Black Desert Online

fishgeekted

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.

timmerino

Aug 29, 2023

9

I had given Black Desert a pretty low score a few years ago, but Pearl Abyss honestly deserves a lot of credit for the work they have done on this game in recent years. PA has added an enormous amount of content in 2023 alone and the game feels much more fleshed-out, the world feels truly vast, and there are so many things to do regardless of your playstyle. If you love PvP, the PvP isI had given Black Desert a pretty low score a few years ago, but Pearl Abyss honestly deserves a lot of credit for the work they have done on this game in recent years. PA has added an enormous amount of content in 2023 alone and the game feels much more fleshed-out, the world feels truly vast, and there are so many things to do regardless of your playstyle. If you love PvP, the PvP is incredibly deep, complex, and satisfying. If you love professions (called "life skills"), the professions are incredibly deep, complex, and satisfying. If you just love exploration, the world feels so much bigger, and frankly well-rendered, than any open world game I've ever played. Exploration has always been my personal favorite part of the MMO experience and BDO has some breathtaking environments to discover.

BDO doesn't get a perfect score from me because there are still some annoying, gambly mechanics in the gear upgrade system, but even that doesn't feel so burdensome to me anymore because PA has added other ways to get decent gear.

Overall, it's super cheap so just give it a go and if you don't like it that much, well, you didn't pay $90 for it.… Expand

Bloodsugar

Jun 16, 2017

9

With over 2000 hours in BDO I'd like to say it's one of the best, most well made MMO's to ever hit the scene. This game gets low ratings and flame due to it's tough entry. Simply put, it doesn't cost 10 or 20 dollars. It has an initial buy in price of 10$ but when you dive deeper into the game you will realize you need to spend more money in the game store. It's not pay-to-win, however youWith over 2000 hours in BDO I'd like to say it's one of the best, most well made MMO's to ever hit the scene. This game gets low ratings and flame due to it's tough entry. Simply put, it doesn't cost 10 or 20 dollars. It has an initial buy in price of 10$ but when you dive deeper into the game you will realize you need to spend more money in the game store. It's not pay-to-win, however you need simple things like a costume (20$) and pets (10$) to be competitive. Log-in rewards and Auction house sniping allows you to buy these for FREE but it takes patience and time as there are thousands trying to snipe with you.

The second thing that drives people away is knowledge. Knowledge is power in this game. If you know, you can abuse. If you train in it, you can abuse it. I once went from level 52-56 in 28 minutes. Normally it would require many hours. I know how to abuse it. I can make 30-40 million a day without killing a single monster. I put in the hours to get the advantage. When you first start off, this game is far too massive to accept all at once.

Pros:
-Huge crafting system with many fun professions.
-A good MMO model (Other players give PvE some depth and give a chance to make friends and enemies)
-Huge adventure aspect. Want to go sailing? Sure. Want find hidden caves? Sure. Want to go deep sea underwater treasure hunting? Sure. Want to find new monsters and gain knowledge on them? Sure.
-The game basically does away with the old questing MMO model. Do whatever you want to do to level up- be it a farmer, a trader, a fisher, a monster hunter, a whale hunter, ect. There is no wrong way to play this game.
-Hugely detailed conversation system, allowing you to make friends with NPCs. Since it is all about who you know, you must talk to many people before being able to befriend certain NPCs.
-Huge detailed worker system allowing you to hire NPCs to do the material farming for you. Fire, Hire, and promote them at your leisure.

Cons:
-Definitely costs more than 10$ to play. Need to spend about 40$ for level 50 and above. If you want to sail you might need a sea costume which is another 20$. It's the price of admission people, either take it or leave it.
-A few easily fixable bugs especially with swimming.
-AFK'ing is part of the game. Literally. If you are a student and you need to study, you will love it. If you are a busy person with only 1-2 hours a day to play you may not like this game.
-PvP is measured in order by: Gear, Skill, Level, and then class. All classes can excel and be the best, however if you don't pony up to a competitive gear score then you will get obliterated.
-This is what I call a "google game". You need to google many tutorials to figure out what to do in this game. The game is VERY big. Similar to EVE online.

Lastly my one big advice to give about this game is if you do buy it. HAVE FUN. Don't focus on grinding, finding a good guild, getting massive gear upgrades, or sticking to one character. Do what you want to do and enjoy the game. The #1 reason people quit is they just get bored with grinding over and over again to get to level 60. Level 60 is nigh impossible for a beginner to get. Don't try for it. If you join the game looking for a competitive scene off the bat you are going to have a bad time.

Listen to the story, do silly quests, talk to people, discover nodes and activities, ask people to go sailing to Margoria on their flag ship, have people take you to new areas, ect.

Have fun and thanks for reading… Expand

jamessamuel

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

Tahoenvy

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

zaftgun

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 wellAs 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

CptBadger

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 mentionPros:

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

Odettehr

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

Dunhilda

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 betBe 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

Justos91

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.

skilliard

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

hull19

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 alsoBuy 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

Avengersoul

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 (ESOIgnore 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

kaelan36

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

Aeonhunter

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 theI 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

Elitist

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 decadeThis 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

Sinnuhe

Jan 18, 2017

9

Black Desert is the MMORPG more completed the actully market. Black Desert is the other world, the world life and completed. All actions is real, if the world rain, the road is wet and you character run more slow... this game is a big detail. The diferent class have a big personality and requered a big skill to do a lot damage. This is a excelent MMOrpg. Please, game a this title!

Crazyy

Nov 6, 2017

9

Amazing MMO with Stunning graphics, an immersive world, and Great combat mechanics.
I have roughly 1000 hours in the game and absolutely love it. The diversity in the classes makes it refreshing to make new characters. Every class has an entirely different feel to it, from fast pace strikers to stealthy ninjas, Powerful wizards, and mighty tamers. The one aspect of the game that a lot ofAmazing MMO with Stunning graphics, an immersive world, and Great combat mechanics.
I have roughly 1000 hours in the game and absolutely love it. The diversity in the classes makes it refreshing to make new characters. Every class has an entirely different feel to it, from fast pace strikers to stealthy ninjas, Powerful wizards, and mighty tamers. The one aspect of the game that a lot of people tend to dislike is the amount of grinding that is required to farm levels and money. However, all the grinding becomes well worth it when they step into the PvP aspect of the game. The biggest part of the game is the node wars, where massive guilds of up to 100 people clash sometimes being up to six guilds at a time. it does require a decent computer to run on the highest settings however even on low settings the game is still greatly enjoyable. I recommend this game to anyone who is willing to put the time into playing and grinding their character to higher levels.… Expand

KesslerE

Dec 26, 2017

9

Best MMO to have ever been released - hands down.
Pros -
- Character creation is really well done. - The combat is really, really good. I'm talking bayonetta good here. - The visuals are easily superior to all other MMOs out at the moment. - So many different playstyles to choose from - Progression system, while it is grindy, is satisfying - True open world. You can goBest MMO to have ever been released - hands down.
Pros -
- Character creation is really well done.

- The combat is really, really good. I'm talking bayonetta good here.

- The visuals are easily superior to all other MMOs out at the moment.

- So many different playstyles to choose from

- Progression system, while it is grindy, is satisfying

- True open world. You can go from one end of the map to the other without hitting an invisible wall or a loading screen

Cons -
- Story is meh in my opinion

- A somewhat toxic community. They like to complain about literally everything Kakao and Pearl Abyss do. So do be prepared for that.

- Pretty grindy.

(Just for those who are curious, I have around 223 hours total on the game, excluding idling.)… Expand

Jeveux95

Apr 28, 2018

9

Awesome grafics and so many options about things u can do in the game.U can pve all u want and pvp at the same time.Games populerity is so crowded and and growing bigger

HelloweeN

Apr 29, 2018

9

El MEJOR MMO EN LA ACTUALIDAD en graficos, jugabilidad, mundo, aun si dicen que es pay to win, me parece que no es asi yo ya gaste mas de 800 dolares pero todos en cosmeticos, asi que depende como tu juegues y a que juegues, tu eliges si te rindes ante lo dificil del encantamiento o progresas con tu esfuerzo, si algo se valora mas es proporcional a cuanto te ha costado.
En temas deEl MEJOR MMO EN LA ACTUALIDAD en graficos, jugabilidad, mundo, aun si dicen que es pay to win, me parece que no es asi yo ya gaste mas de 800 dolares pero todos en cosmeticos, asi que depende como tu juegues y a que juegues, tu eliges si te rindes ante lo dificil del encantamiento o progresas con tu esfuerzo, si algo se valora mas es proporcional a cuanto te ha costado.
En temas de optimizacion, estabilidad yo que lo jugue desde la 3 CBT la unica dificultad con conexion fue el dia de la beta abierta, pero lo experimentaron todos debido a la gran cantidad de jugadores intentando ingresar, desde ahi no volvi a tener problemas de desconexiones ni de optimizacion, basta con comparar un juego como overwatch calienta mas mi tarjeta que black desert, creo que eso lo define en cuanto a calidad y amabilidad con tu hardware.
Las criticas negativas que vi se centran en malas conexiones, eso no deberia contar para descalificar ningun juego pues son responsabilidades externas al contenido de los juegos, seria el equivalente a descalificar una pagina web por el mal servicio de tu compañia de internet, no tendria logica.
El verdadero punto o puntos malos del juego se centraria para mi en que pearl abyss no le da la importancia que el lore del juego se merece, pues es uno de los puntos mas altos para mi, siendo fan de GoT y LoTR el universo de BDO me parece simplemente fascinante.
Adjunto que me parece un acierto hacer que tu vayas descubriendo el Lore del juego, pues si tu personajes empieza con amnesia deberias descubrirlo todo tu mismo haciendo que quien note este genial detalle se inmersa mas en el mundo.
En resumen si quieres un MMO diferente tanto como dificil este es tu juego.(no necesitas mas que tu esfuerzo e inteligencia para llegar a los maximos niveles, el dinero solo te accelera un poco tu progreso pero relativamente pues se tiene un RNG muy loco XD)… Expand

Aifrait

Oct 6, 2019

9

Un gran juego MMOnline, puedes disfrutar de muchas misiones, varias profesiones, desde su remastered tiene un apartado gráfico que ningún MMO tiene que yo sepa.

Varios modos de juego y una gran colección de personajes. Cada semana es actualizado corrigiendo bug o actualizando contenido.

Kronic_gaming

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

logic

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.

