• Publisher: GameOn
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2016
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1667 Ratings

User score distribution:

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Mar 10, 2016
    8
    lmao, I love that all these reviews came in on the exact same day, by a bunch of keyboard face smash names, all with 0's, all with only a single review... seriously, Metcritic you need to do your job better, clean up the obvious bots out of here.

    As for my Review, Honestly, is it the best PVE game? Nah, not really, it's very focused on PvP. the game has a very fun combat system, it's
    lmao, I love that all these reviews came in on the exact same day, by a bunch of keyboard face smash names, all with 0's, all with only a single review... seriously, Metcritic you need to do your job better, clean up the obvious bots out of here.

    As for my Review, Honestly, is it the best PVE game? Nah, not really, it's very focused on PvP.
    the game has a very fun combat system, it's very much a combo based system where you string together abilities by using directions and key inputs, no hotbar smashing for your primary combat abilities. some abilities do require hotbar use though, stuff like buffs, etc.

    for the PVE they do have, it feels very organic, its a very open world that feels alive, random NPCs wandering around, crowded spots of monsters, no barron empty areas ive run into so far. players can participate in zone control PvP, Trade between towns, etc. you can be a professional in this game and not even touch combat if you really wanted to.

    honestly, im enjoying the **** out of this game, it's 30 bucks, and ive gotten more then that worth out of the game. the cash shop is exceedingly expensive for what it offers, but honestly, its all optional, the "pay 2 win" ghillie suit, is barely an advantage, the "advantage" it gives you, anyone can do without the ghillie suit anyway... just crouch... >.> It's that easy.

    anyways, back to the game, as someone who works full time, and only has a few hours a night to play, this game has been a lot of damn fun.
    Expand
  2. Mar 7, 2016
    8
    The game is b2p and it has a cash shop with cosmetics such as armors/weapon looks, dyes and quality of life stuff such as inventory space/weight limit. You also get to increase your weight limit/inventory space by questing in game which is great. It does feel a bit restricted at first, but once you learn not to pay too much attention to every little trash you find, it gets better.

    The
    The game is b2p and it has a cash shop with cosmetics such as armors/weapon looks, dyes and quality of life stuff such as inventory space/weight limit. You also get to increase your weight limit/inventory space by questing in game which is great. It does feel a bit restricted at first, but once you learn not to pay too much attention to every little trash you find, it gets better.

    The combat, graphics and overall feel of the world and the level immersion is amazing.
    It is however not for people expecting run of the mill theme-park mmo, it has extremely large "life" elements, like trading/farming/sailing/guild wars/ sieges/ etc.
    There's a questing system that isn't lacking in quests but it is pretty "run of the mill", nothing extraordinary but nothing to scoff at either.
    The voice acting is a bit .. bad, but in a rather funny way that, for me at least, doesn't detract from the world.

    I can't praise the combat system enough, I've played Witch quite a bit so far, but I've never felt so good playing a "mage"-like character, hurling those spells feels insanely satisfying. Valkyrie melee combat feels very good too, the hits feel like the connect in a very satisfying way, I'll need to play more to get a fee for it thou.
    The combat is amazing, I can't stress that enough, especially once you start unlocking your higher-level skills and combos. And for a game that emphasizes world-mob-grinding so much, this can only help immensely.
    There is no "level cap" but rather a soft-cap at 50/55 and then it gets progressively slower to level.

    All your characters are in a "family", they basically share the same family name and many things from the world progression, such as contribution/workers/knowledge.
    The world is teeming with so many systems it would be hard to go over all of them here but it's great to discover and use them.

    Again, this game is not for everyone, it's somewhat far from the standard mmo and the lack of instanced dungeons/raids and "standard" treadmill end-game will put some people off.

    Now if you'll excuse me I have a billion things to up my world progression.
    Expand
  3. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    you can ignore almost any bad review for three reasons.

    1. Reviews whining about the cash shop. There is absolute no reason at all to EVER use this shop. You won't need anything of this shop. There is not a single pay2win item in this game and no one needs those silly looking costumes. 2. Complains about Game mechanics: This is the first mmo that actually feels and plays like the
    you can ignore almost any bad review for three reasons.

    1. Reviews whining about the cash shop. There is absolute no reason at all to EVER use this shop. You won't need anything of this shop. There is not a single pay2win item in this game and no one needs those silly looking costumes.

    2. Complains about Game mechanics: This is the first mmo that actually feels and plays like the REAL mmorpgs before WoW came and ruined it all. Raids are most horrible and boring crap that ever happened to online gaming. WoW is pure grind compared to black desert, where you have a multitude of things to do. I just played a whole weekend without grinding for 1 minute. Don't listen to WoW-Players, no one is less qualified to judge over a mmorpg.

    3. The Game is ridiculously low priced and you don't have to pay a subscription fee. So, compared to the last real mmorpgs of this kind, you'll pay a fraction of the cost.

    If you ever played something like Everquest or DaoC, Eve, or just like to play a mmo with more depth, then give it a try and don't let cheapskates and wow-victims take this experience from you.
    Expand
  4. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Black Desert is, since Everquest, the best MMORPG. It really nails the really important things al mmorpg should have and its not buy to win, dont believe it, just play it and see for yourself. For 30 euros and no subscription its a really good investment, this game has content for years.
  5. Mar 7, 2016
    9
    Ignore all reviews from 0-3. This game is WELL deserving of a 7-10. Great gameplay, mechanics, and its FUN. Guys, this isnt a monthly sub game, play the **** out of it and move on. Its a ton of fun.
  6. Mar 10, 2016
    10
    I'm giving this game a 9/10 mostly because I don't believe in giving a 10 to any game because they all have some room for improvement same with this game but anyone that gives this game less than an 8/10 its either trolling, has the patience and understanding of a 10 year old/needs things spelled out , or so jaded that they should just quit games altogether. this game does not cater to theI'm giving this game a 9/10 mostly because I don't believe in giving a 10 to any game because they all have some room for improvement same with this game but anyone that gives this game less than an 8/10 its either trolling, has the patience and understanding of a 10 year old/needs things spelled out , or so jaded that they should just quit games altogether. this game does not cater to the whims of casual play for the most part. (Grinding slow paced mobs when you char moves like lighting and afk fishing are some exceptions.) the combat is very technical for most classes and more akin to a fighting game

    the UI is easy to adjust though the edit UI menu and if you turn off the tutorial videos you will get lost but the game has a built resource called the BDfoundry for hints and tips on how to play but this game doesn't just give you all the answers.

    This is the opposite of WoW nothing is instanced except for player housing atm you pvp for guild halls/houses/castles and resources and taxes on other players. the big raid bosses are world bosses and summons the. end game is many different things not just a gear grind raise the best horse build the best boat be the highest ranked guild have the highest ranked house, be the best trader, fisherman, gatherer, farmer. etc. you can also benefit from making alt and playing them give the best gear to a lvl 1 no soulbound gear.

    So where can it improve? well lvling is fast, focused on large groups of mob grinding in spot to the next the difficulty is relatively low but but fun nonetheless true grind though comes at lvl 50 soft cap (no true hard cap, past 60 though is a practical halt) the mobs aren't completely brain dead but move slow in attacking and movement. more variants in mob difficulty and rewards would be a nice improvement.

    Some designated or even instanced pve dungeon would be nice

    and the rest is being address with the blader and nija classes coming soon as well a instanced 40 v 40 pvp BG

    all said and done Black Desert is the best MMORPG ive played thus far and that's all the action combat mmorpgs wow for 10 years and many niche f2p mmos. It is worth you time the more time you put into to it.
    Expand
  7. Mar 11, 2016
    9
    I had to make an account just to write a review for this game as the amount of VERY negative reviews is absurd.

    I have played this game now from launch and I find it to be very amusing: The combat is great, visuals are stunning and the aspect of REAL adventure is really there! I enjoy it on every levels and find it disturbing to see those 0 reviews. So first let's speak about the
    I had to make an account just to write a review for this game as the amount of VERY negative reviews is absurd.

    I have played this game now from launch and I find it to be very amusing: The combat is great, visuals are stunning and the aspect of REAL adventure is really there! I enjoy it on every levels and find it disturbing to see those 0 reviews.

    So first let's speak about the negative feedback this game has gotten and then I write a little conclusion of my own of the state of the game at this very moment (11.3.2016). Let us begin:

    It feels messy and I don't know what to do!
    --> EVERY MMO feels bit messy when you log in the first time. This game is not an exception. But then there is games where you don't care to find out what is going on and then there is games where you really want to find the information. I find this game to be the latter. And after all, it is a SANDBOX game, so it's not that self explanatory what you should do. Do what you want to do!

    It's too hard!
    --> ;) life is. Well seriously speaking the fact that the bosses for example hit hard and takes some carefulness to kill HAS to be a good thing. Too many easy games out there.

    UI is messy!
    --> I personally like it. And it can be modified in different kind of ways. Make your own UI and if it's still messy... Well look to the mirror to see who to blame.

    Gender locks destroyed my plan to be amazing MALE witch!
    --> I hate to tell you this but normally witch it gender locked even in real life. But this one I give to the haters. If you find it depressing that you can't do one EXACT class in the gender you want then yes, this aspect is there. BUT some of the classes are like the same, only with different gender (Warrior - Valkyrie, Witch - Wizard)

    It's P2W even it's B2P!
    --> It really ain't. It has one aspect in pearl store that could be considered as P2W and that is pet, which only loots but it will surely make your life easier. The game is P2W in regions where it is F2P, but they made it in EU B2P because we hate P2Ws, don't we? And I've heard rumors that pets will be added to the game by qs in EU, so let's keep our fingers crossed. (You can buy pets from other players with in-game silver anyway)

    It feels like F2P, all that energy and stuff, UGH!
    --> Well I certainly see your point there. But I see it differently. You can't chop logs all night long in real life, can you? Neither you can in this game. The energy stops me from spamming some actions in game and that makes me want to make my gold in the most efficient way possible. So I see this thing as a pro instead of a con. But everybody have their own opinion and I'm fine with that!

    I have a superüber computer but still it runs like crap!
    --> All I can say is that I have mid range computer and I can't run it with highest settings, but with high mid setting it works like a charm. It looks stunning even with these graphics. The negative feedback on this section is that with mid graphics the objects pop pretty near your character. That is a little visual problem when dashing down the road with your horsey but won't affect your normal visual experience.

    The combat system is confusing, I want my global CDs and hotkeys back!
    --> I personally thought the same. For an hour. After a while you really get into the combat system and BOY, then it feeeeeels good! It's the best combat system in any MMO I've played. And trust me, I've tried many of them. It feels pretty flawless and comfortable and you can really enjoy smashing all the monsters. You can hotkey most of your strikes tho if you so desire.

    The conclusion:
    There is so much more I would like to correct and tell you about this game. But I'm pretty sure most of you don't mind reading this long reviews (and tbh the character limit is closing threateningly) so let's wrap this up:

    There is always some cons and pros as game can't be perfect. And with this particular game I have to say it isn't for everybody.

    Pros: It's stunningly great looking game that offers you a huge world to explore as you will. It offers a lot to do in many forms, so there is always something for everyone: crafting, housing, boss fights, exploring, money making, horse taming and breeding, lore hunting, PVP, guild wars etc... It's sandbox game, so the way you are meant to play ain't introduced to you as you are in control. The game offers some fresh and lifelike inventions which are badly needed for the genre to keep it alive.

    Cons: The fact that leveling up is solely by mob killing is the largest restriction in this game. You have to grind some mobs to get to that soft cap (which is 50 and it isn't THAT bad to reach) and if you don't like action combat gameplay and some monster smashing then sadly, this game isn't for you. The lore is ok/good and so is voice acting (for a MMO-RPG), but if you are expecting AAA solo RPG game storytelling it will be a small letdown. The core game mechanics will divide opinions as some of us like it more classic.

    Hopefully this helped!
    Expand
  8. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    This is a fantastic Sandbox MMO aimed at hardcore MMO audiences. It's not perfect, but quite deserving of very high marks. A lot of great content and updates are lined up, and I am excited for what is to come.
  9. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Best MMO hands down that I've played since Vanilla WoW.

    Absolutely NOT pay to win, that's absurd. In WoW you can BUY a max level character hahaha yet people say it's not pay to win, ok sure. This is amazing, don't listen to the negative reviews, other people are freaking out because they're still playing ESO, GW2 or WoW and they're upset that this is clearly better and they wasted their time.
  10. Mar 7, 2016
    8
    Been playing MMOs on and off for like a decade now and I've always loved the side stuff like fishing, I just find it relaxing.

    The thing is, with most MMOs fishing is just a small side activity that might grant you a small amount of currency, achievements etc. In Black Desert I can earn a large amount of money through fishing, I can progress through fishing etc. My goal atm is to get
    Been playing MMOs on and off for like a decade now and I've always loved the side stuff like fishing, I just find it relaxing.

    The thing is, with most MMOs fishing is just a small side activity that might grant you a small amount of currency, achievements etc.
    In Black Desert I can earn a large amount of money through fishing, I can progress through fishing etc.
    My goal atm is to get a fishing boat so I can fish all over the map.

    And I know other players are enjoying trading, fighting, gathering etc.
    The ui can be confusing at first but if you just take it slow and actually read the tips and such, its pretty easy to understand.

    Combat is flashy, fast and just awesome. If you find the enemies too easy, go to another place. T

    The whole node-networking is just really fun. You use contribution points (That you earn through questing) to activate places on the map so your slaves...*cough* workers can gather ressources for you.
    And if you connect towns you can sell stuff with a distance bonus - Atm, Im fishing at one town, then running to the other end of my network to sell it for a bonus.

