Black Desert Online

 PC
  • Publisher: GameOn
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2016
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. IGN Denmark
    Apr 6, 2016
    90
    A beautiful and entertaining new take on the classic MMO, with a strong player driven content path. I welcome that.
  2. MMORPG.com
    Apr 7, 2016
    86
    Black Desert Online has many faults, but the sheer scope of the game’s systems and variety in your day to day MMO life can more than make up for its shortcomings. So far, Daum and Pearl Abyss have proven very receptive to Western gamers’ wants and needs, and I’m hoping that in time Black Desert Online will be an even better experience for all. But for now, it’s still easily one of the best MMORPGs on the market, and the best non-traditional experience any fan of the genre could hope for.
  3. Meristation
    Mar 21, 2016
    86
    It is a pleasure to find a new sandbox oriented MMO in the market. While the beginnings are tough and confusing, the game rewards our patience with lots of combat and non-combat activities, a fascinating world to explore and fantastic graphics.
  5. Gamer.nl
    Apr 6, 2016
    85
    Black Desert is one of the few MMORPGs that sees all professions as equals. Some days you can have fun fishing on a boat, while others you might enjoy hunting trolls on the ground. This is an MMO unlike anything we have seen the last few years.
  6. CGMagazine
    Mar 15, 2016
    85
    The biggest issue for me is how dense the complexity makes the game. Crafting, particularly cooking, requires a lot of experimentation or wiki-diving, and finding out the game’s systems isn’t always represented, even in the quests. There are always quests that give you reasons to gather or play the many mini-games—moving a wheel-barrow requires you keep a cursor in between two points, and the fishing system is actually rather fun.
  7. GamingTrend
    Mar 15, 2016
    85
    A gorgeous world that feels truly alive, Black Desert Online is a solid entry into the sandbox subgenre of MMOs. Benefiting from having been launched in a major market for a year before coming to the West, it offers an open world to explore, and an especially deep tradeskill and trading system mixed with an action-oriented combat scheme.
  8. The Games Machine
    Aug 9, 2016
    83
    Black Desert Online has proven to be a real, nice surprise: an action title that hides a top-notch managerial, with tons of activities to keep you busy. It's a title worth to be tried, but only if you're ready to invest a lot of time, patience and dedication.
  9. COGconnected
    Mar 22, 2016
    83
    There are so many interesting elements to it, each of which could provide you with many hours of enjoyment. Ironically, its strengths are not PvE battling, dungeon crawling, and other things most MMORPGs are known for. But it makes up for those shortcomings with so much other deep content and a gorgeous, polished visual experience, that it is still a great game – provided you are willing to put in the time learning.
  10. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Jan 1, 2018
    80
    With it's massive and unique open world, Black Desert Online is inviting you to a great adventure.
  11. Games.cz
    Aug 11, 2016
    80
    Unusual MMORPG that will surprise and captivate with a variety of fresh features. Although it can disappoint you with its random element, it can also please you with the astounding amount of options and activities and the huge, completely open world. Phenomenal visuals have no competition in the genre in the moment.
  12. Wccftech
    Jun 3, 2016
    80
    Black Desert Online is the most refreshingly unique MMO around. Introducing many new game mechanics and ways to play in a world that's so exquisitely designed, with characters, building, monsters and even the weather all working together to make the best looking MMO to have ever been released, BDO is only really let down by the game's unwillingness and/or inability to properly explain its mechanics.
  13. InsideGamer.nl
    Apr 24, 2016
    80
    Black Desert Online is an addictive and interesting game full of changes. It is so huge and it is so full of options, that it might scare away a few gamers. That would be a pity because this game is worth your money: after 138 hours there is still so much to discover.
  14. Multiplayer.it
    Apr 4, 2016
    80
    Black Desert Online is a different kind of MMO, less focused on character progression and full of side activities that can hook you for a long time. Its visuals are incredible but obviously not without a cost.
  15. Eurogamer Italy
    Mar 24, 2016
    80
    Black Desert Online is a sandbox MMO with a great action combat system, an incredibly powerful character editor to give shape to every fantasy of yours, and spectacular world filled with life.
  16. Vandal
    Mar 29, 2016
    78
    Black Desert is a game full of content that offers many things to do in a way that feels refreshing. It's hard to get into it, but once you're in, you'll find a great RPG.
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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Mar 11, 2016
    There’s so much to see and explore, so many concepts to wrap my head around, that Black Desert Online is a truly memorable MMORPG—if not always a great one. It can be hard to embrace what it is instead of trying to force it to be what it isn’t, but Black Desert offered me a chance at escaping from the by-the-numbers slog that MMOs have become.