Soujirop

Oct 25, 2016

8

Black Desert is indeed like no other MMORPG you have ever played. Let's start with the good things:
-Amazing immersion: next gen graphics, artistic direction that reminds of Skyrim, realism (characters collide with each other, clothes and hair have excellent physics, characters get wet under raining or in water, get stained by mud and blood when fighting, even sweat when fighting, goingBlack Desert is indeed like no other MMORPG you have ever played. Let's start with the good things:
-Amazing immersion: next gen graphics, artistic direction that reminds of Skyrim, realism (characters collide with each other, clothes and hair have excellent physics, characters get wet under raining or in water, get stained by mud and blood when fighting, even sweat when fighting, going to de desert produces dehydration and therefore the need of drinking water periodically, etc.)
-Sandbox elements: housing, complex farming system that reacts to temperature and weather of each region, horses can be tamed in the wilds and have different skills, they can be breeding, used for racing, etc; you can trade goods from town to town, you can befriend merchants and they will give you secret quests, sell you hidden goods, etc. You can go hunting whales and other creatures with a rifle, take a nap in your home to quickly recover energy... Sandbox really is a thing in this game.
-Population all around the world: Everywhere you go in black desert, there's someone. This is achieved mainly with 4 features: 1) there's no fast travel in black desert, 2) The leveling is not quest-based, but grind-based. 3) End game content very is spread out: world bosses are very apart from each other etc. 4) Each main town has it's own advantages so people do not gather in just one place, ie one town might have the best daily quests, other town will have merchants selling stuff you won't find anywhere else, other might be coastal and very close to a profitable fishing or grinding point, etc. Also towns have their own marketplace and item warehouses, with their own taxes, etc. All this ensures people is constantly going around the world and do not stay in one place.
-More complex action combat than in any other MMORPG. Classes are therefore very difficult to master which makes for a very rewarding experience.
-No pay to win system.
-Very long lasting. Having top gear in this game takes... Forever.
-PVP content. Eg guilds do not recruit players for free but rather contract them. Guilds can conquer towns and other places that will give them weekly tax money. This kind of guild wars are truly spectacular with players building forts and towers, and other players besieging those buildings with cannons, elephants, etc.

Now the bad things:
-Poor PVE content. This aspect of the game really is in very early stages and there's no guarantee it will go much further. Main story is cliché and you won’t be paying much attention to it. Monsters lack any tactical approach (do not expect monsters with mechanics you need to learn like in TERA) and are generally very easy to kill. Bosses are sealed within scrolls and you can only acquire one scroll daily so you will only be doing 1 boss daily with a very low chance of it giving anything valuable to you, moreover the bosses are a joke meaning you can solo kill them easily in less than a minute. Another PVE element is world bosses. Those are big monsters that spawn at certain locations once/twice a day. There are only three of them and they are not soloable, they can’t be killed with a party either, they are ofc not instanced, and, in summary, they are zerg fests of 30+ characters, destroying your fps, and also you might not even reach the boss before it’s killed... There are currently two dungeons in game, both are super end game so this part of PVE will not be available to you for a LOOONG time. Drops are not worth it considering the gear you already need to have to be there, experience isn’t good either because mobs take too much time to be killed, dungeons are not instanced which is great from a PVP point of view, but we are talking about PVE now aren’t we? In summary, in BDO there’s hardly any PVE content to enjoy most of the time.
-Odd leveling and learning curve. First 50 levels are super fast, which means you will not enjoy the world since you will outlevel the region you are in very fast and feel the need to move on. This fast leveling makes difficult/impossible to learn the class properly until you are already level +50 and therefore quite advanced in the game. So you just learnt how to play but suddenly Awakening (class upgrade) comes at level 56, renders useless most of your skills and combos, and forces you to re-learn the class with a new weapon, very different mechanics, etc. It really is frustrating.
-No open world pvp. Remember TERA where you could kill anybody anytime? Age of Conan? Wow PVP servers? That’s gone. PVP doesn’t start till you are lvl 45, once you reach that level, you will have huge penalties for killing more than 3-4 people a day. Penalties will literally cost you millions, like losing enchantments on your gear, loosing durability faster, even a chance of dropping your gear! Penalties are reduced in the Valencia Desert, but nobody goes there because the area lacks any interesting incentives.

You start to see the problem here, right? No PVE, and not REALLY a PVP world.… Expand

Bahska28

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 sinceNow 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

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 besidesIn 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

MacheteDontText

Nov 11, 2017

8

If you are a carebear in MMOs like myself then you are gonna have a lot of fun with this, there are a lot of cool non combat activities to keep you entertained and honestly thats mostly what I care about. If you are in for PvE than forget about this, its utter **** there is absolutely no dungeons or any meaningful PvE content, too bad cause the combat is the best I ve ever seen in an MMO.If you are a carebear in MMOs like myself then you are gonna have a lot of fun with this, there are a lot of cool non combat activities to keep you entertained and honestly thats mostly what I care about. If you are in for PvE than forget about this, its utter **** there is absolutely no dungeons or any meaningful PvE content, too bad cause the combat is the best I ve ever seen in an MMO. Cant say anything about PvP, never touched it. The UI is just piss poor as usual, but I didnt really hinder my enjoyment.… Expand

GabrielKD

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.

TheThe 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

pessimist93

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 onlyPro:
- 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

Demeos

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 FighterThis 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

A_CowboyKing

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 watchedPros:

+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

Alex2life

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 getBeen 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

Delrick

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

crypticturtle

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

Kaarilala

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'slmao, 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

Venom690

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

Greko03

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.

Noah-

Mar 25, 2019

8

I really liked Black Desert and I played it for many hours and recently remastered came out. Very beautiful graphics and very colorful combinations, as well as a large selection of characters. It's a lot of fun to play and I don't understand why there are so many negative reviews.

Confictura

May 25, 2019

8

Hard to learn, has a good fighting feeling and good combos, animations are good. Mediocre story and so much quests.

spartaman64

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

KepasaAmigo

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

Guile568

Feb 14, 2021

8

Yo lo he probado en PS4 y en PC y la verdad es que la segunda opción me funciona bastante mejor, ya que en PS4 al principio en un día se me lagueaba 2 o 3 veces, y tampoco me cargaban los personajes, pienso que es un juego muy complicado porque hay muchas cosas que te abruman, y el juego no te lo explica bien, sigo pensando que es bueno, porque también el creador de personajes esYo lo he probado en PS4 y en PC y la verdad es que la segunda opción me funciona bastante mejor, ya que en PS4 al principio en un día se me lagueaba 2 o 3 veces, y tampoco me cargaban los personajes, pienso que es un juego muy complicado porque hay muchas cosas que te abruman, y el juego no te lo explica bien, sigo pensando que es bueno, porque también el creador de personajes es maravilloso, me gusta mucho pero podría ser mejor… Expand

BorRosier

Mar 6, 2022

8

The first time I was introduced to the game was in 2013, I was surprised by its graphic processing method, unlike other MMORPG games that load assets or maps around the player avatar, instead they choose the constant rendering method which has the processor rendering as the player goes. Resulted in much smoother frame rate and overall graphical experience.
The contents are unique comparedThe first time I was introduced to the game was in 2013, I was surprised by its graphic processing method, unlike other MMORPG games that load assets or maps around the player avatar, instead they choose the constant rendering method which has the processor rendering as the player goes. Resulted in much smoother frame rate and overall graphical experience.
The contents are unique compared to MMORPG games back then. Normally, there are only about farming experience points from killing monsters and making progress in the story. However, BDO has more than that, we have got a whole new unique character profession, Life Skill. I remembered thinking about how funny it was, when you are in a monster killing, hunting for EXP games, but you chose to have a peaceful life by owning a farm, growing crops, fishing, etc. after playing for a while, I realized that there are so many thing to do and by studied in the field that the tutorial didn’e cover, I’ve met so many new companions along the journey.
In 2016, the official opened the BETA test for a new region, SEA. So, I gave it a try and It was fantastic to see that the picture they released in beta was surreal and it made me feel overwhelmed. For me, BDO is full of new stories and places for new players to play and explore, and it has so much content that old players still stick around enjoying game contents. To be honest, this game has so much content for us, such as catching horses, farming, fishing, and many more, to invest our time and dive into the vast world of BDO. Many new maps, new monsters, new stories, that are harder and challenging to try and explore. What made me so addicted to this game is the feeling of wanting to go higher and be better than anyone. Also, there are up to 23 profession or character types for you to try and see what suits you best, when you play one character for sometimes and get a hold of your weapon, you will be able to “Awake Class”, the game added for player to be able to try new weapons on their character that wasn’t possible before, to allow more possibility to play and enjoy their character. There is also a “Success Class”, to let the player use the same weapon but with more new skills and fighting styles.
Passing 2018, the game is now somewhat old and behind newer competitors. It received a “Remaster”, which is basically the same game and content, except an updated graphic quality and asset. The Remaster made the game look magnificent and surprisingly used less processing power than before. To this day, the game maybe old, but its developer still live, the contents, ocean maps, or land maps, still coming. That makes the game still unique and interesting. For example, steering a ship toward open water like a real pirate or being in an old medieval town or walking through woods and riding a horse in a desert or mountains. All of those updates that are still coming make the game feel alive.
Every aspect of this game is so thoughtful, in this year there will be 2 new huge updates, new maps, the snow mountain, and news islands for the pirate. I can’t wait to try it!… Expand

Gu5

Nov 3, 2019

7

After 3 months of inactivity and actively returning into the game (with more content opened - Valencia) I'd say say that the major downsides are: "Korean typical heavy RNG" and the possible amount of power gap caused by a gear level...

If there was an MMO like BDO with purely skill-based combat - i'd call it the best MMO out there...

BDO is not perfect, but still it is enjoyable.

Shperax

Mar 13, 2019

7

The game has the most potential to be the best MMO ever created. You will have a wonderful time your 1st time from level 1-50. Sadly that doesn't take long and the gear enhancement system totally destroys the rest of the game. You really can't progress against PVE without getting at least a full set of +17 TRI which is super RNG

ShodanSpectre

Mar 29, 2016

7

This is a review of the North American server, a couple weeks after it's launch in March 2016. Other servers may provide a somewhat different experience.

I used to play L2 in its early years, and have been waiting for a game that could be L2's successor. BDO showed some promise, so as soon as it was released I gave it a go. Pros: Obviously - the graphics are very good, I'll give itThis is a review of the North American server, a couple weeks after it's launch in March 2016. Other servers may provide a somewhat different experience.

I used to play L2 in its early years, and have been waiting for a game that could be L2's successor. BDO showed some promise, so as soon as it was released I gave it a go.

Pros:
Obviously - the graphics are very good, I'll give it that.

Character creating as well.