    Cant recommend it enough - So much different stuff to do :D
    Expand
  11. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    I was given this game as a gift, so this review comes from experiencing it post-release rather than trying to defend my purchase. Also, I would rate this game as an 8.5 to 9.0, but due to the ESO brigaders I need to rate it a 10 to try to balance things out, so thank you for further breaking the system here.

    POSITIVES: - Combat: A common complaint is that combat is too easy, but
    I was given this game as a gift, so this review comes from experiencing it post-release rather than trying to defend my purchase. Also, I would rate this game as an 8.5 to 9.0, but due to the ESO brigaders I need to rate it a 10 to try to balance things out, so thank you for further breaking the system here.

    POSITIVES:

    - Combat: A common complaint is that combat is too easy, but people should wait until they’re done killing goblins to judge. When you storm rebel strongholds and have to deal with wizards throwing fireballs that can knock you down while other rebels charge you to stab you in the back for massive damage and more shoot arrows, then you can judge. And when it comes to the solo bosses? Those are some of the most challenging and fun encounters I’ve had in gaming. On top of that, each class is wildly different (barring Wizard/Witch), so you’ll have a new experience each time you swap characters.

    - Options: I had aspirations of getting to level 50 in the first few days so that I could do world bosses and do GvG. Instead, I found myself spending a lot of time getting into the subsystems. Trading, fishing, crafting, cooking, and gathering are all intricately done and explain why the game is built like it is. Instead of getting to level 50 quickly, I ended up spending almost four days setting up a trade network and getting my workers settled so I could build a nice boat to eclipse the rafts my friends had built in just a couple hours of work. Leaderboards make it even better, and I’ve spent the last two days competing with an old guild leader from a previous game over who was the better cook. I am.

    - PvP/GvG: This game boasts the kind of PvP that other games have been trying to pull off for ages. It has a huge, open world and makes PvP a threat. However, do too much of it and you risk having guards attack you in cities and having your guild drop you for reducing their karma too much. That’s why GvG is a thing. In-game you’ll regularly see guilds declaring war on each other as they fight over nodes that give access to different resources and bonuses. The game hasn’t been out for a week, but if you have system notifications on you can see wars begin dozens of times a day. Players drive this system, and players are enthusiastic to do so, all because it was built to be rewarding.

    - Graphics: The game looks really good. Better than any MMO I’ve played before, and on par with some single player games I’ve played. And on top of that, it’s optimized really well. Certainly better than anything EA does with their games. I’ve never played another MMO with the potential for beautiful settings, because you have an incredible amount of landscape to explore in this game.

    - Immersion: People complain about the lack of fast travel, or the separate banks in different cities, and I’ve even seen complaints about not being able to store your crafting supplies in one place à la Guild Wars 2. Those systems would ruin the sandbox nature of the game, where a lack of fast travel is required for the entire trading system to function. This is not a themepark MMO, where everything is handed to you. It’s older fashioned, leaving it up to the player to piece things out and collaborate with others as they go.

    - Characters: You can create beautiful and handsome characters, you can create monsters. It’s incredible. There are sites set up to help share amazing creations done on NA/EU servers or across the world. The only item I whole-heartedly recommend buying in the cash shop is the 30 day appearance coupon, which is $10 and lets you customize ALL your characters on a server as many times as you want for 30 days. I’ve heard complaints of Same Face Syndrome, but if you actually make an effort you won’t make the same half-assed sorceress as everyone else.

    - Loading Screens: After you load your character, there are no loading screens. Not one. You can go across the entire world without having to wait while a new screen loads, even going into housing without a hiccup.

    NEGATIVES:

    - Voice Acting: It's spotty. It goes from tolerable to abysmal, and only for a few NPCs is it decent to good.

    - Translations: The translations aren't always perfect. This usually doesn’t cause issues, but can occasionally when you’re trying to gather a certain type of fish when the game needs you to get another. It’s better than other localized Asian MMOs, and I rarely notice glaring issues.

    - Cash Shop: Even though Daum hasn’t used the same ridiculous monetization the Korean BDO used, things are too expensive. That being said, the game is not P2W. This isn't ArcheAge, where you could buy the best armor and weapons. There is no way to turn real money spent on the game into in-game money, which can be used to get the best items. You can only get a 10% experience boost in the cash shop, and getting to 50 10% quicker means nothing when you can get the same boosts in-game.

    All in all, I'm enjoying the game more than anything else I've played recently.
    Expand
  12. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    I see a lot of 0 which makes the score go down by a lot, and that's not a 5 game at all. So, i will vote an 8 because i do get upset with a few things, but this doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the game. The game is awesome, there are tons of things to do that you will just get lost, the combat system is awesome, there is a lot of grinding and the feeling that you get from achieving hardI see a lot of 0 which makes the score go down by a lot, and that's not a 5 game at all. So, i will vote an 8 because i do get upset with a few things, but this doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the game. The game is awesome, there are tons of things to do that you will just get lost, the combat system is awesome, there is a lot of grinding and the feeling that you get from achieving hard things to do like building a **** boat is incredible.
    But, yes, it has cons.
    The lack of in-game costumisation of your outfit it's a big meh, and it's important on a mmo to have that without having to spend money on shop when you already had to pay for the game, i really hope they start changing this things, but we'll see
    The buffs you get from things you can only get from shop (example: pets) it's another hit, they are not reeally enough to say its p2w, but if it goes that way it will end being it, and that will ruin it all. They have to make this things just p2f so you can get pets in game but at cost of time, i would be OK with that.

    Tweaking this things and adding more PvE content would just be perfect for this impressive mmo, hope they don't ruin it.
    Expand
  13. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Don't listen to people who say it is pay to win, this isn't Archeage, I have yet to come across anything that makes it pay to win. Everyone has access to everything. Best MMO IMO, try it. ESO fanboys keep down voting, because their game isn't do as well. 90% of things you buy from the cash shop are skins, just like League of Legends don't do much. The other 10% is expanding inventoryDon't listen to people who say it is pay to win, this isn't Archeage, I have yet to come across anything that makes it pay to win. Everyone has access to everything. Best MMO IMO, try it. ESO fanboys keep down voting, because their game isn't do as well. 90% of things you buy from the cash shop are skins, just like League of Legends don't do much. The other 10% is expanding inventory system, and weight limit. Expand
  14. Mar 9, 2016
    10
    Black Desert, to sum it up is Likely one of the Greatest potential. MMORPG's to come around, the Game Does in Fact have a PVE. Since the Game is in the Very 1st stage of its life (western version) with no Current expansions, out this is a Game Build around PVP. with Guild castles, a war system so far as it stands to Give a Game such a one sided point of view of all of the Many classesBlack Desert, to sum it up is Likely one of the Greatest potential. MMORPG's to come around, the Game Does in Fact have a PVE. Since the Game is in the Very 1st stage of its life (western version) with no Current expansions, out this is a Game Build around PVP. with Guild castles, a war system so far as it stands to Give a Game such a one sided point of view of all of the Many classes that are going to be released.

    Down sides no game is "PERFECT" The interface is alittle clunky and the Translations Are alittle off sometime thing are a little buggy. but then again what isn't at At this point at lvl 50 there is no Real content (right now)

    also to add to that on that the next expansion that will be released will likely Require and your guild to consist. of players of Max level and also when you get the lvl cap Start working on a profession to Build up the Game economy.

    10/10 Due to the potential and there is Nothing to Compare to it Right now to Leave anything below a 5 would be unfair for any game under 1 week old unless it is unplayable
    Expand
  15. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    This game reminds me a lot of the fresh feeling of playing Runescape for the very first time. The combat is hands down the best MMO combat I have ever experienced. No question about it. When most of an MMO is combat, you better be sure that the combat is good. I'm happy to say that I am completely satisfied with the combat. The only thing I wish was that there were more in game clothing!!
  16. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Voting 10 when my actual score is an 8. This site is a joke; downvote brigading of a game is totally pathetic. Would love to see the number of hours these people have actually spent in game giving 0-3s

    Metacritic is objectively awful.
  17. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Runs great, looks fantastic, about 30-40times better then ESO.
    Servers have never crashed so far unlike ESO
    users are better
    Less trash to deal with
  18. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    A fantastic game that gives you freedom in whatever you want to do. I definitely recommend this game to anyone that enjoys action combat, pvp, and sandbox games.
  19. Mar 14, 2016
    9
    lvl44.
    A real open world mmorpg
    It has a little cons like gear aesthetics without use shop.
    Graphic and part of the living world inspired by the witcher 2 IMHO.
  20. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Amazing game, the best graphics ever found in an MMORP. To bad there are some haters knowing nothing about the game the real players did not write the reviews.
  21. Mar 7, 2016
    9
    1. Graphics (9/10)

    The graphics are very pretty, and the weather effects are some of the best I've seen in any MMO. The only issue I have with the graphics is how heavily the game relies on LoD to deliver good performance and visuals. The end result is that it looks amazing in still screenshots, but in actual gameplay objects frequently change in complexity, resulting in a "pop in"
    1. Graphics (9/10)

    The graphics are very pretty, and the weather effects are some of the best I've seen in any MMO. The only issue I have with the graphics is how heavily the game relies on LoD to deliver good performance and visuals. The end result is that it looks amazing in still screenshots, but in actual gameplay objects frequently change in complexity, resulting in a "pop in" effect.

    Audio(8/10):

    The music in the game is outstanding, and the sound effects on abilities are incredibly satisfying. However, the voice acting in the NA/EU version is terribly uninspired and voices don't match character appearance. Then again, most games have terrible voice acting, so it isn't really an issue.

    Gameplay(10/10):

    The gameplay is unlike any MMO. I actually feel a reason to go out into the world. If you're looking for a WoW clone with instanced raids, battlegrounds, competitive arenas, then don't play Black Desert. Black Desert is a large seamless world where you interact with the environment around you. There is plenty of PVE and PVP, but it doesn't come in the form of instanced raids. BDO is the first game in years that has kept me entertained for more than a week.

    Story/Lore: 10/10:

    I can't say much without spoiling it, but the world is very expansive, and encourages you for learning more. You gain knowledge as you talk to NPCs which can be used to unlock new quests, which provide awesome rewards. It's not like most MMOs where questing is boring and linear.

    Monetization(8/10): The cash shop items aren't too game-breaking, but the issue is that they can't be traded to other players. This means that there's no way to earn them in game, unlike other MMORPGs like GW2.
    Expand
  22. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    A Fresh entrance into the Western scene, Solid Graphics and Optimisation for all people to be able to enjoy it, No Pay to Win cash shop, plenty of content to sunk your time into, Good Player vs Environment, Guild Player vs Player content and a huge amount of activities and mini games like Fishing and Trading.
  23. Mar 8, 2016
    9
    Ignore the ESO user base that is threatened by this game giving it a 0, they collectively came here after recruiting in the ESO chat to come and drop the games score down bringing it from a mid 8 to mid 5.

    That aside, Black Desert Online is the first MMO I've played in 10 years that actually has me invested in the world and doesn't feel like it will fail in a couple of months (ESO
    Ignore the ESO user base that is threatened by this game giving it a 0, they collectively came here after recruiting in the ESO chat to come and drop the games score down bringing it from a mid 8 to mid 5.

    That aside, Black Desert Online is the first MMO I've played in 10 years that actually has me invested in the world and doesn't feel like it will fail in a couple of months (ESO anyone?)

    BDO boasts a huge world with tons of lore to back it up, there is lore for everything. It's also not going to hold your hand and let you get around quickly skipping the content. If you want to get from one end of the map to the other you'll be running either on foot or on your mount, there are some transportation NPC's that will taxi you to certain places but there is no fast travel! There is however a waypoint and autorun system in place allowing you to make your way to any destination of your choice.

    The crafting system in place is fantastic. One of the most in depth crafting in an MMO I've seen. Each has tons of recipes to learn and it feels rewarding when you finally make what you were after. From player crafting to hiring workers and assigning tasks there really is loads to do in the game if you prefer trading instead of combat. Want to go explore the ocean, gather material and build a boat. Want to be the best fisherman, grab a pole and cast that line! Everything is ranked in the game, if you're good at something you will get credit and be known!

    If you like questing there are tons of quests. You have your basic kill quests but also tons of other quests that range from profession related to small tasks like helping a girl get her kitten down from a roof. You'll never get bored or run out of quests to do.

    Combat is also great, it's an action combat based system that relies on combo's to do massive damage. The animations and overall feel of it really makes it seem that your abilities are actually hitting your target. The game can be a bit grindy but with the combat system the grind flies by and you're never left feeling bored killing anything for a long period of time.

    There are countless ways to make money in the game as well. Fighting normal mobs or bosses, fishing, gathering, making potions....but the greatest thing in this game are trade runs. You can pack certain goods in crates or purchase goods from a trader in a city, load up a wagon and hit the road to other cities for massive profits, the further the distance the more you make. There are certain factors to watch out for doing this as there is a weight system in place, goods can degrade over time and you can run across thieves while transporting goods but the system is a lot of fun to take part in.

    Another great thing about the game is it's an open world. Only a couple things are instanced base, player house being one of them however arena's, dungeons are all in the world, you won't be hitting any loading screens while playing.

    Housing is another great thing in the game, you can purchase up to 5 "residences" in town that you can enter and decorate. There is furniture in the cash shop, npc's selling them or you can craft them. You can decorate however you wish and housing is also ranked based on a point system for what you own, you can even invest money into your property if you're the top ranked out of everyone that owns that same house and earn interest off your investment.

