. So naturally I jumped on installing it and getting started myself without telling him. Because, yes, it IS a pissing contest. Always (and forever~).

My initial opinion was that I wouldn't like this game because firstly it's made by a Korean company (too many bad experiences), and secondly it is done in the typical anime-ish style that just doesn't do it for me (again, too many bad experiences). However, coming fresh off of playing DDO I figured it couldn't get more annoying so I dove in, and surprisingly didn't regret it.

READ MORE OF MY HATE OF ALL THINGS AZN AFTER THE JUMP! Ok not all things... I like the food... and also the cute little things they make to hold other cute little things in... and the shrimp flavored candy...and the engrish stationary... andandand-

We spent enough time on this game that I chose to diversify my character experiences to give me a more rounded perspective as evidenced by my screenie below. While Bheez chose to play the Warrior (a beginner level class BTW).

But hey, if he wants to smash things for once I'll let him... it's a nice change of pace to see him wearing pants for once.

Our review:

Customization-

Glynnia: Surprisingly this game does not offer much in the way of character customization- or any other customization for that matter. You are gender bound when you chose your class and then you get only four options for hair, eye, and skin color. They do let you pick from another four clothing sets that you can mix and match though- a plus! They also allow for key-binding but I found the standard setup easy enough to use that I didn't venture into remapping any of my keys. If I were going to play this more seriously I would definitely do it.

3/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Bheezem: Dragon Nest's ONE weakness. The fact that you are gender locked(your class determines your gender) and basically no matter what you do you will always look like the pre-pubescent child your character starts off as(except you can change your hairstyle/color) takes a whopping toll on this game's customization. (That being said there is quite a few paths your character can take in terms of customizing your skills with there being a total of 4 different talent trees you can choose from).

2/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Game Play-

Glynnia: Don't let the cutsie-wootsie graphics fool you, this game packs some serious bang for your nonexistent buck. Anything you could think of doing in a MMO is provided free of charge here. Pre-Tinkerer-takeover-patch the PvP was seemingly well balanced too. You can select the difficulty of the dungeons depending on how badass you are, or at least how badass you think you are (here's lookin' at you Bheez). The intro quests were well thought out and helped me get acquainted with the interface quickly and easily. I really enjoyed the humor and tongue-in-cheek approach to the character development and story arcs as well.

5/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Bheezem: When I play a f2p game, I don't expect much, I mean how can I when its totally free. This game is probably the best f2p i've played in a long. long. LONG. time. Its an action combat based game utilizing left and right click along with a 10 slot action bar(which you can switch between your first and second bars using ~) The game's combat is fast, fun, and definitely action packed with the graphics really making every hit feel as visceral as it should be-not to mention the dodge mechanic which really adds in an extra level of gameplay. Did I mention the pvp is fun as hell? Video to come of that soon- 

5/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Graphics-

Glynnia: The style of the game is not something I originally liked. Not saying I can't appreciate different artistic approaches but personally I don't jive with the anime-ish qualities this one offers. Strangely though, it has grown on me and I think it has alot to do with the game play and silliness of the people they created to populate the world. One positive about non-srs graphics is that it stands the test of time and it's less likely to look dated as time passes.

3/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Bheezem: Meh, definitely up to date, the game goes with the cartoony style genre and definitely does it well, the combat graphics merge well with the scenery and the scenery can be quite appealing as well. That being said, nothing extraordinary for all games in general(But for a free to play its quite impressive)

3/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Creativity-

Glynnia: This is a tough one for me because while I liked the game in its entirety alot, I don't feel they did anything outside the realm of what is "normal". We've seen it all before. However, I feel that they've taken all these things and done them really well. Just the diversity of your leveling experience alone speaks highly of the development team; PvP, PvE, Questing, Grinding, Mini-games, and Grouping Bonuses are all offered with EXP returns. Something I've come to appreciate is being able to select your dungeon difficultly based on your level and party size, so far DN offers the most flexibility with Easy, Normal, Hard, Master, and Abyss settings.

4/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Bheezem: This one is a bit more challenging to rate, due to the fact that even though it's a genre I'm familiar with, this MMORPG is action based using left and right click for your basic attacks while merging it with an action bar and skill tree. The lore of the game isn't extensive by any means(although the story line is actually enjoyable and quite funny at times) And the game play is at the pace that I would expect from an "action game" THAT BEING SAID the game definitely takes things that other games did RIGHT like a working dodge mechanic, dungeons that don't require massive parties(but still provide a challenge when you use one), and a pvp system that allows you to choose from competitive 1v1, 3v3, and for funsies 8v8. The classes are also well thought out in the sense of each class feels like they bring their own unique play style to the table

4/5Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Fun Factor-

Glynnia: I had a great experience with Dragon Nest, so much so that I am going to continue playing it between my other game obligations. The solo play was just as rewarding as the group play and the PvP community was more helpful and less elitist than what you normally come across. My one complaint... Ok, my TWO complaints were that Bheez wouldn't let me win our 1v1s without me threatening excessive violence against his person... and that the crafting system was so tedious that it would take several levels of farming mats just to create your first epic gear set. If I had known this on my first go around I would have started crafting my level 24 set at level 20 instead of when I hit 24. Even then this did not take away from the fun but rather added to the challenge of being able to channel my inner AZN farmer and go for the gold.

4/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

Bheezem: This game is the most. fun. IVE EVER HAD playing a f2p game. From the sarcastic comments npcs make to the characters who are actually interesting in your story line, to the intense fast paced pvp, to the challenging abyss mode dungeons(when ur 2 manning them like us) this game succeeds in a variety of categories. It's made even better by playing through with others, as you get to actually have people around you when you start laughing-hence getting rid of the lonely factor when you laugh by yourself.

5/5 Extra Large Adorable Poochums

And because we love manticores, here's a dungeon featuring a cool looking manticore:

Bonus videos of my lower-level Sorc playing some mini games:

 

Overall this game was great across the board. It plays alot like a console game but with more people for added fun. It actually reminded me strongly of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles if any of you remember that title from days past. One thing to note was that even though Bheez and I nearly got to level 30 (40 being the cap) we were never required to purchase things to make the game playable or more enjoyable... although I will admit more bag space would have been appreciated. What Nexon has done with this title makes you want to part with your money willingly because, heck, if this were a console game I would have been fine paying the $50+ price tag that you see on other games of lesser quality.

Try Dragon Nest here!

Next up on the F2P Series- ALLODS ONLINE (lol)  DC Universe Online!

xoxo~glynnia