The physics - are quite good for an MMO too - jumping and climbing onto things. There may be some things that you walk through but at least if something looks like you can jump/climb onto it - you probably can. There aren't that many MMOs where you can climb onto very tall and thin towers, and then sit atop some pillar to meet the sunrise (which indeed looks beautiful).

It's possible to use the environment to gain tactical advantage - if you're good at parkour you can jump/climb up something and start shooting from there, and kick back enemies that try to reach you through the one narrow ladder/stone that allows access to your "sniping position". That said, the range of attack isn't REALLY sniper-level.

Goes along with the fact that the open world is indeed open. Not even like in L2 where you had invisible walls - here the highest mountains are climbable, if you find a way. The view from the top... Well, you gotta see for yourself :-)

Combat is dynamic. Non-target, kind of (although there is some kind if "sticky" reticle for the Ranger/Archer). It's not an advanced melee slasher game nor a full-scale shooter, but there is real-time evasion that depends on the player's skill, which is good. The game combat does depend on player skill, not just the character skill.

The main quest (Black Spirit) is kind of fun. Not on high-end single RPG kinda level, but for an MMO intro main line - rather fun. The Black Spirit is somewhat repetitive but has a simple, cynic sense of humor.

Cons:
General PvE is meh strategy-wise. But I guess most MMOs have rather simple mobs, which aren't intended to be interesting enemies. The monsters are on a VERY short leash (follow you for like 20m if you run away) - after which they "reset" - become invincible and run to their spawn point. And reset to full HP. So - no luring them away, no picking one by one, leave alone anything interesting like luring a boss or a train of mobs into a village (like was possible in L2 and early WoW).

PvP is locked till lvl 45 or so.That's -2 points for me 'cause of that alone. Granted, one can reach 45 in about 20 hours of play, or less if they just grind hardcore, but... "what the hell, man???" (c)

Swimming is time-limited, you start losing HP after about a minute in the water (on the surface!). And no diving at all.

The quests you find in the world are your typical MMORPG quests... Go there kill that go there find that bring me 'cause I can't walk over 200ft... Here BDO didn't make any revolution :-D

The dialogues with NPCs are rather disconnected. Maybe it's the Western translation but NPCs say totally random things at times.
The looping of their animations and idle dialogues is very short and obvious.
Some NPCs can be found in different locations at the same time.

The storyline quest was kinda OK. I previously posted that it broke after lvl 13 - but no, it resumed later, by some combination of gaining a couple levels, taking a seemingly random quest from an NPC and visiting a certain location. I bumped the review from 6 to 8 due to this and due to discovering that some NPCs actually do substantial damage and have a running speed greater than my Ranger's strafing speed. The difficulty went from super trivial to "fairly-easy-but-don't-fall-asleep" around lvl 14.

Gender locked characters... Ok let's say there are no male sorcerers because of the lore, similar to the Witcher world, but why, o why can't I play as a male archer?

The mechanics are pretty good, I can see a great amount of tactical combat emerging with such a combat system: positioning, exploiting 3D obstacles, movement, combos, quick fingers - all that would matter a lot in a game with non-target, fast-paced mechanics and rather advanced physics.

It seems Pearl Abyss created a good PvP-oriented game, which has a prerequisite of grinding through a single-player RPG aka tutorial, before it lets you start the game for real.… Expand

Rohaldos

Mar 9, 2016

7

I will keep it short.

The game has a brilliant character creation tool, it could have been perfect if the game was not gender/age lock. 8 out 10 The game offers a very good if not one of the best crafting and trading system that you could ever find in a mmo game. The AH and the player 2 player trade seems designed to keep prices fair with no exploits The combat is more like anI will keep it short.

The game has a brilliant character creation tool, it could have been perfect if the game was not gender/age lock. 8 out 10

The game offers a very good if not one of the best crafting and trading system that you could ever find in a mmo game. The AH and the player 2 player trade seems designed to keep prices fair with no exploits

The combat is more like an action game which I find fantastic, very similar to vindictus. 9 out 10

There tons of quests and things to do. 9 out of 10

At the moment the only complain that I have is the pearl shop, the items are way overpriced for a B2P game. For example if you want to purchase a full set armor(including weapons), an armor for your horse and a pet this will probably cost you over $50. 0 out of 10

I like the game and I want to support it but I am not so foolish to pay for "skin" all that money.… Expand

hijackk

Aug 20, 2018

7

This is a great MMO game, but only if:
- you want to make this game your only mmo game for many years,
- you have some monthly source of money you can spend every month on BDO. There is no official subscription whatsoever, but if you want to play seriously, you will be forced to pay an unofficial subscription by many free account restrictions - You have a lot of free time. Bcs u willThis is a great MMO game, but only if:
- you want to make this game your only mmo game for many years,
- you have some monthly source of money you can spend every month on BDO. There is no official subscription whatsoever, but if you want to play seriously, you will be forced to pay an unofficial subscription by many free account restrictions
- You have a lot of free time. Bcs u will need it if you want to achive something before you get old.

If you are not affraid of those things, BDO will give you best MMO fighting system u ever seen, huge amount of things to do, many development paths, best graphic and great community to share your hobby with. This is a life-time MMO, so prepare to progress slowly!… Expand

Moriwenne

Apr 2, 2016

7

I am a fan of mmorpgs. I am also a fan of beautiful graphics which makes exploring a treat. I don't shy away from action combat games either so, I picked up this game and played it for some 50 hours.

The game has many different systems in play. Housing, workers, nodes, crafting, trading, transport of goods, npc minigames, questing, etc. I first tried to play the game just by goingI am a fan of mmorpgs. I am also a fan of beautiful graphics which makes exploring a treat. I don't shy away from action combat games either so, I picked up this game and played it for some 50 hours.

The game has many different systems in play. Housing, workers, nodes, crafting, trading, transport of goods, npc minigames, questing, etc. I first tried to play the game just by going through the motions, trying to experience a bit of everything. I am experienced with such games and usually figure things out. I failed with black desert in this regard. I believe the game does a very poor job of explaining itself to you. I had to find a bunch of guides and videos elsewhere to get me going.

I am not a crafting freak. I mean, I like crafting. I like the option of creating my own items and the ability to participate in the market and earn a bit more money and I don't mind some mild gathering. But this is a means to an end. What I really want is the money and the items that will improve my character. Some might enjoy a fishing minigame and I don't mind doing it a couple of times, any mini is ok if only repeated 2 or 3 times but after that? No thank you.

I am not a housing freak. I don't mind building a house and decorating the outside like you could do with Archeage. It's something that will exist in the game, serves an aesthetic purpose and that's ok. But putting furniture on an instanced house, that no one will see, takes time and effort that is just not fun FOR ME.
Transporting goods, fixed warehouses, these things add a bit of a real feel to the game's towns but honestly, it's a limitation I could do without. I have to transport things myself, do some actions to move things around and I don't get any fun out of it. I remember doing trade runs in archeage and basically having to walk things over long distances. The goal there as well, was the money at the end and the trip itself gave me no pleasure. In fact, I often just played another game like hearthstone on another screen whilst my character walked. I did enjoy the aspect of danger associated with the trade runs though.

The towns and cities never felt distinct to me. I like feeling that a place is special and has interesting characters. The towns and cities felt a bit too overcrowded with npcs that don't matter. You can talk to too many people which serves no purpose. There are these minigames that you can perform with too many npcs forcing you to spend time and literally energy so that you can get a discount on some goods and this is true for so many npcs, it's just unnecessary.

I enjoy some pvp. In my 50 hours of play, the game didn't create any opportunities for me to pvp. Low lvl pvp is as fun as high lvl pvp as everyone learns the game and it offers different challenges. In BD i didn't find any. In comparison to say GW2, there was an arena that I could join at any time to improve my fighting skills and learn how to fight other classes. There was an entire pvp map where only pvp mattered (solo and grouped), with objectives, which is fun too, and you could do that from level 1. I like having these different options as they offer variety to one's tasks and stop boredom from setting in.

I like solo play but I also enjoy grouping. I like it when a game throws a grouped area in your path as you progress through the leveling. Maybe even, have a dungeon area that offers a map with specific gameplay that a group of people must figure out. Again, this offers variation from the usual grind or 'go kill x' quests. In my 50h of game I found no real group options with the exception of a couple of gathering guild quests.

I like visuals. I like to change the looks of my character as the game progresses. You see someone's armor and you know their strength. You see someone wielding a specific weapon and you recognise his power and also, it just looks good. This progression should exist in the early levels and not just when you reach max level. After 50h my wizard still looks like gandalf and all wizards around me also look like gandalf. Also, I like to play females and the game not allowing me to create females with every class...in a modern mmorpg....it boggles the mind. The game's graphics are quite nice though and the character creation is a treat.

In conclusion, the game accomplishes many of the things it sets out to do and fails on some others. The stuff that fails at like the interface, creating some sort of story, having good localization, cash shop, some combat stuff…some of these things I could tolerate. But as a whole, given my tastes, the game doesn’t offer enough to keep me engaged.

PS: The point of reviews in my opinion is not to complain. The idea is to explain the game to others whilst inserting your own tastes into it so that people with similar tastes might take something out of it. If this helped someone then hey, quest completed!… Expand

cableguy3333

Apr 30, 2019

7

This is an xbox review as there is no review page for xbox on this game. It's kind of world of warcraft during the vanilla years with much better graphics. Combat is fun and fast or that's what it seems at first but after a while it's just button bashing. Why I haven't scored it higher and that's because of it's pay to win system once PVP becomes involved

Merggy

Feb 2, 2020

7

Quite a fun game that doesn't require a monthly payment like many MMORPG's. It's annoying how every character will end up doing the exact same quests over and over and how some classes are male or female only. This alongside the "Kakao Cash" lowers my score down to a 7. Despite this, it's quite a fun game with spot on outstanding fights and moves. 7/10 game I'd say - it's good.

Vitalick

Sep 2, 2022

7

Típico mmorpg koreano muy vistoso y con un gameplay un tanto peculiar . El juego es un poco kaótico pero está entrtenido y es muy bonito visualmente

SweetTato

Dec 8, 2021

7

Black Desert Online has the best combat in any MMORPG I have played or seen. It is also a gorgeous game to look at too. Although the game is extremely grindy. Sometimes I felt like I spent more time leaving my character AFK than actually playing the game, and that's what got old for me.

demigod_

Aug 21, 2023

7

This game has come a long way, and the p2w stigma is really not true anymore, outside of a remote repair/buff access campsite. The mob density is really engaging and i enjoy blasting through big groups of enemies.