    PVP is also in the game, I haven't experienced much but there is open world pvp and a karma system to help with gankers. The main focus currently are guild wars which is free of the karma system. I believe later we will be getting sieges.

    Lastly the game is gorgeous! This is one of the most beautiful MMO's I've played that has a realistic look to it. There is a day/night cycle that runs two hours for each and the nights are very dark, sometimes requiring a lantern to see. The game also runs really well on a variety of systems, if you have a high end system it will definitely show but even extremely low end systems can run the game extremely well, I tried the game on my laptop which has i5 integrated graphics and was able to run about 30 fps on low which still looks great.

    The game is B2P, starting price is 30 dollars which is a very good price for the amount of content we have or will be getting in the future. There is a cash shop, the prices in the shop are very overpriced sadly but there is no P2W in this game, Daum (the publisher) has listened to the community and removed the P2W aspects from the game that were there in the Korean/Russian release.

    I could go on and on about the game all day, there really is too much to talk about even in the 5k character limit here.

    I rated the game a 9/10, no game is perfect. This game also won't be for everyone, I would suggest trying to snag a guest pass if you want to try it out. There has been some launch issues regarding preorder items but for the most part the launch has been pretty good. I haven't had any issues playing the game.
    Expand
  24. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    10/10 Would buy again... well personally its an 8.5 or 9 out of 10 But I'm giving this game a 10 because it truly deserves a much higher score than a 6 And here are the reasons why:

    TLDR: 1) Combat - The combat in this game is Fluid, dynamic, and Amazing. When I first saw it on videos I thought "What is this hot mess?" All I could imagine was button mashing for the win. But that
    10/10 Would buy again... well personally its an 8.5 or 9 out of 10 But I'm giving this game a 10 because it truly deserves a much higher score than a 6 And here are the reasons why:

    TLDR:

    1) Combat - The combat in this game is Fluid, dynamic, and Amazing. When I first saw it on videos I thought "What is this hot mess?" All I could imagine was button mashing for the win. But that is NOT THE CASE AT ALL. You have to be skilled with your combos and time them correctly to pull them off. But if you chain them together you can create a masterpiece of destruction... and it FEEELS SOOO GOOOOOD!

    2) ABSOLUTELY NO PAY TO WIN - Accomplished VIA:

    >> A Semi Fixed Marketplace with anti botting measures
    >> No player trading allowed (very intentional to stop gold farming) Again at first you might shake your fist at the sky and cry "TYRANNY!" but This essentially completely locks down all gold farmers and craps in their faces. I love it so much I could cry.
    c) higher cash shop prices for vanity items (and few character clothing customizations in game) in order to pay for more amazing content.

    The vast majority of the negative reviews on here are people **** about the cash shop costumes being too expensive or that there are no refunds for pre-orders after you play the game etc. But they are truly missing the point as to why the cash shop is the way it is. Think of it as paying to keep the game devs generating amazing content without pay to win abuse and you'll realize it's well worth the cost.

    3) Stable Marketplace economy - At first it might seem too fixed but there are so many complex facets to the economy you'll be thankful you have a stable marketplace at it's central hub. `

    4) Graphics Are Amazing... like ridiculously amazing. They roads even stay wet and have puddles that you can create ripples in for a while after the rain clears and they dynamically go away after a while of the sun drying them out.

    5) Housing System is amazing - While some of you might miss the "claim and concor" aspect of Archeage, BDO takes a different approach. In BDO your housing is a part of your economy. you essentially buy multiple properties to build up your own empire similar to a Sim City or RTS game... its actually pretty badass.

    6) Economy/Trading System. This backpacks off the above and ties in with the crafting system... there is literally so much to this system that it would take a while to explain but needless to say it's in depth and awesome with such variables effecting price as market trends, player relationships, distance travelled, type of location/NPC you are selling it to, environmental factors etc. etc.

    7) Crafting systems - Again these are so large and so expansive I would have to write a book. Needless to say you will invariably end up picking 1 - 3 aspects of the crafting system to focus on and just learn and explore all that you can within that discipline. For me that's fishing and Gawd Damn it's satisfying in this game.

    8) Story and immersion - no fast travel at all... this might upset some... but it's a godsend. Really it's hard to pin point it down but the story is actually good even though it has its translation and voice acting hiccups. there is quite a political war going on between 2 of the main hubs of the world and all in all you feel like you're in the middle of a big ongoing conflict.... hard to lay my finger on it but It's very similar to the Witcher 2 even with all of its flaws.
    Expand
  25. 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 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 orNot 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. Expand
  26. Mar 8, 2016
    8
    I honestly enjoy this game. The combat is excellent, the world is alive, the game has a great land and property ownership system, and you can hire npc workers to gather for you. A few drawbacks are that low-level combat is very easy, the UI feels like a foreign website, and the games trading/property system is a bit confusing at first. They also need to make an option to make other playersI honestly enjoy this game. The combat is excellent, the world is alive, the game has a great land and property ownership system, and you can hire npc workers to gather for you. A few drawbacks are that low-level combat is very easy, the UI feels like a foreign website, and the games trading/property system is a bit confusing at first. They also need to make an option to make other players parked mounts invisible since they clog up cities. Expand
  27. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Great game with a very in depth economy and crafting system. Skills are definitely more involved and builds are far less linear than most mmorpgs. Character creation is also very good although the classes are gender locked. Combat is unique and becomes pretty natural as you learn the combos. A shame that trolls are trying to tank the rating because its a really fun game.
  28. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    Amazing game. You need to give it a shot and maybe force yourself for the first 5 hours of playing till you get an idea of what happening.. then you probably gonna love it! its amazing and has a bit room for improvement ;)
  29. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Been playing it from the release now and I can positively say that it was well worth the money and the time I've been playing it. This is far the most fun I've ever had in MMO in a long time. The only complaint I have at the moment is that the gender is tied to the classes, which isn't that much of a problem really.

    I love the world that they have created and it's really fun to explore,
    Been playing it from the release now and I can positively say that it was well worth the money and the time I've been playing it. This is far the most fun I've ever had in MMO in a long time. The only complaint I have at the moment is that the gender is tied to the classes, which isn't that much of a problem really.

    I love the world that they have created and it's really fun to explore, and feels rewarding in doing so. There is TONS of things to do, with professions, mini-games and the questing. The thing I love most about this MMO is the combat, it's just SO fun to crush your enemies, and that it works fluently is a bonus.

    I'm giving this a 10/10, just because I've enjoyed so much compared to other MMOs like WoW, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online and other free one ^^
    Expand
  30. Mar 3, 2016
    9
    Be warned many of the reviews with 0 are salty children that are crying for some reason, simple research on this title will show all of the mas being wrong and clearly talking out of their asses, hell click on some of the mand see their other reviews... ESO with 10s

    They are fan boys, salty ones at that. 5,000 words isn't idel for me to explain the whole game to you, you're best bet
    Be warned many of the reviews with 0 are salty children that are crying for some reason, simple research on this title will show all of the mas being wrong and clearly talking out of their asses, hell click on some of the mand see their other reviews... ESO with 10s

    They are fan boys, salty ones at that.

    5,000 words isn't idel for me to explain the whole game to you, you're best bet is to do your own research in to this title, take a look at streams on Twitch, check Youtube, and read up on this game

    also, no it doesn't have P2W, the pets are very close to P2W, but that just it, they are close to it, many games have a Free to play model or Buy to play and offer you a subscription for more Exp or Gold gain (ESO) we don't sit down and claim that to be Pay to win.
    Expand
  31. Mar 3, 2016
    9
    The tutorial is really fast paced and stacks everything on you at once which gets really confusing, but once you get the hang of it this is actually a really good MMO. I've never seen an mmo with combat as good as this and the graphics look great even on the lower settings.
    For $30 buy to play this is a steal.
  32. Mar 3, 2016
    8
    This is a decent game. Different, more alive.

    - Towns feel like living breathing town plus players running around. - Combat is reminiscent of hack and slash games. I'd say it's almost like Blade and Soul. Unlike that game however, you can literally perform several different attacks with just the movement keys and mouse buttons which is more reminiscent of games like Street Fighter
    This is a decent game. Different, more alive.

    - Towns feel like living breathing town plus players running around.

    - Combat is reminiscent of hack and slash games. I'd say it's almost like Blade and Soul. Unlike that game however, you can literally perform several different attacks with just the movement keys and mouse buttons which is more reminiscent of games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat.

    - While combat is the most common focus of the game, it isn't the only one as there is plenty of harvesting/crafting to go around. Home ownership, increasing reputation with npc's, sending npc workers out into the world (and you will see them out and about in the actual world), horse taming/breeding/riding, guild vs guild and arena pvp...there's just a ton to do and you can choose to do whatever you want.

    - Now the story isn't anything to write home about in my opinion. Not that I ever really cared about the lore in any MMO...mainly because they say I'm the chosen one and yet I'm surrounded by hundreds of other chosen ones. Anyways, I like the idea of an MMO that doesn't put much emphasis on Story as it allows the player to create their own through actions within the community.

    - The music is in my opinion perfect. Never obnoxious, always at the right level setting the mood, and changing depending on the situation. That combined with the visuals of the world really draws you in.

    - Contrary to what people might tell you, there currently is no Pay to Win in this game. There's Pay for Convenience which is what most decent Buy to Play MMO's have.

    ...Now that I've sang it's praises, I'll talk about the not so good.

    - The look of your character's armor won't change much while you level. You can craft some costumes to replace the appearance of your armor, but the best costumes are in the cash shop.

    - Armor/Costume Dyes are mostly cash shop only and dyes are consumed on use. They did add the option of using loyalty points (earned by logging in daily) to buy a random dye box, but you never know exactly what you'll get that way.

    - There are no dungeons...at least not in the traditional sense. There are outdoor areas with enemies that could be tackled as a group, but you could also solo it if you're skilled enough. There are however over-world bosses and you can even summon some of them with summon scrolls (can be purchased in loyalty shop).

    - PvP doesn't really start until level 45 and the soft cap is level 50 (meaning you can level beyond 50, but it's really slow). On the bright side (or downside depending on your preference), ganking/griefing is severely penalized via a karma system that will leave you unable to go to towns without being kill-on-sight to the guards, but only if you decide to go on a player killing spree against players who haven't flagged themselves for PvP.

    - There is some odd optimization choices that some consider jarring. I for one didn't, but it's really up to what your tolerance is. Fortunately, this never affected gameplay. At least it didn't for me.

    - The character creator seems deep at first glance, but in practice is actually more restrictive than other MMO's and can even be confusing at times. Be prepared to spend a lot of time in the creator figuring out how to coax it into doing your bidding.

    - Apart from the Main Story quest, there is little to no voice acting and the voice acting that is there is cringe-worthy. It doesn't help that the localization of the text is haphazard half the time. Not unreadable, but off-putting none the less.

    In conclusion, this game has it's flaws. But the parts where it's good, it's really good. That being said, it's not going to be for everyone and unfortunately, LP's and Livestreams do not do the game-play justice. If you're the least bit interested in this game, head over to their forums and see if someone will give you a 7-day guest pass and try it for yourself. Personally, I'd say it's at least worth the one-time fee of 30 dollars.
    Expand
  33. Mar 3, 2016
    9
    There is plenty wrong with this game, but there is plenty right too. They are trying to push a game into a different direction and it shows. Their biggest fault is that they weren't courageous enough to go the whole distance and they ended up keeping the game firmly planted on the land of familiarity.
  34. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    This game is great. It was a great story so far, decent voice acting and balanced classes. It plays well enough that a Tab Targeter like me got used to the controls quickly. Its support staff might not be 100% perfect, but they get the job done.

    Do not believe the trolls adding negative reviews to this game. They are either part of the group of ESO players trying to downplay the game or
    This game is great. It was a great story so far, decent voice acting and balanced classes. It plays well enough that a Tab Targeter like me got used to the controls quickly. Its support staff might not be 100% perfect, but they get the job done.

    Do not believe the trolls adding negative reviews to this game. They are either part of the group of ESO players trying to downplay the game or those that happened to get involved with the whole pre order "fiasco".

    I never pay more than $40 for games, but this game was good enough to go all the way and get the $100 pre order.
    Expand
  35. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Never been so sucked in to MMO after old school WoW. Gw 2 i was hyped but this came unexpected.
    Its like EVE online, very slow game with tons of stuff to do. This is not theme park; maybe at begining but later on you must figure out by yourself. BDO got the most beautiful world and characters in any MMo i saw up to date. And yes there is some grind but hey thats what MMO is all about.
    Never been so sucked in to MMO after old school WoW. Gw 2 i was hyped but this came unexpected.
    Its like EVE online, very slow game with tons of stuff to do. This is not theme park; maybe at begining but later on you must figure out by yourself. BDO got the most beautiful world and characters in any MMo i saw up to date. And yes there is some grind but hey thats what MMO is all about. Sometimes it feels like skyrim online. Try it !
    Expand
  36. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    This is one of, if not the best, game I have ever had the privilege to follow and finally play. I watched this game for three years and automatically bought it when it came to NA/EU to play both CBT's. Finally launch has started and it is still fantastic! There is so much that can be done in this game it is just astounding. There are so many npc's to talk to, villages to explore, items toThis is one of, if not the best, game I have ever had the privilege to follow and finally play. I watched this game for three years and automatically bought it when it came to NA/EU to play both CBT's. Finally launch has started and it is still fantastic! There is so much that can be done in this game it is just astounding. There are so many npc's to talk to, villages to explore, items to craft, cook, and upgrade it is almost overwhelming the amount of things you can do.

