Black Desert Online is an MMO that is unlike any other that has come before it. With beautiful graphics and enough grinding to keep you busy, Pearl Abyss have done a wonder on my play-time.
The story follows the protagonist along a slaughter, at the command of the Black Spirit. Possessed by this mysterious creature, you follow his every order, killing at every opportunity. Growing in power, there seems little that can stop its rein over your soul. The storyline is honestly a mess, bland and passive, but that is commonplace within the MMO genre. There can be an interest with the lore, but it will take a lot reading to fully grasp the concept. A lack of detailed cut-scenes results in clicking through text-boxes. Not the best way to keep a player entertained.
Credit: Steam
Where Black Desert truly shines however, comes after the journey through the storyline. A world of opportunity and enterprise, and how you grind is now a choice. Horse training will demand creating the highest quality racehorses. Processing will have you turning resources collected by workers into products to sell on the market, or trading across the land. Grinding for gear is still prevalent, there are no raids as such, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lack of competition. Open-world PvP is used to contest spots – having better than recommended gear is essential for the optimal spots.
For those wanting a World of Warcraft experience, where the game features world bosses which drop the best loot in the game, look away now. There are no raids or a traditional end game other than smashing weapons and accessories, this demands huge time investment. Most of the highest tier gear doesn’t appear on the market very often, due to the sale price on the market (fixed). The cost to enhance, and the rarity of the drops, means that gear progression hits a wall early on that will take perseverance. Sticking to it will yield high rewards in better grind spots mixed with the ability to fend off rivals in PVP.
“Where Black Desert truly shines however, comes after the journey through the story-line. A world of opportunity and enterprise, and how you grind is now a choice.”
Gamers that have limited time investment can still progress through away-from-keyboard activities. Processing and fishing can provide vast wealth to high-level players. No longer will you be left behind due to the lack of commitment to the ever-growing MMO genre. Placing pre-orders on the boss drops placed on the market will allow you access the best gear without having to place a foot in the grinding spots. Many of the player-base won’t step foot outside the towns other than the occasional trip to the other side of the map for the best trade-off.
For the highest geared players, sieges and node wars are contested. Victors gain access to the marketplace tax added to each transaction. The silver is on defence for the next guild willing to try their luck. Smaller guilds fight over the resource nodes for the chance to build offensive weaponry, siege elephants, and battleships.
Black Desert Online is one of the best MMOs out there that breaks the norms of the genre. Being able to progress while inactive is almost unheard of and doing it well can net a decent profit. Having to dedicate all your time into a game has been wiped out with Black Desert Online’s formula. Although having to combat problems recently, Pearl Abyss have helped create a masterpiece. I would highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a fresh MMO.