The main complaint I have is it's hard to know what's going on, what to do, etc. There are tons and tons of different questlines and your log will quickly fill. There are alsoThis game has come a long way, and the p2w stigma is really not true anymore, outside of a remote repair/buff access campsite. The mob density is really engaging and i enjoy blasting through big groups of enemies.

The main complaint I have is it's hard to know what's going on, what to do, etc. There are tons and tons of different questlines and your log will quickly fill. There are also way too many items, these two things lead to a very confusing new player experience.… Expand

Halfmad

Mar 5, 2016

6

I desperately wanted to like this, it looks fantastic but at it's core it's a run of the mill average MMO. At least in English the dialogue is laughable the interface is average, the game mechanic is average there's so much outside the character creation which is down right average.

I'm happy some are loving it, genuinely I am but it's not for me. A bad game? No not at all, but justI desperately wanted to like this, it looks fantastic but at it's core it's a run of the mill average MMO. At least in English the dialogue is laughable the interface is average, the game mechanic is average there's so much outside the character creation which is down right average.

I'm happy some are loving it, genuinely I am but it's not for me. A bad game? No not at all, but just nothing new to me here after playing MMOs since Ultima online in the late 1990s, seen this all before and usually done better. Damn it's pretty though.… Expand

crnppscls

Mar 26, 2016

6

Hina beauty sim, or Black desert online in the new mmo by Daum.
Yes that first statement is a slight but a justified one.
Actually, it is really hard to review a mmo because the experience you expect is subject to what is delivered and what you are used to, or the mmo you just came from. Let's crack on with the positives: Character creator is very good, if you're the type thatHina beauty sim, or Black desert online in the new mmo by Daum.
Yes that first statement is a slight but a justified one.

Actually, it is really hard to review a mmo because the experience you expect is subject to what is delivered and what you are used to, or the mmo you just came from.

Let's crack on with the positives:
Character creator is very good, if you're the type that spends hours on dolly dressup on newgrounds, you will love it.
Combat is dynamic and fluid, i thought i would hate it but actually it works really well, the combo system is intuitive and you feel you are rewarded by choosing the right skills.
Fishing and crafting are fun, no really. It's a good time waster.
The world is beautifully rendered.

What i didn't like:
The pve is generic and dire, everyone knows what i mean by this , so don't make me elaborate on it. We've all done these quests.
There is no endgame. Which in turn means nothing to aim for, nothing to gain kudos from your peers, that you have endured good content, just that inane banter that you wonder what plum or blader will be like, and whether it will be premium or free.

This is intentional of course because data mining shows that on average, a gamer spends 6 months on an mmo (average) and also for the ones that stay longer, the same mining shows that the longer duration gamers are more likely to spend money in the first 6 months of play. This is the ethos by which titles are sold, some do it differently but in the boardroom is not a flowchart showing improvements and ways to improve the game, there's just a graph with a proposed generated income that the programmers have as gospel and work around it.

Cash shop and content are the bugbears of this game. It's worth pointing out that this is ftp in korea but not so for us and maybe they forgot this in their cosmetic pricing.

Is a major fundamental cosmetic pricing in a game that uses aethetics as a selling point ?
Of course it is, anyone coming from gw2 would give testement to the fact that there are better and cheaper ways to deal with costumes and dyes. Daum don't have the resources of Ncsoft but still, the game does smak of having a ftp store in a btp game.

The game isn't bad, it's not great either but you have to be aware that the company just wants you there in the short term, maybe after you've bought plum and ninja from the cash shop.

Just for the truthful record, i got a refund yesterday from Paypal because it just wasn't for me.… Expand

armchairjerk

May 22, 2016

6

If you thought you knew what a grind was, you really dont till you play this game. Its not that its just an insane grind, its the fact that none of it is fun. Be prepared to use the same 3 move rotations over and over again for 50+ hours.

yesterdayatnoon

Mar 1, 2018

6

This is an alright game with a mix of really strong negatives and positives. The game looks great and runs great. The combat is entertaining focusing more on target control than damage. The non-combat activities such as crafting and gathering are handled in a phenomenal way and are really worth looking at on their own. The game also offers lots of idle play. You can leave the gameThis is an alright game with a mix of really strong negatives and positives. The game looks great and runs great. The combat is entertaining focusing more on target control than damage. The non-combat activities such as crafting and gathering are handled in a phenomenal way and are really worth looking at on their own. The game also offers lots of idle play. You can leave the game running and fish or process or craft, but you end up with a strong incentive to leave your PC cooking all day and night to keep up your progress.

The game also doesn't offer much for endgame. There's gear that's harder to upgrade that is mildly better than what's easily obtainable, but you can do most of your improvement at the auction house. The game is tedious to play if you don't spend another forty or so dollars buying pets to loot monsters for you. And you are forced into PVP after a day or two of leveling, and the pvp is not balanced either between classes or levels.

The game is still enjoyable and worth looking at. Again, the gathering and crafting portion of the game is really interesting and worth emulating in future games. All in all, I like it and I think I'm even playing it at the moment in another tab. Yep... still processing.… Expand

RafiGinat

Jun 13, 2022

6

PVE great
PVP clunky

Nothing much to elaborate just need to fill in the 75 required chars to complete this review.

Gades

Apr 29, 2016

6

Lot of expectaction for a game that only partialy meet them.
The game has a lot of ideas (mostly coming from archeage) but poorly implemented.
You can see it as an opposition to Guild Wars 2. GW2 is quite a standard and "casual" mmo but it's really good on that. Black Desert has some good innovations but the implementations of these innovative things are quite far from perfection. (aLot of expectaction for a game that only partialy meet them.
The game has a lot of ideas (mostly coming from archeage) but poorly implemented.
You can see it as an opposition to Guild Wars 2. GW2 is quite a standard and "casual" mmo but it's really good on that. Black Desert has some good innovations but the implementations of these innovative things are quite far from perfection. (a bit too far i think).
I give it a 6.… Expand

Crackfarmer

Mar 3, 2016

6

Am i the only one who isn't hyped for this Game? It's pretty much the same MMO **** as every MMO just with better graphics, but they don't help you if the Gameplay is trash at all. But still it's way better than Blade and Soul - by far. For me it's an okay-ish Game, play it if you're bored as fck and about to hang yourself.

Poopmaster

Mar 26, 2017

6

Pluses and minuses i can point after over 150hours of gameplay.

OPENING SENTENCE. Boring and heavily time consuming to be anywhere near competitive level/gear to play any kind of PvP. NOT P2W There is nothing at cashshop at all i would call P2W there is no items that directly upgrade your characters level or dmg/gear score. Onyly exception is item that allows you to repairPluses and minuses i can point after over 150hours of gameplay.

OPENING SENTENCE.
Boring and heavily time consuming to be anywhere near competitive level/gear to play any kind of PvP.

NOT P2W
There is nothing at cashshop at all i would call P2W there is no items that directly upgrade your characters level or dmg/gear score.
Onyly exception is item that allows you to repair armor/weapon 3x faster, you need to spend 100s of $ to make it worth though.

BORING GAMEPLAY
Game is all about killing mobs like asians mmos from early 2000s, not even quests just look at map, go to mob camp for your level and mash buttons until you have level high enough to go to the next camp.

TIME CONSUMING
After over 150 hours i wasnt even close to top tier of players.
I had to find on internet best spots to farm money to be even able to level my gear above +15.
If you wont farm special places for cash you will end up undergeared on high "competitive" character level.
I advice you to spend atleast 8hours per day if you want to be top tier before 2019, when all nolifes will die out from the game community.

ENCHANTING IS ****
Enchanting system in BDO made me quit the game, most players in game praise it as entertaining and highly rewarding.I disagree with their opinion, one unlucky roll and your DUO weapon that you spend over 70milion gold on goes back to PRI. looses 50 milion value and sends you down by 10-20 AP points, wich is alot in this game.
I wont even start writing about trinkets, job costumes and boss weapon/armor enchanting.

VERY BAD SOUNDTRACK
No music at all, soundtrack gets boring and repetitive very fast with how gameplay is made.

GORGEUS GRAPHICS
One of the best graphics i have ever seen in video games, even now it can compete with newest games in that matter.

FRIENDSHIP
Game heavily depends on having friends who are willing to play it with you.
Not gameplay wise you can do almost everything alone but it gets really boring really fast.

6/10
+no p2w at all
+good graphics
+good combat mechanics
+good pvp when you finnaly are at strong enough gear level to compete

-bad soundtrack
-boring main story
-boring gameplay after 1 to 50 hours depends from player obviously
-enchanting system that artificialy longers gameplay by throwing you down constantly
**** costumes design that costs 30euro per 1… Expand

Jeoul

Mar 9, 2016

6

I have currently played this game roughly about 6 days so far, overall i have to say I am enjoying it. In my opinion you have to approach this game slowly - learn how to buy properties, nodes, workers, basic cooking, gathering, crafting, fishing then probably trading. I made a mistake of following my friend grinding the 'main' quest on launch and that just burnt me out.

The game doesI have currently played this game roughly about 6 days so far, overall i have to say I am enjoying it. In my opinion you have to approach this game slowly - learn how to buy properties, nodes, workers, basic cooking, gathering, crafting, fishing then probably trading. I made a mistake of following my friend grinding the 'main' quest on launch and that just burnt me out.

The game does feel overwhelming at first but as always you will learn and become efficient. I even managed to convince my friend to stop doing main mob quests and actually explore the game and now hes enjoying it more. I built my first raft and we just went exploring islands for nodes then went fishing (good money maker). The game is what you make of it, you go at your own pace, if you want to max level and thats your thing then do it.

Combat is good, no alt-tabbing, pretty fluid, flashy moves, and what i appreciate the most (9 out of 10 times) is if the mob doesnt hit you as you dodge or run, it simply doesnt hit you, i know quite afew mmos where once the mob has locked on and was in range despite dodging it will still end up hitting you.

I haven't touched on PvP yet (i'm only lvl23) which is somewhat important to me (as i aim to do epic castle sieges one day, in hopes to bring back the Lineage2 memories). I have read about the harsh karma system which is not ideal at all, you cannot gank people and steal their trade packs, if open-world PVP is consensual the initiator will still be penalized . Despite what Archeage turned out to be (total trash from a poisonous company Trion) the PvP was FUN.

This game does require you grind (not just leveling), Strength, Stamina will require you to do certain actions, altho it doesnt 100% hinder you, it will require AFK-ing.

But yeh overall i have to say i am enjoying this, crafting doesnt feel tedious to a point where i was forced to do it to remain relevant, the scroll bosses actually requires timing and dodging, beautiful world and graphics, fun combat.