    To these reviewers saying that this game is lacking, they have not played this game past lvl 10 and if they have then they never attempted to delve into this games many mechanics. Let me tell you that lvl 1-50 are known to be mainly tutorial, which is why so many players have already reached lvl 50+ by the second day of the prelaunch (29.2.2016)

    For those people saying that the classes are gender locked... well yes this is true, however Almost all classes have a female/male counterpart with slight differences to make the classes unique (witch/wizard is the only class with the same skills so far) Warrior/Valkyrie, Witch/Wizard, and Tamer/Berserker (originally supposed to me counterparts, but other classes may be added for these two) later releases include Blader/Plum (think samurai) and Ninja/Kunoichi. The only classes without confirmed counterparts are Archer and Sorceress but male counterparts have been teased in trailers/in game.

    Later as well there are many more things to be implemented including a large portion of the undiscovered map, guild sieges, node wars, horse racing, arena battles, and much more.

    I hope this clears some stuff up for those of you who are unsure if you should purchase the game... Or at least do some research before listening to all these negative/false/stuck up reviews by players who never attempted or even desired to give this game a chance. Please don't deprive yourself of a great game by listening to these reviewers with such a poor outlook on a good thing
    Expand
  37. Mar 3, 2016
    8
    Come on in and join the fun. BDO is a huge open world sandbox MMO with wonderful features. You can be whatever you want to be in this world. A rich trader, a badass fighter, a slum lord, an adventurer. Very nice graphics on top of first class mechanics. The translation from Korean to English can be a bit sketchy but with everything this game has to offer, that's a minor annoyance.
  38. Mar 7, 2016
    9
    Buy it once, then no subscription fee. Cash shop for a few smal lboosts or cosmetics, a bit on the expensive side. Nice graphics, with good feeling combos on the variosu classes. Wish classes you be male/female isntead of gender locked. Love the fishing!

    Can't wait for map expansion, and adding more features to classes. Disapointed that the translations are so-so. Tutorials are also
    Buy it once, then no subscription fee. Cash shop for a few smal lboosts or cosmetics, a bit on the expensive side. Nice graphics, with good feeling combos on the variosu classes. Wish classes you be male/female isntead of gender locked. Love the fishing!

    Can't wait for map expansion, and adding more features to classes. Disapointed that the translations are so-so. Tutorials are also somewhat lacking, in my opinion, for more advanced gameplay features.

    9/10.
    Expand
  39. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Really great, immersive, and deep game. Refreshing change from the MMO's of previous generations, there's a lot to this game, a lot to learn and a lot to enjoy. Exploration is in, on the rails questing is out, but not totally absent as quests now serve to offer perks, sometimes permanent growth to your character but you're no longer guided along the yellow brick road to the end. ExploringReally great, immersive, and deep game. Refreshing change from the MMO's of previous generations, there's a lot to this game, a lot to learn and a lot to enjoy. Exploration is in, on the rails questing is out, but not totally absent as quests now serve to offer perks, sometimes permanent growth to your character but you're no longer guided along the yellow brick road to the end. Exploring will have you discover hidden languages, open world dungeons (there are no instances, only phasing for the extremely robust housing system) definitely give it a go. There are a lot of ESO fanboy downrating posts here, don't listen to them. Expand
  40. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Absolutely great game. At first people trying this game might think it is the usual MMO with better graphics, however this game is a lot deeper than most games I've ever played. It's a great sandbox that you can lose yourself in for hours on end.
  41. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Looks like some ESO guild is trying to smear and defame this game lol. I'd advise just ignoring all those 0 ratings.

    It's by no means perfect, but it's still a great sandpark (sandbox-thempark hybrid) MMO. The good: -visceral action combat mechanics -exciting open world PvP and large scale GvGs -multiple ways to progress your character (freedom of endgame) -the world feels alive
    Looks like some ESO guild is trying to smear and defame this game lol. I'd advise just ignoring all those 0 ratings.

    It's by no means perfect, but it's still a great sandpark (sandbox-thempark hybrid) MMO.

    The good:
    -visceral action combat mechanics
    -exciting open world PvP and large scale GvGs
    -multiple ways to progress your character (freedom of endgame)
    -the world feels alive and immersive
    -great graphics

    The bad:
    -lots of pop-in
    -bad story and voice acting
    -gender lock
    -Limited player-to-player trading
    -No challenging PvE, heavy emphasis on grinding (either mobs or the various systems)

    The neutral:
    -Being in a guild greatly increases your mileage with the game
    -The game demands a lot of time investment; not pick up and play
    -You're expected to partake in all the systems, rather than focus on one. (You can't focus 100% on PvP)
    Expand
  42. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Black desert is hands down one of the best and innovative games Ive ever player, it takes the MMO genre to a new level with great graphics, deep gameplay and careers, awesome combat, awesome character customization, BD has it all. Come join the fun.
  43. Mar 4, 2016
    8
    Pro:
    - Large beautiful world without a single loading screen in the entire game
    - Surroundings which feel alive thanks to the immersion in the game - Awesome graphics - Many minigames to relax from fighting and questing which also give exp and money so you dont have to fall behind while not progressing the story and quests - Cash Shop Items are mainly just cosmetical and give only
    Pro:
    - Large beautiful world without a single loading screen in the entire game
    - Surroundings which feel alive thanks to the immersion in the game
    - Awesome graphics
    - Many minigames to relax from fighting and questing which also give exp and money so you dont have to fall behind while not progressing the story and quests
    - Cash Shop Items are mainly just cosmetical and give only minor buffs
    - Open world PVP and huge GvG (something that a game called Guild Wars 2 still doesnt have lol)
    - There is always something to do, you can choose your endgame by yourself and dont have to follow a carved out path
    - Character editor which makes you feel like a plastic surgeon

    Neutral:
    - Voice acting isnt that good but isnt bad either. Some characters are well voiced while others completely are out of place
    - Story: Slowly developing (which is fine) but they could have put more effort into telling it
    - Translations are really strange sometimes so some sentences doesnt make any sense at all
    - Costumes and skins are very expensive. They are well made however

    Bad:
    - The loot system looks like it was made in the last millenium. The one who either hits first ordeals the most dmg gets the loot. They should have rather give everyone their individual loot.
    - Dye system is a total rip off. Not only dyes are RNG based but also you can only use them 1 time, and ofc its also expensive as ****

    The game definetly has it flaws but its not worth 0 (nice try ESO Fanboys, next time you try to push a game into a negative score use a different account than the one you used to push ESO into the positive).
    Its a alternative to GW2, which is pretty much dead, and a game with potential.
    Expand
  44. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    The tutorial is fast, but once you get the hang of it this is actually a really good MMO. I've never seen an mmo with combat as good as this and the graphics look great even on the lower settings. Really good
  45. Mar 9, 2016
    10
    Stop Complaining with the Cash shop... Because in this game it is EASY to make money with at least a brain... And you can get some of the cash shop item from the auction if people want to sell them. So probleme resolved.

    You people who told us that lvl 50 no PVE then its only the 3 march so Did you get 50 so fast? Or Its just some rumors you heard. There is a lot of PVE content all
    Stop Complaining with the Cash shop... Because in this game it is EASY to make money with at least a brain... And you can get some of the cash shop item from the auction if people want to sell them. So probleme resolved.

    You people who told us that lvl 50 no PVE then its only the 3 march so Did you get 50 so fast? Or Its just some rumors you heard.
    There is a lot of PVE content all around the progression of your caracter. NPC Friendship NODS/connecting Discontinuer Slaves Commerce Finding new knowledge Crafting And muche more.

    You enjoy the real life aspect of the game? No fast travel for exemple? Cuting down a Three takes few time fishing also... That real life aspect most people like it and the same groupe of people complain about the energie systeme... its full contradiction. because In REAL LIFE you need energie also... surprise...

    I mean The energie is systeme is a good thing because you have to manage your energie according to what you want to do next... For exemple I want to go fishing so I wont cut three I need my energie to fish...
    Real life aspect so stop complaining about that, its part of the game and its important. Life is about making choices!!! Not crying because you can't do every thing right know.

    And the combat systeme is one of the less boring I have ever seen in a MMORPG. And people who said its boring they have been rushing Bashing LVL50 in 15hours... Missing the content of the game. Forgive them.

    It's a game that require to take your time to discover it and enjoy it. Rushing is like Eating 30euro and poo it in a volcano.

    Big tips... Don't go swwiiimmmmmiinnnngggg

    I won't say more because most of the positive rewiew or good enough for me. But I wanted to counter the negative points wich are for some... HALF LIES
    Expand
  46. Uxz
    Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Don't mind the low scores, the game is great. There is a huge influx of angry Elder Scrolls Online players who campaign to reduce the score here in thsi game.
  47. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    To all these ignorant eso fanboys making negative reviews just to try and burn this game in favor of ESO your pathetic. This game is an amazing true sandbox open world, incredibly fun action combat and a huge immersive world with absolutely no fast travel. What truly pisses these fanboys off is that Black Desert Online IS WHAT THEY WANTED FROM ESO. They wanted an amazing open world gameTo all these ignorant eso fanboys making negative reviews just to try and burn this game in favor of ESO your pathetic. This game is an amazing true sandbox open world, incredibly fun action combat and a huge immersive world with absolutely no fast travel. What truly pisses these fanboys off is that Black Desert Online IS WHAT THEY WANTED FROM ESO. They wanted an amazing open world game set in tamriel as we all did ESO turned out to be nothing more than a half decent cash grab theme park and they know it. So they get on here and trash the game to try and bump their weak dying one. Check the profiles of juzaah tonykroos esofanatic mizooka these are all the same person trying to bump a mediocre theme park game. Don't let them scare you away from an amazing game. Expand
  48. Mar 6, 2016
    10
    This game is the absolute best in terms of immersion in MMO. Graphics are the best, the systems are complex and engaging. The fighting is super fun... Don't let yourself fooled by the haters, this is the best MMO up to date, give it a try!
  49. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    This site has alot of contradicting users here.. dont take all the negative comments to heart - try out the game for your self. So far I love this game and I am coming from UO and SWTOR. I love that .. there is a chance I might get lost while adventuring
  50. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Huge surprise here.
    About half the people are giving severe votes before the game has had any time for review.
    Adding my own 10 to the positive bandwagon because I feel the terrible ratings are highly unfair at this early stage.
  51. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Ignore the low scores, the trolling and salt that people have posted - there are a lot of bitter people in this world unfortunately. I'm always dubious of new MMO's especially eastern developed regardless of western conversion however out of 17 years of playing MMO this one really shines and is refreshing. If anyone is sceptical then try and source a 7 day pass and make your own mind up.Ignore the low scores, the trolling and salt that people have posted - there are a lot of bitter people in this world unfortunately. I'm always dubious of new MMO's especially eastern developed regardless of western conversion however out of 17 years of playing MMO this one really shines and is refreshing. If anyone is sceptical then try and source a 7 day pass and make your own mind up. The only 2 gripes are the acting and cut scenes are a little rough around the edges on the and the main screen UI needs to some TLC which I guess could be reworked hopefully sometime soon. I score this MMO a 9.6 because it's simply fantastic. Expand
  52. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    No idea why people from Elderscroll Online do stuff like this. But this Game is not a 0 it is vastly complex and a lot harder than ESO.
    Best too try it out for yourself. Ad least the graphic is worlds apart.
  53. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Well all these ass hats who have no f*cking clue wtf they are talking about or have never played the game is just stupid.
    The game has amazing visuals and superb combat system. You can do so many stings, you dont even know where to start. Leveling is quete fast. The world feels alive and truly open the map is huge.
    Dont listen to these stupid reviews they are clearly only bashing the
    Well all these ass hats who have no f*cking clue wtf they are talking about or have never played the game is just stupid.
    The game has amazing visuals and superb combat system. You can do so many stings, you dont even know where to start. Leveling is quete fast. The world feels alive and truly open the map is huge.
    Dont listen to these stupid reviews they are clearly only bashing the game without even playing it or just for fun.
    Expand
  54. Mar 6, 2016
    10
    Haters Gonna hate. The Hardcore MMO Sanbox wonna Love it. There is so much to discover. The Love to deatial so immpresive and the imesrsion from a open world immens. Love or Hate. Me Ansver: Give a Chace to love it.
  55. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Absolutely a wonderful game! I do qualify, this game is not for everyone, there is a lot of grinding and the cash shop is currently a little high priced. In addition to the cash shop, I am unsure how they will keep the game b2p and continue to make enough revenue, I imagine they might take the game f2p in the future, but we will see what happens :) That being said, the combat (to me theAbsolutely a wonderful game! I do qualify, this game is not for everyone, there is a lot of grinding and the cash shop is currently a little high priced. In addition to the cash shop, I am unsure how they will keep the game b2p and continue to make enough revenue, I imagine they might take the game f2p in the future, but we will see what happens :) That being said, the combat (to me the most important aspect of the game) is fantastic and by far the best of any mmorpg. The world is beautiful, immersive, and the graphics are beautiful. I would say if you can stand grinding, aren't super put off by high cosmetic prices, and love good combat with and with out groups, this game could be super enjoyable for you. For my personal tastes, its the best mmorpg I've played in a long time. Expand
  56. Mar 3, 2016
    9
    Black desert online brings a fresh breath of air in the MMO genre. The graphics and smooth gameplay is what sets Black desert online apart from its action combat competitors like TERA online. Lets start with optimization, the game runs extremely well and is well optimized for PC. With a gtx 960 and i5 4690k i had no problem running the game on high settings at 60fps. The game graphics areBlack desert online brings a fresh breath of air in the MMO genre. The graphics and smooth gameplay is what sets Black desert online apart from its action combat competitors like TERA online. Lets start with optimization, the game runs extremely well and is well optimized for PC. With a gtx 960 and i5 4690k i had no problem running the game on high settings at 60fps. The game graphics are the best MMO graphics i have ever seen in an MMO and art style is quite intriguing. But it all comes down to gameplay, and Black desert online shines in this category as well. Gameplay is smooth and flashy, with interesting class diversity and mechanics. Overall i give Black desert online 9/10 certainly one of the best if not the best B2P MMO to ever come out. The Only criticism i have is that its abit grindy. Expand
  57. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    This game comes with a lot of frustration for early backers like myself. But the frustration is worth every second.