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1667 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,021 out of 1667
  2. Mixed: 105 out of 1667
  3. Negative: 541 out of 1667
  1. DDonut
    Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Not for people who like to give up, Who dont enjoy spending 100 hours perfecting your play to the utmost and making a name for yourself in aNot for people who like to give up, Who dont enjoy spending 100 hours perfecting your play to the utmost and making a name for yourself in a game that has no limit. You will never forget the days u see your first ents walking through the forest. Or the first time u hammer on a cyclops in a far of forest. The first time u succeed in building a fishing boat and go on the hunt for whales or just see the sun rise above the islands. Cant praise this game enough but its not for people who dont like the grind. This is for people who like to work for their stuff and wait for that feeling when u finnally get that +15 upgrade on your weapon.… Full Review »
  2. SimplyMog
    Mar 5, 2016
    4
    This is a hard one to review, but i'll be trying to be as unbiased as possible... The game has a brilliant character creation system, by farThis is a hard one to review, but i'll be trying to be as unbiased as possible... The game has a brilliant character creation system, by far the greatest i've ever used, to the point i spent hours in it. The graphics are nice and controls fairly easy to get the hand of. Unfortunately, in it's current state the game is in a bit of a mess...

    There is a point where everyone leaves their horses in certain spots, and due to not being able to toggle them from your own vision, the screen can get fairly clustered with other people's horses, not just yours. The game feels also quite like a mobile game, in the sense there's quite a few "waiting" portions, however, while some may have a problem, the game offers multiple ways to shorten that time, if you're observant.

    While my biggest complaint is directed at the character customization, and don't confuse that with character creation, it's much different. When you first receive new armor or a weapon, you're excited to equip it to change your characters default look, only to realize, it doesn't actually change. Some going in blind to this game will be incredibly disappointed, for a game that stresses character customization there is a significant lack of.

    One of the "best" ways to change your looks is through the cash shop, where my other large complaint comes in, through purchasing of costumes and accessories. I completely understand vanity items, and that they're not a necessity, but $30 for a full set, or $16 for the torso/main piece only. If this had been a F2P game, i would completely ignore this matter, but that isn't the case.

    However, this game does offer a lot in the sense you can leave your computer running, and it will accumulate points for various sections of the game, and even when offline. However, while this is a nice time saver, this relates back to the feeling of a "Mobile game", which it shouldn't be, it's an MMO on a PC.

    Combat is nice and fluid, but some classes are more interesting than others. The skill tree system (currently) feels vast enough for me to say it's enjoyable to try out new skills when I get them.

    Voice acting in the game is... actually really bad. It pains me to say it as they must have put a lot of work into it, as a lot of NPC's speak when you're simply idling in town. If i had the option to just have the korean audio, i would take it.

    Overall, BDO gets a 4, a deserving 4. Does this mean the game is crap, no, no it does not. Does it mean you should throw your wallet on the screen, as i did, no, no you should not. The developers need to really consider what it means to have a game "Buy to Play", for as it stands, it feels like i've been playing a glorified farmville, apologies for the analogy to those hurt by that comment, but think about it...

    You start out with nothing, go out do missions, eventually get to crafting and the core section, and things start costing points that are returned by waiting: making food costs points, chopping trees costs points, making swords costs points, and getting those points back takes literal time. There are ways to get points back besides quests and waiting, through "loyalties", or real money, speeding things up, like a mobile game.

    I, like others, believe Black Desert will go F2P if things continue as is, and that's a shame, as i would love to see it prosper.    … Full Review »
  3. snooze4321
    Mar 4, 2016
    4
    Black Desert Online is enjoyable if you like pvp or running goods between cities for profit. But the games pros are outweighed by its cons.Black Desert Online is enjoyable if you like pvp or running goods between cities for profit. But the games pros are outweighed by its cons.

    Pros:
    - An amazing parkour system where you can climb over any wall and onto roofs etc.
    - The game looks great and has good optimization
    - The autorun feature means you can set a destination to a quest or location and just hit your run key
    - The lack of fast travel gives the game a more life like feel to it. Combined with a trading system that has you running goods between cities.

    Cons:
    - THE ENERGY SYSTEM. Everything you do requires energy, if you cut down 10 trees you then have to wait HALF AN HOUR to cut down another 10.
    - The voice acting is atrocious
    - Such little effort has gone into the quest text and dialogue, combined with how fast you level it might as well not exist
    - The ludicrous cost of cash shop items. An outfit will cost the same amount as the game itself. Your auto loot function costs $10. And the dye system is a joke.
    - Daum's business practises. The way they interact with the community, the prices they put on items and the fact they had you waive your rights to a refund if you pre-ordered the game all ties into the fact that Daum can not be trusted. I really would not be surprised if they made the game free to play 6 months later.

    You will get enough fun out of $30 if you can ignore the cons just don't support bad business practises; don't buy cash shop items.    … Full Review »
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