Enough waffling heres a break down:

Pros
- As everyone states good face customization.
- Nice graphics, beautiful world, NPCs actually removing around makes the world feel more alive.
- Combat system is quite exciting with flashy moves
- Gathering and crafting is not tedious and i dont feel forced to do it.
- It is giving me a little Lineage2 nostalgia (which is a huge bonus for me)
- It feels like im on an adventure, especially when you stop questing and just explore.
- Castle sieges
- Mini games are present
- In other MMos, once you reach a near peak of a mountain you will slide back down, in this game, you can climb

Cons
- There is practically no armor variation in the game, they all look the same, dyes will only change the color, i want to see fresh sets.
- Therefore this leads me to this - as many arguments there are, the cash shop is BS for a b2p game. Pets should be obtainable via ingame, a costume costs nearly the same price as the game?! The ghillie suit is the only p2w element for me, i wouldnt call the cash shop p2w tho (luckily enough).
- Inventory and warehouse (altho expandable in game) is very tedious for a b2p game.
- Karma system is too harsh, enough of carebear players, let the players fight (i dont mean grieving for the sake of it but when you're farming, having to look around incase of a PK adds alil excitement)
> especially if its consensual NOONE should be losing karma from that.
> PvPing will bring more drama and 'emotion(?)' to guild wars
- One thing i slightly miss from later MMOs is open world events, this one doesnt exclusively have any (might be wrong, so far it doesnt)?

probably missed afew points but you get the overall message
-… Expand

cardosy

Mar 10, 2016

6

Good systems and great potential spoiled by cheap korean MMO stuff. The monetization method is awful, and some of the UI and mechanics are dubious at best.

guided_fate

Apr 11, 2016

6

This is going to be my first review since I started using Metacritic, but after seeing the high praise and flat zero's I had to write something as objective as possible. This game is not for everyone, it's a classical Korean MMO, and what I mean by that, is that there is no definitive endgame. In fact, The entire world is open, and there isn't much that you can't do as soon as you finishThis is going to be my first review since I started using Metacritic, but after seeing the high praise and flat zero's I had to write something as objective as possible. This game is not for everyone, it's a classical Korean MMO, and what I mean by that, is that there is no definitive endgame. In fact, The entire world is open, and there isn't much that you can't do as soon as you finish the first little tutorial tidbit. There is a metric **** of things you can do, aside from classical MMORPG raiding. This game is not meant for the old school raiders of the Everquest and Vanilla World of Warcraft days; it is, however, perfect for people who enjoy crafting, fishing, player housing, and grinding.

To whoever said this game is not a grind, you should delete your Metacritic account effective immediately. If you want to be a crafter, you have to grind. Fishing? You have to grind. Any aspect of income regarding the game's highly intuitive economy requires some kind of grind. Yes, the game requires you to work for the "endgame" gear and items, but none of it revolves around endgame content.

There are a lot of problems with the game on a technical level. Game optimization is lackluster, the user interface can very easily clutter your screen and it is very counterproductive for speedy recovery of items, settings, and other important gameplay aspects. The text and the voice do not match at all and the translation from Korean to English is very shoddy. It's these issues that tank the score to about a 6 or 7. You shouldn't have to pay for ANY product and have to wait for immersion-breaking bugs to be fixed.

The combat in this game, what can I say, it's mindblowing. If there was actually a large variety of enemies to fight, raiding, or any hardcore endgame pve content, this game would be more deserving of an 8. The problem, for me, is the lack of all of these features. My opinion here doesn't effect the score as this game is not advertised as such, so it would be wrong to grade it subjectively. It is first and foremost a sandbox game with some PvP and PvE elements, though they are not as prevalent as the in-depth economy. Will I ever play this game again? Probably not, I'm not into this style of MMO, but for those looking for an excellent economy-based sandbox MMO, this is a must buy. I'd say to wait a bit until the bugs have been patched, though.… Expand

Chilissy

Apr 26, 2016

6

Yeah, the trailers was awesome as always in rpg fantasy games. I thought this game would be really enjoyable. I was dreaming about pro mechanics stuff, also with additional plot. I've played it for first time at my friends home. I was really grateful to myself, i didn't bought that game. Its not as crap as some others "mainstream" rpg's, but uhmm... it's far behind top rpg's. Well, butYeah, the trailers was awesome as always in rpg fantasy games. I thought this game would be really enjoyable. I was dreaming about pro mechanics stuff, also with additional plot. I've played it for first time at my friends home. I was really grateful to myself, i didn't bought that game. Its not as crap as some others "mainstream" rpg's, but uhmm... it's far behind top rpg's. Well, but its playable.… Expand

arostislavna

Feb 29, 2020

6

Pretty good game, but vote brigading is a scummy practice to get the sheeple to purchase it and eliminate truthful, diverse opinions of the game.

Nothv13

Jul 16, 2016

6

As someone who had put in more than 1000 hours into this game between the KR version and the Western release, Black Desert had/possibly still has the chance to shake up the stale western MMORPG market.

A possible great game with some inherent design flaws. The knowledge system (you get more energy from gaining more knowledge in game), contribution system (allows you to buy workshops,As someone who had put in more than 1000 hours into this game between the KR version and the Western release, Black Desert had/possibly still has the chance to shake up the stale western MMORPG market.

A possible great game with some inherent design flaws. The knowledge system (you get more energy from gaining more knowledge in game), contribution system (allows you to buy workshops, houses, stables, farms, etc) are marvelous features that I'd love to see in future games. You can even go out and lasso horses to tray and tame them, and then breed them to get better horses. Great siege system where you have to build forts and simultaneously defend it while attacking the enemies'. Fun Guild Wars where you can make wagers on who will win or not. There is also the smaller things such as small hidden caves, sailing, whale hunting, and the upcoming Naval content.

What brings it down in the western market is the Korean aspects. An over reliance on RNG for one. Normally rng is ok. Item drop rng and variable damage from rng is just part of RPGs, even action heavy ones. this game however takes it to the next level. Drop RNG, RNG to enchant your gear, rng to get fail stacks to lessen the rng to enchant. RNG on whether you lose expensive crystals on death. RNG on whether you get CC'd or not. They even have RNG on the auction house.

The drop rng is also bad, I'm talking sub 1% chance to get items. Spending 1000s of energy to get 5-10 of a rare needed item only to see someone spending half that and getting upwards of 10x what you got is just ridiculous. What makes this worse is that those needed items are only found during gathering. People who are trying to progress are barely playing the game. They are mainly digging in one spot for hours upon hours in the day, while those that had rng on their side are actually playing the game.

This get even worse as these items are needed to upgrade your gear, and at the level you need them gear gap gets larger making you skill in the action combat system mean less and less. In the end, your performance will come down how blessed you are in rng, then time, then level, and finally how skillful you actually are. If you have horrible results with the RNG, you could fall weeks to months behind in the span of a few days, at which point you should just give trying to PvP.

I love this game overall, and really hoped that they would have properly adopted it to the west as both the publisher and developer flat out stated the west market was different than the Korean market and would need special changes to be a success there. Daum even stated (as a decently successful launch) to want 1 million active players within a year. With as much negative feedback they have gotten recently about things such as RNG, gear gap and the currently very restrictive way to progress, I do not see Daum meeting that goal, or even getting close to it.

Couple alternate title for this game: Digging Desert Online (since you will spend most your time digging to progress), and Casino Desert Online (since your progression and thus effectiveness relies mainly on RNG, along with how many parts of the game are actually ruled by RNG).… Expand

ORevisor

Mar 30, 2018

6

Criação de personagem divertida vc pode passar horas nele, um sistema de combate fluido com muita ação, graficamente um dos melhores do estilo. Pontos negativos: * sistema de arma e armadura simplório, como não há lv lock para usar qualquer arma e armadura (exceto as despertadas) raramente você troca de equipamento seu char vai ter sempre a mesma aparência caso não queira gastar dinheiroCriação de personagem divertida vc pode passar horas nele, um sistema de combate fluido com muita ação, graficamente um dos melhores do estilo. Pontos negativos: * sistema de arma e armadura simplório, como não há lv lock para usar qualquer arma e armadura (exceto as despertadas) raramente você troca de equipamento seu char vai ter sempre a mesma aparência caso não queira gastar dinheiro de verdade no cash shop; * Qualquer coisa no cash shop é muito caro; * O jogo tem tanta coisa para se fazer e treinar que fica confuso e um pouco entediante especialmente para novos jogadores… Expand

Rinfeer

Aug 12, 2017

6

I'm playing this game about one year and i will try to be short.

Pros: +Graphics. +Character creator. +Big open world. Cons: -Very expensive cash shop , if u wanna play in comfort , get top gear , u definitely need donate about 400 euros , and it's not a joke , just deal with it. Pets, weight , inventory slots , trousers etc. -No dungeons . To be clear social system in BDO isI'm playing this game about one year and i will try to be short.

Pros:
+Graphics.
+Character creator.
+Big open world.

Cons:
-Very expensive cash shop , if u wanna play in comfort , get top gear , u definitely need donate about 400 euros , and it's not a joke , just deal with it. Pets, weight , inventory slots , trousers etc.
-No dungeons . To be clear social system in BDO is pretty weak. No point to play in group so far.
-Grinding. Too much of it. Actually problems starts when on your favourite spot comes dude with + 20 gear in round and takes your spot.
-No equipment system. This is something that bores me a lot. There is no changes when you upgrade your gear.
-End game is too boring. U just grind mobs 24/7 and kill field bosses. Trying to get tet or pen. And this is your end game.
-This game is hell for newcomers. It's too hard to get top gear , when u start from nothing . Let's say if u wanna play this game better buy an account . U will save money and your nerves at some point.