    If you're someone thinking of giving this a try, DO. Please do not let the negative reviews scare you. This MMORPG is the quality of a AAA single player game. Not trying this yourself is a great mistake. In fact, the first three people who message me on the BDO forums I
    This game comes with a lot of frustration for early backers like myself. But the frustration is worth every second.

    If you're someone thinking of giving this a try, DO. Please do not let the negative reviews scare you. This MMORPG is the quality of a AAA single player game. Not trying this yourself is a great mistake.

    In fact, the first three people who message me on the BDO forums I will reply with a 7 day guest pass. My username is Illusive.
    Expand
  58. Mar 6, 2016
    10
    Best combat in an MMO; period. So much to do in this game; it can be daunting... I think that's a good thing. Graphics are rediculously pretty, but you better have a beast PC to run the game on highest settings with a decent fps.
  59. Mar 4, 2016
    10
    BDO offers a living seamless world that feels alive. Most other MMOs drag you along with quests until endgame raiding where all you do is kill bosses over and over again for loot and then wait for the next expansion so you can do the whole thing over again. This is NOT the case with BDO.

    Quests provide rewards separate from character level. You as the player can decide to do quests and
    BDO offers a living seamless world that feels alive. Most other MMOs drag you along with quests until endgame raiding where all you do is kill bosses over and over again for loot and then wait for the next expansion so you can do the whole thing over again. This is NOT the case with BDO.

    Quests provide rewards separate from character level. You as the player can decide to do quests and gain level XP from mobs you kill on the way OR grind on mobs. Quests are your main form of getting Contribution which you will use in the incredibly in depth crafting, housing and trade systems.

    Combat is action oriented and instead of focusing on only a couple targets at time you will be killing hordes of mobs like in Diablo. At launch, combat is pretty easy and the challenge comes from how to commit genocide faster. In upcoming FREE expansions mobs get incredibly difficult and some zones even have survival elements like having to drink water in the desert to stay alive.

    Crafting is one of my favorites parts in BDO. You can decide if you want to chop down trees for lumber yourself OR you can hire NPCs to do the dirty work for you. Eventually you will own warehouses and workshops all over the world with dozens of NPC workers doing your bidding. You can even have up to 5 homes across the world!

    Guild Sieges allow guilds to build towers and cannons to attempt to lay claim to cities, farms and other points of interest every week. Battles for cities can reach over 800 people.

    TLDR: This is a living breathing world that gives the player the freedom to do what they want to do. Want to minmax your gear and crush in PVP? Go for it. Want to be a trader? Get rich. Want to build a boat and sail the vast oceans in search of rare whales? Get it!
    Expand
  60. Mar 3, 2016
    10
    Probably the best MMO I've ever played, with in depth systems and story, and an exceptionally fun combat system. Much of it is easy to get into, yet challenging to master. Worth every penny spent.
  61. Mar 8, 2016
    8
    There's been a recent wave of people from another game to downvote this game, I'm not going to share which game because it's a group of people not the game, in hopes to ruin this games reputation by giving it a 0/10. Most of the negative reviews given had their accounts all made on the same day, all downvoting BDO with 0/10 and upvoting their game with 10/10 saying it's the perfect gameThere's been a recent wave of people from another game to downvote this game, I'm not going to share which game because it's a group of people not the game, in hopes to ruin this games reputation by giving it a 0/10. Most of the negative reviews given had their accounts all made on the same day, all downvoting BDO with 0/10 and upvoting their game with 10/10 saying it's the perfect game and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. There's no perfect game out there and there never will be.

    If you take a look at the negative reviews made towards this game, it's mainly "has no PvE at all" , "extremely P2W" , or "not a sandbox game."

    1. "This game is extremely P2W." BDO in NA/EU isn't P2W by any means. It's PFC (Pay for Convenience) and that's 100% accurate. You can buy yourself more bag space, weight limit, costumes, and potions that you can cosmetics for your ships / vehicles / mounts. NONE of these items are you able to trade or sell to other players as they're all either character or account bound. The concept of P2W is most commonly described as: paying real life money to advance your characters strength in game, like for example, spending $1000 and converting all of those spendings to in game money or buying yourself gear.

    2. "This game has no PvE at all, there's no end game." ----- I laughed.

    3. Not a sandbox game? There's trading, linking nodes, fishing, farming, hiring workers to do tasks for you, gathering, processing, achievements that progress your character and none of this is forced on you. You're given directions yeah, but it's not linear whatsoever. Wanna say **** leveling and pvp because you wanna go fish right out of the gate? You can and that goes with anything you wanna do. The world is MASSIVE and none of it is instanced.

    Aside from all the negativity by haters from other games trying to promote their game out of fear or anger because other games are losing players to this game, this game is genuinely a very good game. It's not a perfect game, I gave it a 8/10 for a reason. -1 Point was to the bugs and UI problems that they're having. This would easily be a 9/10 game if it wasnt for that, but hey, the game JUST came live (if these changes are ever fixed I'll gladly change my review). And my other -1 point goes to the Energy system. It's the ONLY thing I dislike about this game. The way they've implemented the energy system makes it so that it doesnt feel TERRIBLE, but it's not GREAT either. I hate limitations through recovery systems.

    What this game has to offer:
    - Amazing graphics
    - One of a kind character customization
    - A MASSIVE world
    - Its NOT P2W
    - The classes all seem so fun that it literally took me a week to figure out what I wanted to play and even after I figured out what I wanted to play, Im fully aware/certain that the character im playing WONT be the only class I ever play in this game.
    - The community is nice
    - There's so much you can do that you'll literally get sidetracked. I got realized I got sidetracked from something I wanted to do, told myself I was going to go do that now and then INSTANTLY afterwards I had gotten sidetracked again without even realizing it this time.

    I'd like to admit that yes, I made my account here on Metacritic today. I realize that my comment about all the downvotes about this game were accounts made today and here I am upvoting this game on the same day I made my account. I dont believe that these people are reasonable at all. A majority of the comments are from people who have never played this game.

    TLDR; the game is amazing, dont trust the negative reviews on this site (or any site with a review based system), and do your research about BDO. Visit the official forums, visit the BDO reddit, watch youtube videos about this game.
    Expand
  62. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    No other game has united my friends/gaming circle like BDO, since the Vanilla WoW days. That goes for mmos, fps, mobas and every other type of game we try to play as a group (8-12 people). Never has a game satisfied us all until this.

    I probably couldn't tell you exactly what it is that has made this occur but I'll have a go: 1. There's something for everyone in BDO and it's fine not
    No other game has united my friends/gaming circle like BDO, since the Vanilla WoW days. That goes for mmos, fps, mobas and every other type of game we try to play as a group (8-12 people). Never has a game satisfied us all until this.

    I probably couldn't tell you exactly what it is that has made this occur but I'll have a go:

    1. There's something for everyone in BDO and it's fine not "to do it all". You can play the elements of the game that you want to play and do just fine.
    2. Each little aspect of the game (cooking, fishing, breeding etc) feels totally unique and like its own game in itself. Very immersive.
    3. The world feels like a world. No fast travel, no queuing stuff through a menu, no lifeless settlements. Everywhere feels alive, bustling and real.
    4. No subscription. All though I've played everyday since launch and will do for a while, I like feeling safe in the knowledge I can drop in any time free of charge.
    5. NOT pay-2-win. Take my word on this, it's not. Search for KungenTV's video on the topic. Too much to explain here.

    Anyway, you've read all this stuff before. I wasn't that interested in BDO running up to launch and don't really have a desire for Asian games, but this one has hit the spot. Everything is just well thought out and well designed. You will need to use external guides to get started and kickstart your fun during the first few sessions to get the most out of the game and realize it plays differently to what you are use to. Once things start to make sense, you'll be in love!

    Mark my words.
    Expand
  63. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    Black Desert Online manages to scratch the old school MMO itch that many players have felt over the past decade. With open world PvP, guild vs guild fighting, a complex economy and supply chain management system, tons of side content such as involved crafting and gathering as well as housing, and finally an action combat system that relies heavily on combos and player skill, this game willBlack Desert Online manages to scratch the old school MMO itch that many players have felt over the past decade. With open world PvP, guild vs guild fighting, a complex economy and supply chain management system, tons of side content such as involved crafting and gathering as well as housing, and finally an action combat system that relies heavily on combos and player skill, this game will keep you immersed from day one. And if graphics are your thing, you won't find yourself disappointed there, either. Simply back up to a wall and lean against it to activate the free flying camera and enjoy all the sights your local environment may have to offer!

    While players who are used to endgame gear grinds and hand-holding quest content may be disappointed, players who are looking for an involved and living world will find plenty to interest them. The game identifies itself, on its home page, as a "life simulator". The towns feel truly alive, and quest rewards are designed in such a way that even if you return to old cities long since visited, you will still find that helping out the locals is a rewarding experience. The lack of fast travel truly makes the map feel massive, while the addition of an "auto-pilot" to waypoints set on the map helps avoid creating unnecessary tedium in the acts of managing your workers and resources in other cities.

    While I have nothing but praise for this sandbox MMO's gameplay and core mechanics, I have an equal amount of loathing for the voice acting and general story. The English voices sound like various interns were asked to play the part during their lunch breaks, and the story is dragged down greatly by this. The underlying premise seems interesting, but the amazing immersion created by the rest of the game is thrown out back and beaten to death by the dull and uninterested actors telling the tale.

    All together, I would say that if old school sandbox games are your style (Ultima, Lineage II, Shadowbane, EVE Online, etc), this game is for you. But if you are looking for a modern theme park with endgame raids and a story to match, you will likely find yourself quite disappointed.
    Expand
  64. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    Black Desert is the best MMO to come out in years. Graphically very pleasing, a great mix of sandbox and theme park features, and real meaningful content that is actually satisfying to complete instead of just auto queuing for the next mindless dungeon. Every facet of the game has much more depth and complexity than the average cookie cutter MMO (ESO, BnS, WoW...) and is much more akin toBlack Desert is the best MMO to come out in years. Graphically very pleasing, a great mix of sandbox and theme park features, and real meaningful content that is actually satisfying to complete instead of just auto queuing for the next mindless dungeon. Every facet of the game has much more depth and complexity than the average cookie cutter MMO (ESO, BnS, WoW...) and is much more akin to SWG or Everquest.

    The good vastly outweighs the bad, and this is worth a purchase if you are an old school MMO fan.

    Ignore the ESO trolls, Black Desert is the game ESO should have been.
    Expand
  65. Mar 8, 2016
    9
    This is the MMO I've been waiting for, I think. I'm hesitant to say this is the MMO I will be playing for years as so much can change and I've been burned so many times in the past. But so far Black Desert is phenomenal.

    Pros: Combat is just so much fun. You truly feel like a bada** and the animations and effects are so cool. It will be very hard to play a tab targeting game again
    This is the MMO I've been waiting for, I think. I'm hesitant to say this is the MMO I will be playing for years as so much can change and I've been burned so many times in the past. But so far Black Desert is phenomenal.

    Pros:

    Combat is just so much fun. You truly feel like a bada** and the animations and effects are so cool. It will be very hard to play a tab targeting game again

    Graphically there isn't another MMO that I've ever played that could touch Black Desert. It's simply gorgeous.

    Crafting is enjoyable. Hiring workers to do my dirty work is so nice. I'm an altoholic and being able to command my workers on other characters is great.

    Fishing, yes fishing. I'm addicted to it. Addicted to filling my inventory and filling my cart up with fish and making the trek to the trade manager to sell my bounty.

    Player housing is a mini game in and of itself.

    Exploration in Black Desert is quite enjoyable. From just running around exploring to crafting a boat and sailing around the world, there is much to see.

    Sandbox aspects. I like the fact that you can do whatever the heck you want to do or totally avoid what you don't want to do.

    Cons:

    Gender locks on SOME classes. There are a 3 classes that are gender locked with the rest having an opposite sex counterpart.

    No dungeons or raids. This might be a temporary issue as from what I understand the Korean version (which is ahead of the NA/EU) is starting to implement dungeons. If dungeon/raid progression is important to you this is not the game for you at this point in time.

    PVP focus. Those looking for a primarily PVE focused game will probably want to look elsewhere or at least wait and see if more dungeons are implemented.

    No player trading. I believe this was put in place to avoid gold sellers.

    Appearance. This is really the only con that I personally have an issue with. Everyone looks so similar. There are some minor changes when picking up new gear but not significant enough. I really hope they address this in the future.