Summing things up . I just wanna say , this game is basically pay to win. I beg u, if you're new please avoid of playing this game. Just w8 for another better MMO.… Expand

Zhiend

Apr 22, 2021

6

Здравствуйте! Я поиграл в BDO 4 дня, набил 33 лвл и знаете всё шло слишком гладко. Но вскоре, столкнулся с большим количеством багов и ошибок самой игры. Да, сдесь классная графика, очень много режимов оформления персонажа, но про игровой процесс помоэму совсем забыли. Во-первых много багов с автопутем,когда персонаж просто идёт в стену и эму все рано. Во-вторых некоторые квесты невозможноЗдравствуйте! Я поиграл в BDO 4 дня, набил 33 лвл и знаете всё шло слишком гладко. Но вскоре, столкнулся с большим количеством багов и ошибок самой игры. Да, сдесь классная графика, очень много режимов оформления персонажа, но про игровой процесс помоэму совсем забыли. Во-первых много багов с автопутем,когда персонаж просто идёт в стену и эму все рано. Во-вторых некоторые квесты невозможно пройти по причине багов карты. Например: Есть начальное задание с приручением лошади, когда доходит до тренеровки на маникене, игра отказывается засчитывать попадание. Я посмотрел даже гайды(ничего не помогло). Также много багов с картой , когда показывает неправильное направление к квесту . Очень много не интересных квестов, которые напоминают: прийди, убей,отдай . Да, сдесь крутые анимации атаки, а если выбрать мага, то тут вообще прям фейерверк сплошной, но скучно понимаете. Честно, я удалил игру ибо перестал получать хоть какой-то интерес. Но, мне понравилась данная игра . Забыл сказать :ОНА АБСОЛЮТНО БЕСПЛАТНАЯ и все мои минусы можно перечеркнуть одним аргументом. Кому не хватает денег на подписку в ВОВ можете спокойно играть в BDO… Expand

Acevi6

Jan 6, 2023

6

Overall an okay game. The combat is fluid, graphics are amazing, and the depth is crazy. You can do almost anything in this game. But thats the thing, since you can do anything, newer players will get confused and move on to another game.

TheGvH

Aug 21, 2023

6

Black Desert Online brings an impressive combat system that truly shines. However, the rest of the game can feel overwhelming with its excessive content. It undoubtedly offers a vast amount to keep players occupied for an extended duration. The combat mechanics stand out as a highlight, offering a captivating experience that captures attention. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of contentBlack Desert Online brings an impressive combat system that truly shines. However, the rest of the game can feel overwhelming with its excessive content. It undoubtedly offers a vast amount to keep players occupied for an extended duration. The combat mechanics stand out as a highlight, offering a captivating experience that captures attention. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of content might be too much for some, potentially detracting from the overall enjoyment. If you're prepared for a substantial commitment, Black Desert Online has the potential to provide long-lasting engagement and a memorable combat experience.… Expand

Shekky

Feb 12, 2018

5

This game has a great concept but its a battle to get geared up in some of the farming spots as a lot of top end geared players like to grief new players. The pearl shop is filled with a lot of overpriced items to add more function to your character but there is no real pay 2 win options in the pearl shop and those claiming its pay to win is just too lazy to grind. A lot of the items onThis game has a great concept but its a battle to get geared up in some of the farming spots as a lot of top end geared players like to grief new players. The pearl shop is filled with a lot of overpriced items to add more function to your character but there is no real pay 2 win options in the pearl shop and those claiming its pay to win is just too lazy to grind. A lot of the items on the pearl shop can be purchased on the market board as well so you just need to be patient.

Character classes can be boring to play a lot of classes need to be reworked or redesigned completely the grind in this game is real but not as bad as it was. A better catchup system needs to be implemented to combat those who like to grief new players and a system needs to be implemented to prevent players 59 and above from playing on the Olvia servers which are meant for new and returning players even after the limit is supposed to be level 58. Its hard to pick a class if your just starting out I originally started as a Mystic but didn't realize about life skills that I had spent so much time leveling to realize I didn't want to level beyond 49 or I could be pked. So I ended up having to make a new mystic and level it up to 56 and unlock awakening only to realize I didn't like Mystic as awakened classes are quite a bit different from pre-awakened. I spent a lot of time leveling characters and gearing them up to not like most classes.

Everything in this game is RNG if you hate that idea as much as I do than you might want to focus primarily on getting money and buying everything you need that way. Anyways to wrap this up I give it a 5 out of 10 as it has a lot of potential but the classes are lacking in how fun they are as well as gearing is an extremely high end priority in order to be viable at end game. With the bonus xp servers top end players have still been able to play on Olvia servers and from the information gathered online they should not have access to the servers anymore with no system in place to boot them from the servers. RNG in this game is a pain in the ass and good luck to anyone who can beat this system.… Expand

Ghost67

Oct 8, 2016

5

BDO has a beautiful world. Its rich, immersive, its huge, you always have something to do and somewhere to go. It has a deep economic and industrial side to the game. The mechanics of Energy and Contribution is unique and a fresh take on virtual economies. It has awesome flashy combat with no tab targeting and auto attack.

Then why does it have a 5? Because BDO is a Themepark MMOBDO has a beautiful world. Its rich, immersive, its huge, you always have something to do and somewhere to go. It has a deep economic and industrial side to the game. The mechanics of Energy and Contribution is unique and a fresh take on virtual economies. It has awesome flashy combat with no tab targeting and auto attack.

Then why does it have a 5?

Because BDO is a Themepark MMO that plays like a single player game, that pretends to be a sandbox. It sounds like a sandbox and quacks like one, but it isn't. It feels very similar to SWTOR - it feels like it should be a single player game, but it's not.

New players are practically forced into doing boring, inane quests, huge grinding quest chains. We're talking hundreds upon hundreds of quests. I love how we use the word "quest" for really stupid tasks. We're talking usual fetch quests all the way to retrieving a stranded cat or knocking over a pickpocket. Seriously? Getting someone's stray cat? NPC's provide long dialogues, some poorly voice acted - but really, who cares? This is an MMO. I came here to play with other people.

Players must grind, but new players are especially forced into an upfront investment of time and energy into questing because they need the experience to level up their Energy and Contri points. Without those, they will not have any purchasing power. There is a large RNG element in BDO as well and its frustrating.

This of course ends up in massive power gaps, as you have hardcore players with awesome gear able to 1 shot other players in PvP. No strategy, just boring domination.

For such a beautiful world, mobs are a pushover. If you somehow stumble upon a powerful mob, the game will flash red telling you that you should run. How exciting. This is beyond themepark. The excitement of exploration just isn't there.

There is hardly any death penalty. No one groups, except for specific endgame tasks. BDO players will tell you it has the "quality" of a single player game....??? It gets even more ridiculous - you can't trade with other players. You are forced to use the global Auction House, and you cant even set your own prices, you're forced by the game to set a certain price!

PvP is also pretend-sandbox. The karma system is broken - when you initiate PvP, you gather karma. Get too much Karma and there is no penalty for another player to kill you, and you might drop items. What ends up happening is practically no one initiates PvP (excluding guild vs guild) except for the hardest of the hardcore because of the repercussions and the exploitation of the "innocent" players. There is no death penalty for innocent players.

There is no character customization. BDO's little brother, Archeage, at least gave you the ability to mix and match different skill trees to create customized classes. There is practically no customization in BDO, the only thing separating your warrior and the warrior next to you is, yep, your gear!

Combat is enjoyable enough for PvE, but for PvP its totally broken. PvP fights are very brief and usually comes down to who hits first. No strategy is really involved because of combat mechanics - its just spam spam spam, with healing potions. Yes, the animations look great, you can pull off cool combos, but as far as tactics, skill, builds - it really doesn't matter.

Guild turf wars make the game somewhat interesting and there is an element of politics due to territory changes, but the guild battles really dont matter that much, once again due to the fact that theres no interdependence.

I really wanted to like BDO, because alot of work has clearly gone into it. But you spend more time conversing with NPC's then REAL PEOPLE. Theres even a mini game where you gain favor with NPC's so they share with you more information. How ironic in an MMO. Its a tragedy. The world is beautiful and vast, but feels stale and hollow because there is practically no interdependence.

The sheer amount of upfront investment for new players to grind out just to join the ranks of guilds will doom the game. Who joins an MMO, a virtual world to adventure, only to spend it catching cats for NPC's? In a year I predict that BDO's playerbase will shrink significantly and will be relegated to the only people that will thrive in this kind of environment - ultra hardcore gamers that enjoy grinding 24/7, and have the time to do it.… Expand

Superstone

Feb 11, 2020

5

Pros:

++The game looks good on first glance ++Character creation is pretty good ++++Currently, there are 19 classes to choose from, most unique +++Combat is pretty fun and varied on the classes with lots of skills ++Variety of activities (fishing, training, trading, gathering, grinding) Cons: --The game does not have good view distance, so the beauty only happens about 50 feetPros:

++The game looks good on first glance
++Character creation is pretty good
++++Currently, there are 19 classes to choose from, most unique
+++Combat is pretty fun and varied on the classes with lots of skills
++Variety of activities (fishing, training, trading, gathering, grinding)

Cons:

--The game does not have good view distance, so the beauty only happens about 50 feet around your character. Remastered mode makes everything look like Vaseline rubbed on the screen.
--No involving storyline
--Many systems seem half-baked or intentionally clumsy to make P2Convenience more desirable (energy recovery (slightly), weight limit system (very) , inventory system (very), horse death reset coupons (situational for trainers), higher in-game taxes on non-Value Pack accounts (depends on what you're selling), literal item drop rates via Blessing of Kamasylvia (min-maxing, but having 20% increased item drop makes up cash at the marketplace especially in conjunction with Value Pack), character skill resets (truly gross), etc.)
--Some parts of the game are not completely implemented/clumsy/pointless like stealing which is very situational and completely unnecessary, some of the slash commands for social actions don't work. Try to actually type in "/Lie Down" and it will not work outside of clicking it on the pop-up action menu. I tried in upper- and lower-case, spaced and unspaced, capitalized and not for both first and second words, all the ways I could try type the words that the game showed me to take the action to /Lie Down and it only worked when I clicked the words in the pop-up menu, but my personal favorite: when you hit 50, the game pops up a clickable window that shows you stuff you can do from 50 onward, okay? When you click ANY of the options on the fully drawn, clickable, pop-up, another pop-up in an in-game browser opens to what it says is the official BDO wiki and NO DEVS OR GMS OR CMS BOTHERED TO WRITE ANY OF THE ARTICLES LINKED TO! Shoddy and half-baked and it wasn't even there when I first played and level 50 took a couple days within months of NA launch.
--Out of combat movement is clunky, terrain interaction is spotty (getting caught on stairs, rocks, wagons going horizontally while ground drops away, players floating above elevators, some getting caught in animations/transitions are slow at times, etc.)
--The community can't decide if the game is a PvE game or PvP game (it's a PvE game) that has PvP in it but there is few tangible rewards from PvP and no reason to PvP outside of Node Wars for tax rights which is a PvE system. The sole exception is there is a couple of crystals from the only organized PvP battleground, Red Battlefield, but they are only Best in Slot in one piece of gear and are optimized for PvP CC resistance, which is a whole other can of worms because at high gear levels one knockdown and death is the meta in this game's version of PvP.
--Getting knocked down is pretty much the only mechanic in PvE, especially in Dark Rifts, which are solo versions of World Bosses designed to give people who aren't on during boss timers some way to get some possible boss rewards, they are on a 12 day timer, which is fine in my opinion, and doesn't give them as many chances as people who are on all the time, but there's still a chance with the boxes they give.
--The gear enhancement system is a bottomless pit of materials no matter what activity you pursue, whether lifeskilling or combat/grinding which is unfortunate because the game is...
--Grindy as hell when it comes to experience past a certain point. Also grinding is best way to make money actively so it will be the majority of the gameplay if you are trying to make the most money possible as quickly as possible, and you will need to make the most money possible because...
---------THE MOST MEANINGFUL MEASURE OF PROGRESSION IN THE GAME IS PURCHASABLE FROM THE IN-GAME MARKETPLACE (there is no progression of bosses or content, all progress is solely a set of AP/DP numbers to hit and it is a rich-get-richer situation where players who have certain "brackets" hit, will get even more bonuses from already having gear such as dozens more AP than other players at the same actual level or up to 20% extra damage reduction (at the absolute highest DP bracket currently)

All this said: I still give the game a 5 because I do like the world, but I find most of it clumsy, half-baked, and bad. Still, the classes are fun for short bursts, the game does implement catch-up mechanics, and even if the only way to make your character bleeding-edge is to dump money into ca$h $hop **** and P2Convenience advantages, you don't 1000% have to to have some fun with it and they do keep releasing classes and updates which keeps it relatively fresh, even if it is to just play Barbie Dress Online for about 30 bucks every six months.… Expand

mijxero

Jun 24, 2016

5

I got a 7 day pass for this game and despite its beautiful graphics and flashy combat I just really didn't get it. I'm not saying it was bad, but for me it was just a lot of style over substance.

blammo

May 17, 2016

5

It looked promising but only a few minutes into the game exposed a bunch of confusing and annoying UX/UI issues. They could have stuck with the tried and true UI of other games so that people could get into the game easily but jeeze it's a mess.

In particular, the dialog ui is bafflingly terrible. It could have easily been a simple conversation tree like half the other games out thereIt looked promising but only a few minutes into the game exposed a bunch of confusing and annoying UX/UI issues. They could have stuck with the tried and true UI of other games so that people could get into the game easily but jeeze it's a mess.

In particular, the dialog ui is bafflingly terrible. It could have easily been a simple conversation tree like half the other games out there but it's an indescribably bad system for conversing with NPCs. The other UI's and screens are confusing and frustrating as well. There's no need for it, trying to differentiate themselves has just made everything a mess!

I'm sure once they get into it, people will probably overlook all the bad UI stuff, but not me, I feel stupid for paying $40 for it primarily because because the character creator looked awesome.… Expand

ThecriticGoD

Mar 24, 2016

5

The combat system is Pretty good and graphically it's a very nice game, but let's face it, this is not a good game. Storyline is way too bad and slow-paced, there's no pvp, there are no dungeons, leveling is so easy and quick, this is definetely not what to expect from an MMORPG, specially if you come from WoW's golden era, and you are seeking a new game that give you the same sentationsThe combat system is Pretty good and graphically it's a very nice game, but let's face it, this is not a good game. Storyline is way too bad and slow-paced, there's no pvp, there are no dungeons, leveling is so easy and quick, this is definetely not what to expect from an MMORPG, specially if you come from WoW's golden era, and you are seeking a new game that give you the same sentations wow once did, this just won't do it, adds very few things to the already over-exploited MMORPG genre and it lacks way too many things that are VERY important for MMORPGS.

However it's not as bad as some people is suggesting, it's ok to play this game for a few hours, it's funny at the very beginning, but don't expect to get immersed on it unless you have 0 experience with MMORPGs or you have a terrible taste, you'll most likely get tired of it after a week of playing (max). People should really stop making reviews the very first day they try a videogame, almost every game is good the first day.… Expand

Jbsoom

Mar 7, 2016

5

TLDR: You'll either love or hate this game. It's perfect for those who want an old school mmo/rpg.

Pros: Best graphics hands down. Beautiful game. Real 24 hr time & weather that affects mobs & crafting Extensive crafting systems Player housing Legitimate AFK farming Huge worlds to explore It's community driven (guild quests & wars) No queue times Buy to play, no sub Cons:TLDR: You'll either love or hate this game. It's perfect for those who want an old school mmo/rpg.

Pros:
Best graphics hands down. Beautiful game.
Real 24 hr time & weather that affects mobs & crafting
Extensive crafting systems
Player housing
Legitimate AFK farming
Huge worlds to explore
It's community driven (guild quests & wars)
No queue times
Buy to play, no sub

Cons:
"Immersion." Everything takes 3x longer to do because there are no shortcuts (e.g. No teleporting)
Everyone looks like the same homeless scrub; hardly any weapon & armor skins. Most are in the cash shop.
Although char customization is great, it's pretty limited within the options you have. You can't make unique chars that really stand out.
UI is convoluted.
Everything has a weight (move slower when heavy) and inventory space's severely limited.
No hand-holding. Make sure you research before you screw up your char.
No directed questing. Expect endless hours of grinding in the same spots forever.

For what it is and offers, it's pretty great. It's just not a game for me. If you're interested def try to get a free pass from BDO's subreddit and try it out.… Expand

Kerbox

Mar 12, 2016

5

Nothing groundbreaking here, I got the been there done that feeling even if there are a lot of little things to do. A lot of cheesyness here to find which is very typical of all asian MMORPGs out there. Good graphics though but that alone will not hold me for long.

Alatreon

Apr 4, 2016

5

Extremely average MMO. Initially very exciting, tinkering with workers and nodes etc, but it soon devolves into an insane amount of grinding and **** RNG based gear progression system in a game with a pvp system that purely revolves around gear. Basically there's a massive gap between the "Hardcore" players who grind for 10 hours a day, and the average "casual" player who maybe grinds thatExtremely average MMO. Initially very exciting, tinkering with workers and nodes etc, but it soon devolves into an insane amount of grinding and **** RNG based gear progression system in a game with a pvp system that purely revolves around gear. Basically there's a massive gap between the "Hardcore" players who grind for 10 hours a day, and the average "casual" player who maybe grinds that much in a week. The combat is also initially incredible, fast paced and visually impressive but again, becomes an absolute chore after you've killed your millionth mob in the inevitable grind that comes later.

Honestly the most fun I've had in this game is AFK fishing. The MMO is a bunch of great ideas poorly executed. On paper it seems to have massive potential but it simply becomes very boring especially after you hit the soft cap of 50. It's extremely grindy, the story is forgettable if not completely irrelevant, voice acting is **** atrocious. Not much here except an excessive amount of grind.

That being said though, there are definitely some good aspects to the MMO. Exploration and the crafting system is very good. Doing stuff like building a boat and sailing around the Islands, then fishing etc, are all tonnes more fun than gear progression and combat elements of the game.… Expand

kiba12

Nov 5, 2018

5

I first played BDO back in the western release in 2016, but stopped quickly. I returned for the Remastered Update and was considerably sucked in to the game. I've played hundreds of hours now and I feel I have a good understanding of it.

Pros: - Astounding combat gameplay, seriously the best action combat I've ever played so far. - Breathtaking graphics, fantastic models and effectsI first played BDO back in the western release in 2016, but stopped quickly. I returned for the Remastered Update and was considerably sucked in to the game. I've played hundreds of hours now and I feel I have a good understanding of it.

Pros:
- Astounding combat gameplay, seriously the best action combat I've ever played so far.
- Breathtaking graphics, fantastic models and effects of skills.
- Lots of variety in gameplay, you can farm, raise horses, cook meals, craft tools
- World is richly detailed and feels very much alive, the inclusion of a vast array of npcs in towns standing and interaction in very realistic ways makes BDO feel like it's a real world that people could live in.

Neutral:
- Open world PvP ( I keep this neutral because I don't like PvP in most games but I know lots of people do )
- PvP centric game, there's lots of PvE content but the game is focused around fighting each other in the open world. So despite me never attacking anyone because I don't care for PvP that does not mean that some stranger will not jump on you and one shot you.

Cons:
- Horrific pay to win micro transactions (You will need to spend over $300 to have a decent time with BDO.
- Selfish Publishers, there is no incentive to play the game. The login rewards are unimpressive except at the end of each month where you get an rng box to try and get super nice loot. But again, it's rng.
- RNG RNG RNG RNG, everything in this game is rng. You want to improve you items? rng You want to improve your pets? rng You want to farm for an item that will help your build? rng
- Grind is tedious more than enjoyable, progress is slow, very slow in this game. You will be spending months and months getting even slightly close to strong enough to hold your own against other players or high level monsters.
- Story is highly lacking. I find myself unimpressed with the narrative arc of the campaign, but that's not the main draw of the BDO, fortunately.
- Lack of trust with the developers, I'm not sure what I mean with this, but let me try. When I play Warframe, the developers are so generous and give you so much as a thank you for playing that I WANT to give them money, because they are providing such a positive and enjoyable game experience. BDO provides nothing, I feel no connection with the developers or the game as it feels like they couldn't care less you're playing the game.
- Overwhelming gear gaps between players, being a PvP focused game, you can fight any time you wish aside from being in a Safe spot like a city or village. But, people aren't going to attack you unless they know they are stronger, and usually, they are. The game is not balanced with the way people can get their gear and even worse now they can just pay money to have an easier time improving gear.

All in all, BDO is a very meh experience for me. But I understand the draw. I hope the developers and publishers can come to some kind of version where the game feels worth playing. But until then, I'm out.… Expand

Volsyden

Mar 17, 2020

5

this game is definately beautiful. there is a lot to do in this game but i do believe its pay to win. with all the stuff you have to pay for it sure does make it difficult to play, the people to spend more in the game have way more than the usual player. when it comes down to gear, that can really impact your character. so yes... pay to win.
it is missing dungeons. i play mmo's forthis game is definately beautiful. there is a lot to do in this game but i do believe its pay to win. with all the stuff you have to pay for it sure does make it difficult to play, the people to spend more in the game have way more than the usual player. when it comes down to gear, that can really impact your character. so yes... pay to win.
it is missing dungeons. i play mmo's for dungeon content with other players. thats my opinion. i enjoy going into an instance and fighting through till the boss to get loot.
speaking of loot, there really is basic gear then small amount of boss gear so your loot options are limited, either you have a decent green weapon or you go for the boss weapon... nothing else

if gear had as many options of like.... world of warcraft, and some dungeons this would be awsome. other than that its just pay to win. i would give it 10 score if that were the case

this is just my opinion and its what i like to see in a game, i dont care what else you say or what this game is like in your opinion. no i dont play it anymore if you ask. i like my games to have certain things to have fun and unfortunatley this does not. thats what i like, dont care what you like.… Expand

DaxRazor

Jun 10, 2019

5

Black Desert Online is a great game in many ways it is highly complex and has loads of things to learn and do. Inventive character classes, no level limit, Progressive combat skills, fast paced combat. Classic MMORPG elements like the "Grind" for gear drops or treasure to purchase new items off of a player driven economy with blind seller/buyers so no "favoritism" or gaming of theBlack Desert Online is a great game in many ways it is highly complex and has loads of things to learn and do. Inventive character classes, no level limit, Progressive combat skills, fast paced combat. Classic MMORPG elements like the "Grind" for gear drops or treasure to purchase new items off of a player driven economy with blind seller/buyers so no "favoritism" or gaming of the marketplace.