    As I said earlier I like this game. A lot. I see so much potential here that I am really excited to see what's on the horizon. Unless there are factors to this game that you simply cannot get past (PVP focus, gender locks, no tab targeting) I don't see how you will get at least a couple months of enjoyment out of Black Desert. Not bad for $30 in my opinion.
    Expand
  66. Mar 7, 2016
    10
    Made an account after someone linked to this page. Holy **** this game is not a 5.8!!! It's AT LEAST a solid 8. Amazing graphics. I've had a flawless experience even with the 4 day head start. The crafting is so complex and almost everything you do is leveling something up. There are too many quests to do them all. The guild system is fun and promotes participation. I just came here toMade an account after someone linked to this page. Holy **** this game is not a 5.8!!! It's AT LEAST a solid 8. Amazing graphics. I've had a flawless experience even with the 4 day head start. The crafting is so complex and almost everything you do is leveling something up. There are too many quests to do them all. The guild system is fun and promotes participation. I just came here to defend the game that I've been playing almost nonstop for over a week. Expand
  67. Mar 8, 2016
    10
    Let me start by saying these other reviews are full on bull. This game has got me to fall in love with MMO's all over again i can see my self playing it for years.
    Also there is not a single pay-to-win aspect in the game those claiming there is have not played 1 second of the game or spent more than 5mins researching the game they are just fan boys of other games.
    Yes there is aspects of
    Let me start by saying these other reviews are full on bull. This game has got me to fall in love with MMO's all over again i can see my self playing it for years.
    Also there is not a single pay-to-win aspect in the game those claiming there is have not played 1 second of the game or spent more than 5mins researching the game they are just fan boys of other games.
    Yes there is aspects of the game that could use work but people are forgetting it may have been out for awhile in Korea but we still have an early build and there are MANY updates to come.
    Expand
  68. Mar 7, 2016
    8
    Pros:

    +Very interesting game mechanics (Knowledge, Energy for certain tasks, Amity levels for NPCs, Contribution Points to invest in certain areas, etc.) +Awesome action combat that relies on combos and requires you to dodge in order to mitigate damage (Somewhat similar to TERA) +Creative character creation and interesting classes (I have only played as the Sorceress but have watched
    Pros:

    +Very interesting game mechanics (Knowledge, Energy for certain tasks, Amity levels for NPCs, Contribution Points to invest in certain areas, etc.)
    +Awesome action combat that relies on combos and requires you to dodge in order to mitigate damage (Somewhat similar to TERA)
    +Creative character creation and interesting classes (I have only played as the Sorceress but have watched others play as different characters. Some are fairly similar to each other, however they do differ in a few key areas. More classes will be arriving soon)
    +Fantastic graphics with a lot of optimization options (Not to mention the engine was built from the ground up specifically for this game)
    +Huge open world (no loading screens, massive playable area with more areas to come, includes large sea areas that will be expanded upon as well)
    +World feels alive (Many NPCs go about their business and even talk among themselves, hired workers travel between areas in real time, day and night cycle, dynamic weather, no fast travel, etc.)
    +So many things to do (Grind mobs to gain EXP and Knowledge, complete the ridiculous amount of quests, many different types of life skills and crafting)
    +Life skills and crafting (This includes but is not limited to fishing, cooking, farming, training, gathering, processing, etc. Each life skill can be leveled up to a specific max level, allowing you to have more success and find better items in these areas)
    +Guild vs. Guild (Siege, Nodes) and PvP (Instanced, Arena, Open-world, with more modes to come)
    +Forgoes the traditional Raids and Dungeons for World Bosses, Summoned Bosses, Guild Wars, etc. The Desert will be released soon and will include Wold Bosses as well as a Dungeon located underground)
    +Player housing that is instanced but can be visited by every single player. Each house can either be an actual house that you can decorate, lodging for your workers, warehouses. and different types of workshops
    +World Economy (Hire workers to gather and produce goods for you, game-wide marketplace, NPC trading, connecting nodes to create trade routes throughout the world, etc.)
    +Encourages alternative characters (Items, weapons, armor, and money can be shared. Contribution Points accumulate over all characters to maximize node investments. The same applies to Energy)

    Neutral:

    =Endgame is guild and PvP activities as well as life skills and crafting. I actually do not mind this as it breaks away from many of the genre's tropes to form a more organic MMORPG game
    =Level EXP is gained primarily through grinding mobs. It can still be gained through certain quests and however it is not nearly as reliable as grinding mobs. Quests give Energy, Contribution Points, Knowledge, etc. EXP for life skills/crafting is gained through performing those activities
    =Attaining mob knowledge is based on RNG as well as the level of knowledge attained. Mob knowledge can be reset in order to try get attain a higher knowledge level
    =Some gender locked classes. Some classes are similar to each other though, so this may offer a solution if you are set on one specific type of character
    =Dialog and voice acting, NPC text, and story are fairly awkward. Granted, this game was originally written in Korean and had to be translated for other regions. Although, the fact that you may be the bad guy that contains the Dark Energy that is now tainting the world is a somewhat interesting aspect
    =No player trading. Only certain items can be traded such as basic potions. I am not sure about other items and if being in a party or guild changes this aspect
    =Mechanics are not explained, forcing the player to learn for themselves. I, for one, find this to be interesting as it creates a challenge that is rarely seen in many games
    =Grind simulator. But come on, it is an MMORPG so what did you expect? However, the game does not force you to do anything and you can progress in whatever area you choose at any pace you want

    Cons:

    -Lack of a main story. I realize that this is a sandbox game and it is meant to be played however you want, but I feel that a main story (or a more thorough one) would give better insight to the world in which you suddenly inhabit
    -Lack of direction. Relates to the point above. I do not mind that the game does not hold your hand, but it would be nice to have a gentle push every now and again
    -Some textures and graphics pop up out of nowhere. Keep in mind that this is a massive game with no loading screens and it has only been officially released for a very short time now. Optimization updates should be coming
    -A lot of things to micromanage. I suppose this is okay if you decide to focus on one specific area of the game. However, when you want to become a jack-of-all-trades (especially on one character), it can become hard to manage
    -World resources diminish fast and grinding areas become overwhelmed due to the massive influx of new players
    -Parked player horses are not instanced and clutter certain areas
    Expand
  69. Feb 19, 2020
    9
    One of the best graphics when released and even 6 years later, still up to date and outstandingly beautiful. Paired with the high quality music and sound effects, it's a pleasant experience, hard to get pall of.
    Got its bugs here and there... they're annoying, but easy to overlook.
    Def NOT recommended for PvP lovers... pvp is not impossible, but kinda frustranting. It's a rage inducing,
    One of the best graphics when released and even 6 years later, still up to date and outstandingly beautiful. Paired with the high quality music and sound effects, it's a pleasant experience, hard to get pall of.
    Got its bugs here and there... they're annoying, but easy to overlook.
    Def NOT recommended for PvP lovers... pvp is not impossible, but kinda frustranting. It's a rage inducing, desync'd, unfair and unoptmized part of the game. Yet, there's still some local non offical tournaments now and then. Not my thing, though.
    Expand
  70. Jan 31, 2020
    8
    The combat in this game is the future of mmos. The combat system is like that of a fighting game with ccs and combos and once I experienced it I can never go back to tab target. The world is huge and theres so many different systems and things to do that even after 3 years I still don't know all of them and I still learn something new about the game everyday. This can be overwhelming forThe combat in this game is the future of mmos. The combat system is like that of a fighting game with ccs and combos and once I experienced it I can never go back to tab target. The world is huge and theres so many different systems and things to do that even after 3 years I still don't know all of them and I still learn something new about the game everyday. This can be overwhelming for new players but I personally like that feeling of holy **** theres so much to learn and there are lots of guides, discords, and knowedgable people to learn it from. One of the biggests complaints of this game is that it's pay to win and I agree there are pay to win aspects in this game like melting costumes for cron stones which protect enhancements from degrading but the pay to win is so expensive and I'm talking about tens of thousands of dollars that most people are not very affected by it since theres so few people that actually do that. Some people call the pets and weights pay to win but I disagree since my definition of p2w is that you get unlimitedly more benefit the more you spend and theres a cap on the benefit you can with most things in the game. If you are going to seriously get into the game do not think of it as a 10 dollar game it is more like a 300ish dollar game. Now that might sound really intimindating and I understand 300 dollars is a lot of money but when you consider the subscription model of most other mmos which is around 12-15 dollars a month if you pay 12 dollars a month for 3 years thats 432 dollars. I played this game for 3 years and I'm probably going to continue playing it for many more years so I prefer the one time payment over the subs. Another complaint of the game is that it is grindy and this is a grind based mmo but there are lots of systems to help casual players progress as well with the afk life skilling and workers that can gather materials to assist with lifeskilling or you can just sell. If you want to get to the top and do sieges then you will have to grind a lot but thats the case with any game if you want to reach the top. If you just want to do some low tier nodewars or just some casual pvp or if you are not concerned with pvp at all then you can just stop at around softcap and you don't need to do that much grinding to reach softcap. Another complaint is the enhancing system and yes I agree it's ass but now you can mostly avoid it and buy your gear from the marketplace. Here are somethings that I think are actual problems the servers are not centralized they are in california if you live on the east coast your ping is going to be terrible and that combined with the terrible routing and terrible netcode some days its going to feel like you are getting cced out of every iframe/frontal guard/super armor and its just the worst feeling in the world. I honestly feel like this is the biggest problem in the game and I'm praying that when their server contract is up they will move the servers but idk how much faith I should put in kakao to do that. Next is the devs don't know anything about class balance as displayed by how their succession system turned out. They said they wanted succession to be an alternative to awakening and not replace it but you could've fooled me many successions are so overpowered that I'm not sure what was going through their minds that they thought they are balanced. They had to nerf the damage on one of succession valk's abilities by 64% also they heavily nerfed the least OP successions like ranger while barely touching the most OP successions like sorc. Lots of people might disagree with my assessment on ranger but heres the thing succession ranger has no mobility or protection so it makes sense for them to deal lots of damage. There are lots of ways to deal with them like dropping meteors or doing a PA push which you know PA the abiity that makes you and everyone around you take no damage so I think its riddiculous that people said theres no counter play to a guild full of succ rangers. You can even just send one stealth ninja and take out all of them but anyways I digress.

    The TLDR is the game is amazing the money shop isn't as big of a problem as most people think. Its just that the servers are **** and the devs are **** If you can live with those things then this is overall a great game.
    Expand
  71. Jul 16, 2021
    8
    Something new in mmo. those combos are something orginal for a mmo. did not play so much but was fun and new experience lets give i 8/10
  72. Oct 9, 2022
    10
    I was tired of WoW, so I have decided to change a game. In my opinion one of the best MMO, especially if you love solo content.

    +Nice graphics +Beautiful characters +Amazing outfits for your chars +Fun non-target combat If you try to find a game where you need to do party content, where you need to find 5/10/25/50/100 people just to start to play a game... than this game is not
    I was tired of WoW, so I have decided to change a game. In my opinion one of the best MMO, especially if you love solo content.

    +Nice graphics
    +Beautiful characters
    +Amazing outfits for your chars
    +Fun non-target combat

    If you try to find a game where you need to do party content, where you need to find 5/10/25/50/100 people just to start to play a game... than this game is not for you.
    Also this game has shop, so if you can`t allow to spend 20-30$ for a virtual world, this game is not for you as well.

    But if you like to turn on good music and just grind with nice picture before your eyes, BDO is definitely for you.
    Expand
  73. Mar 17, 2016
    10
    PRO's :

    Graphically a pleasure to look at despite some small issues with draw distance that will hopefully improve as the title matures. Audio is is very fitting and I have not yet turned off the in game audio off in favor of my own sound track. The story is not as engaging as I would have liked it to be, but that is mostly lost in translation during its western localization. Game
    PRO's :

    Graphically a pleasure to look at despite some small issues with draw distance that will hopefully improve as the title matures. Audio is is very fitting and I have not yet turned off the in game audio off in favor of my own sound track. The story is not as engaging as I would have liked it to be, but that is mostly lost in translation during its western localization. Game play is well thought out an fluid. I really like the fact that they opted for diminishing returns on actions rather than having to wait for cool downs on your abilities. No level lock is a major bonus, some will look at this as a major "grind fest" but the reality is your character never stops growing. People saying there is no end game really have no clue what endgame is , if your idea of sitting in one major hub and waiting to do dungeons is your idea of a fun endgame you might want to consider why major publishers using this structure are struggling to keep subscribers. Oh my next wonderful point, buy once play for ever, no pay to win. cash shop is cosmetic and quality of life and plz don't QQ cause costumes are expensive, its a choice to buy these things not a requirement. Honestly I feel like I could go on and on about the positives, crafting, gathering, PvP all these systems are well done.
    Character creator is very detailed and probably one of the best implementations to date.

    Con's :

    Currently the only issue I have is .... hummmm nope not going to say yet as there is still more to come as it is not caught up yet and there will be several patches including content, player classes , systems and more coming over the next few months. At that point I will revisit my review.

    Verdict

    Truley 10/10 for me , best MMO i have played and probably GOTY
    Expand
  74. Mar 13, 2016
    9
    i love this game, many people say bad things because, this game is not easy, you need be very social with many people, endgame is fully oriented to massive pvp, the craft system is fun, this game have full of details, this game is new in America, the future could include more content
  75. Mar 19, 2016
    10
    This is a unique MMORPG where you can and have to grind monsters to get experience points and level up.

    Some main quests give some exp, but that's nothing compared to the experience you get from killing monsters. Myself, i hate doing boring go talk to that guy quest or just questing in general. In all MMORPG's that gets stuffed through your throat (With a few exceptions of course).
    This is a unique MMORPG where you can and have to grind monsters to get experience points and level up.

    Some main quests give some exp, but that's nothing compared to the experience you get from killing monsters.

    Myself, i hate doing boring go talk to that guy quest or just questing in general.
    In all MMORPG's that gets stuffed through your throat (With a few exceptions of course).

    In Black Desert it's OPTIONAL!
    Game just requires you to finish some main (black spirit) quests which mainly are getting to new cities, killing some monster or killing bosses.

    But they give great rewards and don't feel like a drag.

    Most (bad) reviews came from player who only had a few hours in the game.
    The fun starts when you start understanding how everything works and get stronger.

    The real fun starts when you hit level 50 (Which will require 20-25 hours of gameplay)

    The world just completely opens then,

    So in general.
    The more you play this game, the more you'll like it.
    Expand
  76. Mar 11, 2016
    10
    The thing with this game is that it's hard to grasp at first. It's a sandbox MMORPG, so there are mostly no explanations whatsoevere on professions, the node management, conversation minigame, the crafting system, etc. etc. Also killing mobs seems to be very easy at the beginning, the potion cooldown of only 5 seconds gives the impression that PvP just might be potion spamming, theThe thing with this game is that it's hard to grasp at first. It's a sandbox MMORPG, so there are mostly no explanations whatsoevere on professions, the node management, conversation minigame, the crafting system, etc. etc. Also killing mobs seems to be very easy at the beginning, the potion cooldown of only 5 seconds gives the impression that PvP just might be potion spamming, the real-time fighting with its keyboard combo controls can feel off at first, and whatnot.

    It took me a whole week of playing until I understood what the game is all about and where the enjoyment comes from. But now I love it. The combat system really is something special and a great diversion from tab targeting. Also it feels really fluent once you've created and memorized your own combos. Looking up how everything works made me feel like playing a MMORPG for the first time again. Mobs are geting harder and harder the further you progress, especially if you want to quest while being a bit underleveled. Potion spamming is a thing in this game, but since there are no other ways of healing it's just a different system than most MMORPGs. It won't do much in endgame, the one who outplays his enemy first will be the winner regardless of potions. The graphics are totally fine. They've got its up- and downsides but overall they look really, really decent. Especially the lighting.

    Remarkable pros:

    -New and great fighting system without tab targeting, fluent gameplay and nice combos
    -Amazing player housing. You can buy hundreds of different houses scattered around the world and customize it freely with self-created or bought furniture. It also grants different benefits, so there is a reason to visit your home
    - Mounts aren't just a different model but a real entity in the world. They'll stay where you left them and you can equip them with armor for defense/saddles for speed and other things

    But I'll definitely remark that the game isn't for everyone. It's not your usual MMO with a lot of handholding and conventional gameplay. Be aware of this and preferably do some more research before buying this game.
    Expand
  77. Mar 14, 2016
    10
    Simply amazing at every aspect. I don't understand the low scores from WoW and ESO players probably all their friends left them becouse of BDO, there are 3 servers with like 10 chanells each and they are full even at morning,

    The game has so much depth, you won't ever get bored. At first site might looks like another generic Korean MMO but this one is different, I was getting hooked
    Simply amazing at every aspect. I don't understand the low scores from WoW and ESO players probably all their friends left them becouse of BDO, there are 3 servers with like 10 chanells each and they are full even at morning,

    The game has so much depth, you won't ever get bored. At first site might looks like another generic Korean MMO but this one is different, I was getting hooked after lvl 20 when I started to kill real monsters lika Nagas or Orcs.

    The monsters looks like from Heroes of MM 5-7. Who world is beatifull, enviroment change, from cute farms with peasants to rocky hills, deep woods full of undeads, swamps etc.

    The sandbox is real, you can go anywhere and do whatever you want.
    Expand
  78. Mar 12, 2016
    10
    We can climb everything and sit everywhere. You can sit on everything you climb and climb everything you sit on. We can also lean on walls but it's more fun to climb them and sit on top. GOTY
  79. Mar 25, 2016
    9
    Pros:

    Huge open world sandbox(ish) MMORPG. Feels super alive. Best graphics in any MMORPG to date. Great action combat, combo based. World is huge and immersive. Is PvP focused: castle sieges and guild wars. Lots of people playing. Lots of side activities besides combat. Nice player housing system. Good, in-depth crafting. Has boats, mounts, wagons, pets, etc. And... did I mention
    Pros:

    Huge open world sandbox(ish) MMORPG. Feels super alive. Best graphics in any MMORPG to date. Great action combat, combo based. World is huge and immersive. Is PvP focused: castle sieges and guild wars. Lots of people playing. Lots of side activities besides combat. Nice player housing system. Good, in-depth crafting. Has boats, mounts, wagons, pets, etc.

    And... did I mention AFK fishing ?

    Cons:

    Cash shop is expensive, classes are gender and age locked (character creator is amazing otherwise though), no player to player trading, no full loot PvP, not for the hardcore open world PvP'ers

    For the price, it's a steal. Go buy it!
    Expand
  80. Mar 10, 2016
    9
    I LOVE this game! I had everything anyone would want and really defines the sandbox genre. The combat is the most addictive. There is just so much to do! I love all the small mechanics like the parkour-elements. They just have so many neat little things in the game. The PVP is different from other games where as in this game you wait until LVL 45 and then when you leave a safe zone anyoneI LOVE this game! I had everything anyone would want and really defines the sandbox genre. The combat is the most addictive. There is just so much to do! I love all the small mechanics like the parkour-elements. They just have so many neat little things in the game. The PVP is different from other games where as in this game you wait until LVL 45 and then when you leave a safe zone anyone LVL 45 and over can engage in PVP. I also love the guild war system also how guilds can capture towns/ farms/mines/etc.. I haven't gotten around to being in a guild yet, but I can't wait. The character customization is amazing, the graphics are gorgeous for an mmo. There is just so much to do it's unbelievable. The only reason I didn't give a 10/10 was because, personally, the story was a little confusing and there is very little of it. I don't know if it's just I couldn't understand it, I just thought it was jumbled and kind of didn't have a place. Expand
  81. Apr 5, 2016
    9
    BDO is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played and I've played almost every game of any consequence that has released since EQ in 99. The detail they've included in this game blows my mind everyday, the combat is fun and gets more challenging as you level. You will need to do your research with this game, it's not intuitive but that makes it even MORE fun for me. Also youBDO is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played and I've played almost every game of any consequence that has released since EQ in 99. The detail they've included in this game blows my mind everyday, the combat is fun and gets more challenging as you level. You will need to do your research with this game, it's not intuitive but that makes it even MORE fun for me. Also you tend to get side tracked alot because there is SO much to do, I am NEVER bored. It's incredibly immersive, sometimes when Im playing and a storm starts I actually feel like i'm in it. The bad reviews for this game are most likely by people that have not put in the effort to learn and experience this game. I have and I LOVE this game. Expand
  82. Mar 18, 2016
    10
    This game does not hold your hand. You will need to do your research. I suggest joining a great guild. The game has so many discoveries. The depth of the game is truly amazing. This game is everything Arch Age was suppose to be and failed. Do not discount this game. It will suck you in and take away your life. ;-)
  83. Mar 10, 2016
    10
    new mmos have hard time getting new players to like them but this one is awesome fishing crafting housing selling items great marketplace. better then wow righ tnow
  84. Mar 10, 2016
    10
    new game great setup played the beta very awesome mmo better then guild wars 2 ive played it so long then got so bored then one has to much to do what i have found to do
  85. Jaz
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    In short, game is good, perfect no. details:
    Have played this game enough and feel i can make now a review at its current state (node wars). In short:
    Pros -Character customization in character creation, best i ve seen so far. -Interesting classes. -Great combat, one of the best in mmos. -Great looking world, even with average pc, that feels "real". -Tons of things to do besides
    In short, game is good, perfect no. details:
    Have played this game enough and feel i can make now a review at its current state (node wars). In short:
    Pros
    -Character customization in character creation, best i ve seen so far.
    -Interesting classes.
    -Great combat, one of the best in mmos.
    -Great looking world, even with average pc, that feels "real".
    -Tons of things to do besides combat ie crafting, fishing, horse breeding, sailing, farming, exploring etc
    -Fun group PvP in Node/Castle Wars.
    -Animations in/out of combat look realistic.
    Cons
    -Community on average is bad, there are of course good people, have to try harder than other mmos to find them.
    -RNG ie items have a random factor on how they improve. See below
    -Grind, lots and lots of it at higher levels and in order to get better items, As i said in pros combat is great and enjoyable but even that has its limits. All mmos have grind of course, this one has some extra.
    -In game learning curve. Game has a ton of concepts and does a bad job explaining them or smoothly implementing them. Google will be your best friend. Felt completely overwhelmed in the beginning, still do many times.
    -While you can customize your character enormously, you dont have many choices in outfits, most are in, see next
    -Cash shop. Not really pay to win (have seen much worse in b2p/f2p games) but still has a lot of items that make life much much easier and help lots in grinding. Pets are cash shop only and must have, not that expensive tho. Outfits on the other hand are only a handful/average looking in game and lots/expensive/great looking in cash shop. So much for customization, most ppl look almost alike in game.
    Mixed impressions
    -Gender locked classes, personally i dont care.
    -Open world pvp (after lvl 45) . Happens, especially when guilds are at war. If you re afraid of random ganking, it is very rare unless you want to grind in highly contested areas. Even so its not that common. After all you might win, lvls arent that different, or your guild might declare war vs those who won you and help you. Even if killed in pvp -if others attack first- you loose no exp or armor damage, just your pride is hurt!
    Verdict (again)
    As i said in the beginning, game is mostly good and improving. Lots and lots of expansions so far at no extra cost. Highly recommended to try it, but be warned that it is not for everyone's taste. Some will really love it tho.
    PS
    I m getting tired from people who havent played a game but review it in Metacritic- 0 of course- just because they want to "support their game'. No game deserves 0 anyways.
    Expand
  86. Apr 25, 2020
    9
    As of right now the game is very impressive. Better than all the competitors I've played in terms of interactions and world set up.

    The part thats most well done is the martial arts actions and combos and gameplay. The action is fast and exciting and will easily fly by. However, the life features such as fishing, gathering, processing etc... is very slow. The 2nd part thats most well
    As of right now the game is very impressive. Better than all the competitors I've played in terms of interactions and world set up.

    The part thats most well done is the martial arts actions and combos and gameplay. The action is fast and exciting and will easily fly by. However, the life features such as fishing, gathering, processing etc... is very slow.

    The 2nd part thats most well done is the character interactions, there are numerous and numerous npcs with role in the world and contain quests, functions or information. But the interactions are limited by energy. You have a max level of energy that levels up and increaes but interactions can cost a lot of energy and its difficult to replenish. The system makes the world and characters feel very real. This is a very detailed and well done game. I have not come across any game that goes to into this much details.

    The worst part of the game, type setting(font) looks pretty bad and quests has a separate screen that you have to press R to confirm which makes it feel very crude and sub-standard not to mention annoying.

    At the moment this game doesnt waste time. If you want you can probably finish the main story in just over a week no sweat, without spending all day and all night. And it should come with moderate enjoyment.

    One other thing to note is that the graphics of this game is not as vibrant and dont feel as sharp and clear. Other than that I'm thoroughly impressed.

    You have to realise a game is only grindy when you are not enjoying it and it is slow. Which this game is not. Numbers are super super super inflated in this game and the fast pace action makes large numbers pretty meaningless.

    Things are intuitive but sometimes bits and pieces of explanation is off or missing. This is not a brainless game unlike many others including big titles.
    Expand
  87. Dec 25, 2022
    10
    Lots to do, good game play, good graphics not dumbed down, easy to start up, no sub, you don't need to use the cash shop 90% of it is cosmetic the other 10% being QoL items. End game progression does slow down but its not impossible to get geared up for the hardest content especially if you have a good guild backing you. Vastly improved over launch state.
  88. Jul 17, 2020
    9
    Honestly one of the best MMO’s I’ve had the pleasure of playing. There is literally anything for you to do. Also a decent story that’s not short and gets you mid gear for after story line. A HUGE amount of content from sailing and hunting sea monsters to fighting world bosses and enchanting armor and weapons. You can enjoy your time playing this action combat game, the combat is like DMCHonestly one of the best MMO’s I’ve had the pleasure of playing. There is literally anything for you to do. Also a decent story that’s not short and gets you mid gear for after story line. A HUGE amount of content from sailing and hunting sea monsters to fighting world bosses and enchanting armor and weapons. You can enjoy your time playing this action combat game, the combat is like DMC in a MMOz just try it out, it’s worth it. Only problem is you need to buy pets that’ll run you like 30 bucks Expand
  89. Mar 18, 2016
    10
    The game looks so alive and amazing. It is completely immersive. The open sandbox feel is wonderful. The game has so many things to do. All these things can be done in any order I want. One day I log in and grind out levels, another day I log in and work on my housing, then another day I log in and work on my professions or maybe trade, or maybe just work on my horse breeding. OfThe game looks so alive and amazing. It is completely immersive. The open sandbox feel is wonderful. The game has so many things to do. All these things can be done in any order I want. One day I log in and grind out levels, another day I log in and work on my housing, then another day I log in and work on my professions or maybe trade, or maybe just work on my horse breeding. Of course, I can't forget the guild could have a PvP event (FUN)! What a breath of fresh air! Expand
  90. Mar 12, 2016
    10
    This THE BEST MMO RPG I ever played so far and I boy did I play a lot of them. I always wanted to play something where I might say to myself "how could they make it so right" and this is just it! Black Desert Online is incredibly complex, highly motivating, great looking, its combat rocks and has that really being in-there feel the best of them do. Character creation and RPG levellingThis THE BEST MMO RPG I ever played so far and I boy did I play a lot of them. I always wanted to play something where I might say to myself "how could they make it so right" and this is just it! Black Desert Online is incredibly complex, highly motivating, great looking, its combat rocks and has that really being in-there feel the best of them do. Character creation and RPG levelling elements are fantastic, deeply complex and rewarding. There is fantastic trading, crafting, fishing, questing, gathering resources, special new knowledge and NPC interaction systems, horse breeding, boat and wagon crafting, ecology and weather systems.. I dont know where to even begin. There is so much to do and everything is so incredibly thought-through and detailed its like a dream come true. Do not listen to morons who play MMOs just to grind-level up and then they grind the same endgame nonsense over and over just to get better gear and nothing more. This whole game is an endgame and its going to give you tons of fun and incredible adventuring if you just let it. For 30 EUR best money/fun ratio investment of my life, wholeheartedly recommended! Expand
  91. Mar 22, 2016
    10
    For me is the best MMO in years. Not is a theme park mmo, that is a real MMO sandbox Old School. If u want a fantastic game a very durable... this is your perfect game.
  92. Mar 18, 2016
    10
    BDO is gorgeous, Amazing, and a Blast! There is always something to do. This game is what I been waiting for. I was standing in the forest farming and the scene was surreal. A stream was running through the forest. The way the water flowed over the rocks, the trees gently blowing in the wind. The tufts of wildflowers around the river...And it all sounds like I am really standing in aBDO is gorgeous, Amazing, and a Blast! There is always something to do. This game is what I been waiting for. I was standing in the forest farming and the scene was surreal. A stream was running through the forest. The way the water flowed over the rocks, the trees gently blowing in the wind. The tufts of wildflowers around the river...And it all sounds like I am really standing in a forest listening to all the wildlife. This game has changed how I look at mmo's. Expand
  93. Mar 10, 2016
    10
    great game one my favorite mmo this year hope it keeps up with other great mmos. wow keeps getting updates hopefully this game gets alot expansion in the near future
  94. Apr 6, 2016
    10
    A new groundbreaking MMO that isn't getting the spotlight / recognition it deserves.
    My top 5 Pros:
    -Extremely detailed customization. -An active combat system requiring precise manual aiming, dodging & comboing, unlike the tab-targeting system seen in older MMORPGs. -A dynamic, worldwide weather system which will include large scale events such as typhoons and will influence gameplay.
    A new groundbreaking MMO that isn't getting the spotlight / recognition it deserves.
    My top 5 Pros:
    -Extremely detailed customization.
    -An active combat system requiring precise manual aiming, dodging & comboing, unlike the tab-targeting system seen in older MMORPGs.
    -A dynamic, worldwide weather system which will include large scale events such as typhoons and will influence gameplay.
    -Fun crafting systems.
    -Stunning graphics.
    Expand
  95. Apr 3, 2016
    10
    this is the best mmorpg ive ever played, and ive played em all, the only one that comes near black desert online is the lord of the rings online, the rest is crap or almost all of the rest
  96. May 19, 2016
    8
    If you are a fan of Sand Box type of games or if you ever played Star Wars Galaxies and you have been waiting for a similar game this is the game for you, although not as complex as the afro mentioned SWG it has enough to bring you into the game and get absorbed, from the beautiful graphics that makes you pay attention to everything around you, to the detailed terrain, there are no 2If you are a fan of Sand Box type of games or if you ever played Star Wars Galaxies and you have been waiting for a similar game this is the game for you, although not as complex as the afro mentioned SWG it has enough to bring you into the game and get absorbed, from the beautiful graphics that makes you pay attention to everything around you, to the detailed terrain, there are no 2 places that look the same, at first it may seem a little slow and the enemies dumb, but as the game progresses it becomes harder and your character starts to seem stronger.

    The game is a humongous time sink, you will spend hours or weeks on the same village or city doing all the quests there is, every NPC in the game is memorable and the quests, although some may seem mundane (why is this lady sending me to fetch her water from the well when I am already cutting 2 story building monsters in half) they are still reward to do, in part because of how detail the world is and how much you want to spend looking at it.

    Character creator is second to none, the amount of detail you can spend creating a character is absurd, of course if you don't care about such things you can just dive straight into the game and play a standard model but what is the fun on that?

    The game is extremely detailed in other aspects as well, your horse needs to be fed and recharged (like a motorcycle almost it runs out of gas of sorts) it gains levels and it learns tricks, the tricks are random for each horse and not all horses have the same tricks, horses can be breed to make baby horse to upgrade it's blood line, horse roam in the wild and can be captured through a serious of semi complex mini games, and this is just one aspect of the game, everything gets leveled in BDO, from your strenght (from carrying heavy packages around) to your breath from running around on foot, your horse training skills, cooking, crafting, etc... all crafting requires several items all purchased from other players at the market.

    Combat is a lot of fun combos are fluid and elaborate, you can get away with just using the same combination as soon as the cooldown is up, but your performance will decrease, using properly timed combinations is important to kill monsters, active blocking in some classes sets you up for nasty counter attacks, skills purchased are important and require strategy.

    PVP and the Karma system are interesting, past 45 anyone can attack you for no other reason than they didn't like the hair on your character or you are competing for the same resource node, but attacking an innocent player nets you negative karma points, if enough are acquired you become a "rogue" of sorts and players can attack you and loot you ( you cannot be looted any other time) or some of your items will break permanently.

    Legit PVP takes place though Guild wars or Battlegrounds, I honestly have not reached that point yet after 30+ hours played I sit at level 44 because all the time I spent laying furniture in my house, talking to NPCs or just gazing at the beautiful water in the ocean.

    The only thing that is robbing this game of a perfect 10 score is the "pay to dress" system and "pay to small cheat" system, the developers created this game from the ground up to be a free to play game, there are no monthly fees, and the game, for being free (sorta for North American players you have to buy a pack that gives you some things like horses and character appearance tokens and even a pet) the game is extremely well made, but where this game takes a big hit is if , for example you are now bored of the hair on your character , then you have to buy a reset token for 8 dollars (one time use) or 10 dollars (1 month unlimited) I found the 10 dollar one to be the best since you really need to see what your character looks like in the world and that involves saving the changes and seeing her or him walk around, regular looted outfits looks bland and uninspiring, so obviously you head to the pearl store for skin for your character, a nice decent looking set of transmorg (gear that makes your character look different regardless of armor worn)will run you between 17 to 30 dollars , want your horse to look bad arse? 20 dollars, granted all customes and outfits come with passive bonuses to durability, experience gain monster knowledge learning speed, etc... not necessarily pay to win as you can play the game without any of this and still beat the people riding the awesome looking horses but in such awesome looking games like this you want your character to look as bad arse as she or he can be, also cash can be used to reset breed counters on horses (can only bread them twice) name resets, pets and their food so they can loot for you while you fight, etc..

    Overall the game would be a lot better if it just had a monthly fee than having to spend 30 bucks for the game plus 50 dollars in making your character look good.

    Overall a great game and worth playing.
    Expand
  97. May 13, 2016
    8
    Now that im farther in (gave it another shot) i'll re write my review.

    Im only34 so i cant say how "end game" is etc but i have dabbled in crafting etc and im 34 currently so i can talk about somethings. I had previously ranted about the pop in and lag and while i still think the pop in should be fixed as its easily the worst part of the game the lag has gotten way better since
    Now that im farther in (gave it another shot) i'll re write my review.

    Im only34 so i cant say how "end game" is etc but i have dabbled in crafting etc and im 34 currently so i can talk about somethings.

    I had previously ranted about the pop in and lag and while i still think the pop in should be fixed as its easily the worst part of the game the lag has gotten way better since launch and i applaud them for that.

    I put the game down for those two reasons but recently hopped back into the game and i have to say i haven't put the game down for anything else this past week. Unlike others i didn't go grind instantly i worked on my professions and got my worker empire up and running and then went and grinded the start of my set.

    This game is very different from Warcraft or games like it, its not all about the gear or getting to higher levels. Most of that 5 days of non stop gaming was working on professions and i feel that you wont like the game if you jump into combat and the gear grind and dont play the rest of the game. Professions, figuring out your goal for crafting and working on your worker nodes (which btw worker node system is like final fantasy 10-2 or path of exiles talent tree's, you have a goal then you try to branch out and connect each node to gather crafting mats with your workers as efficiently as possible as there is a soft cap around 250 CP currently. There is start nodes, connector nodes, big city/camp nodes most which are free, and small and big crafting mat gathering nodes some of which you have to unlock via investing a bit of energy) Worker node system is a huge part of the game whether you want a crafting empire or just go in for combat as you make alot of money via gathering and if you dont even dabble in it you are missing out and will likely have issues, get bored and eventually quit.

    Only after i got my crafting and professions up and running did i jump into getting gear at around level 25, and while i had fun i still feel like the gear grind a bit of a side show to the rest. I went to a zone i had seen a streamer go to gear up his friend. Connected the nodes to it as you get a higher drop chance having the node connected to your network leveled up the node a bit with energy for a even higher drop chance and left heavily rewarded for my time and around 7 levels higher, i then choose to work on quests for more Contribution points to expand and work on the extremely important black spirit quests. (Don't worry if you expand your node network in the wrong direction, best thing to do i s experiment at first. Only thing you lose is the energy you invest, you get your cp back if you change your mind, i also highly recommend using http://bdomap.mmoguild.org/ to plan out your nodes later on)

    Like every other mmo if you only like 1 part of it you'll likely not stick with it. If all you want is dungeons and raiding, a gear grind and a game that holds your hand probably not the game for you.
    However if you want a sandbox mmo that you can do what you want, that if you delve into its many many systems you'll always have things to do (For me personally im never bored cause there is always 5 more things i wanna work on or try) and a mmo that's not all about the gear grind and one that rewards you for taking your time, not rushing to higher levels and delving into its deep crafting, worker, node. player housing and profession systems you'll have amazing time.

    Like every other mmo it has its issues. Server issues were a big deal it's gotten much better though, the pop in is easily its worst issue and unlike others i wont say "You get use to it" it needs to be fixed or at least worked on. Its jarring to look at and takes away from the otherwise beautiful world and experience. (Not everyone has the pop in as bad...game is un-optimized for newer gpu's. 900 series + or AMD equivalent especially)
    The game is super complicated and is semi hardcore in some of its systems and almost goes out of its way to be unforgiving in some areas of crafting your gear and while i think that actually gives the game some of its charm i know some wont like that again if you are looking for wow 2.0 you'll likely be disappointed. I can't talk about "end game" as i haven't made it that far, i have only watched others play that content and there may be issues i haven't experienced. I can say this is my new life :P what ive seen so far up to 35 has hooked me. I dont give games a 10 cause that's un-realistic there are always places to change and fix for the better. No game is ever truly finished, this game isn't finished. This game in my opinion in its current build (5/13/2016) deserves a strong 8.

    Like always i recommend reading many reviews, watching some live streams, maybe even asking nicely on the un-official fan made reddit for a trial key and then making your choice whether or not to jump in. I really enjoy the game, you may not.
    Expand
  98. May 4, 2019
    10
    the game just too good for us Plebs play, so it just didn't let me deeper in it than the menu(
  99. May 9, 2016
    9
    This is another game that has suffered discrimination by the video game industry in the USA. The aspect I want to mention since other reviewers are saying what is good about it generally, is that the Sandbox elements in the game have all but been ignored and minimized by the video game journalists.

    This is huge because the USA industry has scorned sandbox games for a long time (a decade
    This is another game that has suffered discrimination by the video game industry in the USA. The aspect I want to mention since other reviewers are saying what is good about it generally, is that the Sandbox elements in the game have all but been ignored and minimized by the video game journalists.

    This is huge because the USA industry has scorned sandbox games for a long time (a decade at least) in favor of munchkin themeparks that US couch potatos, floozies in San Fransisco and southern lobotimized conservatives lap up. You see them in other mmos pop up in lines queueing to do the same thing over and over like drones.

    On the negative side, I want to highlight the lack of clothing options and the developer should be criticized for this. The developer should also be condemned for the naming of the game "Black Desert" which is just tacky and obscure. The ingame currency is lining up to be a bad source of grievance too.
    Expand
  100. Sep 12, 2019
    8
    En este ultimo año han ido mejorando muchas cosas que debían hacer desde hace mucho tiempo, contenido nuevo para todo tipo de jugador y más por venir, después de haberlo dejado 1 año por malas decisiones que me alejaron de jugar, y ahora volver y ver todas estas mejoras y contenido por venir, la verdad me lo estoy pasando de maravilla.
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 35
  2. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. With it's massive and unique open world, Black Desert Online is inviting you to a great adventure.
  2. Jul 27, 2017
    50
    Overall, Black Desert Online is a typical MMO in every single way. While I disagree with their claim that it’s the “next generation” of MMOs, I did find the character creation to be the most robust of any MMO out there. Unfortunately, the character customization is the game’s biggest highlight, and many of the other elements of Black Desert Online can be found in many other MMOs.
  3. 70
    Black Desert Online comes to the table with an intricate character sculpting tool, gorgeous graphical presentation, and a nuanced, exciting combat system overlying a less immediately apparent, but very unique, sandbox-style resource management simulation. Those looking for a rich narrative, complex or groundbreaking PvE questing, or highly unique monster design may be disappointed, but those seeking a mechanically rich, visually striking MMO will find themselves at home.