The game does a lot of things well! From limiting the impact of PTW Whales on the game to a great knowledge based reward system for learning about the world.

BDO also features a great Guild based PVP system called Node Wars and Conquest plus Guild Wars so PVP players can engage in open world combat with another guild, it even has a decent single player Red Battlefield event.

Great Family (Account) based sharing of resources across 6-7 characters in your stable...which reminds me of the awesome horse capturing and breeding system!

Now here is where it all goes wrong... It has Force Mode PVP that is a mode where you can force PVP combat on any other player in the world that has reached Level 50.... regardless of your level. So a long term level 61 player can camp out a level 50 zone and kill other players that cannot possible defend themselves for fun. It has a Karma system that is a joke among the community to punish "Red" players or PKers. It doesn't work.

Black Desert's Tag Line is "Become your True Self". Unfortunately for the game and its Open World PVP System many gamers true self is not a person you want to run around a virtual world with, or run into would be more accurate.

Great Game bad Community. No hope of changing. So if you are OK with getting killed while chopping a tree down while wearing worker clothes (no combat level) by a random person in a Gillie Suit (hides their character labels) or you are a Psychotic Rage Machine player forged in the fires of Fortnite and Call of Duty wanting to gank lower levels and AFK players for jollies then this game is for you.… Expand

kezzyhko

Aug 30, 2020

5

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crazyplaney

Jan 7, 2021

5

I've been playing this game since 2018. like literally every day. I logged in and do some activities in-game, and decided to retire in early 2020. returned to play the newest class Nova at the end of 2020, and quitting again in early 2021. I got 5000+ hours on this game (rookie number compared to the AFK player, I rarely AFK tho). my main class was valkyrie (nerfed hard, and still badI've been playing this game since 2018. like literally every day. I logged in and do some activities in-game, and decided to retire in early 2020. returned to play the newest class Nova at the end of 2020, and quitting again in early 2021. I got 5000+ hours on this game (rookie number compared to the AFK player, I rarely AFK tho). my main class was valkyrie (nerfed hard, and still bad compared to other classes now), and then Guardian, the last one is Nova just to give you how much I spend my time at the game.

The game itself is good looking and got plenty of things to do. you can literally swap your real life for this game because there is so much you can do, and it requires a lot of your time. Therefore "grindy" is the word for this game. If you played it like the same amount (or more than) I do, investing some of your time might be worth it (?), but if you are new (decided to play in 2021) I can only say that you got a LOT of things to catch up, and the "finish line" will just going to keep getting farther and farther from you (as the game keep getting updated). but if you just want to enjoy the sandbox world, then no review can stop you.

The game's natural progression is based on rng (random number generator) or you can say based on chance (or luck). so the only way to have the best chance is to try more, not try harder. and that is the part where the game isn't fun. imagine doing a workout every day, but your muscle grow based on chance. sometimes your muscle grows for just a one-hour workout, sometimes your muscle didn't grow even though you workout every day for a month straight. Not fair, yeah. But since the game isn't new anymore, you can actually buy "growth" in the in-game market with in-game money (requires you to do more activities tho), so money = time. you can pick which one is your way.

I give a 5/10, because of how old it is. you really need self-motivation on this one, as the multiplayer content isn't that good on this one compared to the other MMORPGs. (only PvP is a good multiplayer content, no dungeon, no roles, no good PvE content). People tend to do solo activities in this MMO. the only motivation you got from others is competing over equipment (who got the highest attack and defense). So yeah, make sure you know what you want to do first.

It's not a bad game, it is well crafted moreover a beautiful game. but the grindiness and the ever-growing "content" (the new content usually just an increased capacity of equipment, so player have the illusions of never reached the finish line), the progression based on luck is enough to tell me not to play again.

at this point, the developer will not be going to give you free endgame gear as it will betray the current player base (not like the other old MMOs which give you endgame characters with more expensive packs or something). so prepare to grind and then face your own luck just to reach the endgame where you can finally catch up and enjoy the game (before another update comes).

P.S. I just want to write this review so I didn't feel like I wasted too much time on this game. 5k hours is 200+ days... I had fun, but that was when the game is still young.… Expand

RoninLTStradale

Apr 26, 2023

5

This game have beautiful landscapes and characters but in other hand the developers change the RNG as they wish, i'm playing this game since 2017 in SA servers and i'm also a developer and with propriety i can tell you one thing about the RNG of this game, they can change as their wish and also change the values to dont let you progress in the game as should be. This game is not fair forThis game have beautiful landscapes and characters but in other hand the developers change the RNG as they wish, i'm playing this game since 2017 in SA servers and i'm also a developer and with propriety i can tell you one thing about the RNG of this game, they can change as their wish and also change the values to dont let you progress in the game as should be. This game is not fair for old players, Pearl Abyss just help the new players that are starting the game or are returning from a long period without playing.

►There's no Great Rewards for players who like PvP Content
►The game is a infinity grind system and also a infinity Life Skill content if you really want make money
►The game needs to have a balance with the all classes in PVE/PVP because theres only few classes that work good in the end of the day.
► Lot of Bugs that needs to be fixed… Expand

ImSoto

Mar 12, 2016

4

Edit; It has come to my attention that both an subreddit called /r/BlackDesertOnline and the Official forums participated in vote brigading(downvote negatives, upvote positives reviews) of Metacritic because people have different opinions then them. The saddest part was that both the moderators of each site allowed this to happen freely and seemed to support this action by not evenEdit; It has come to my attention that both an subreddit called /r/BlackDesertOnline and the Official forums participated in vote brigading(downvote negatives, upvote positives reviews) of Metacritic because people have different opinions then them. The saddest part was that both the moderators of each site allowed this to happen freely and seemed to support this action by not even attempting to do anything to prevent this type of thing.

Also if you noted, it was even encouraged by them to create new accounts just to submit an positive review at the same time so they could get the average user score from 5.1/10. This just goes how immature the majority of the playerbase including lacking common decency.
-------------------

This review is based on me owning the conquers pack and logging 60 hours, having access to CBT1&2 and currently having an level 51 Tamer and an level 46 Archer.

First of all, for anyone giving this game an 10/10 please don't write an review if you're just going to follow along with the flock and try to fit in. I can see other people giving this game an 8.5/10 at best, however this is simply not an 10/10 game. This also apply's to people giving this game an 0/10, lets be honest this game is no way your worst game of the year by any standards.

So down to the review I'll be breaking it into my basic cons and pros to help shorten this list as much as possible.

Pros:
- Graphics (I'd say on-par with Witcher 3 on low, however for an MMORPG is very impressive of itself)
- Combat (Currently one of the best, if not the best combat systems in any MMORPG currently out)
- Theme park sandbox (Plenty of things like fishing,trading,crafting,harvesting,worker management, etc)

Neutral:
- Parkour system (An very shoddy attempt which leaves an bad taste if you've played other great parkour systems done right like Thief, Dying Light, Sleeping Dogs, AC Series, Etc)
- Living World (It's decent, however it requires an high activity of players to feel like its immersive)
- Plot (Great story writing, however the voice acting really ruins what the writers have achieved)
- Customizability (Its locked behind an paywall, sadly to say so most of the time you're going to look just like everyone else, so much for that character creation)

Cons:
- The Community (Read the edit at the top)
- PvP (Mostly dead due to the Karma system and this was expected, yet Daum games chose not to address this issue so most of the great PvP will be happening in GvG and not in the world itself)
- PvE (WAY TOO EASY, from the tutorial mobs at the beginning to the end game mobs there is virtually no difference in difficulty. We're talking about those "epic" boss summons you can do, well the fact is you can do them when you're 15 levels behind and still have an easy time)
- No real type of raids or dungeons (because the only difference between an summoned quest boss and the open world boss for guilds is literally one soaks up way more damage. That's all the challenge)
- General game mechanics (None of them connect into any meaningful systems, which is quite disappointing given how much time must of been put into each of them)
- Daum themselves (After seeing them banning players on forums for pointing out their mistakes and then lying about it (If you're interested I'd suggest googling there's plenty of drama on the subject), enforcing non-existent rules,dropping all communication with the community, etc. It really shows an lack of control or caring about the players in general)
- "P2W" (This is an very hot topic and I define anything P2W that offers anything not obtainable VIA in-game methods EXCEPT for the standard EXP boosting items that help later joiners/less time available players still be able to play reasonably well. However the fact is you have abilities, stats, customizability being locked behind an pay wall which the game itself is B2P is sickening and the defenders of this have some type of Stockholm syndrome from previous games that abused these type of cash grabbing before)

TLDR REVIEW; The game is average, nothing more and nothing less. For $60($30 base and $30 for 3 pets) its really up to you. I'd advise you to get an 7 day guest invite and play it the game until that guest period runs out to decide if you'd play this over other MMORPGs you'd like to try out… Expand

Dragon_Fly

Nov 11, 2016

4

I do not recommend buying this game until the Dev's fairly release the Awakening's for all classes in the game. They like to release them a little by little over time which then creates massively overpowered classes in the game above other classes. This is a big issue in PvP and how PvPer's decide who to fight. Also, they have no system in place to deal with player harassment. There areI do not recommend buying this game until the Dev's fairly release the Awakening's for all classes in the game. They like to release them a little by little over time which then creates massively overpowered classes in the game above other classes. This is a big issue in PvP and how PvPer's decide who to fight. Also, they have no system in place to deal with player harassment. There are too few places to grind out experience and it creates viciously contested areas that leaves no place for a novice or weekend warrior to enjoy the game. For instance, Sausans Garrison is a place for level 54-56's to get experience, but oftentimes, level 58's - 59's will farm there for money; thereby cutting out the opportunity to lower levels to level their characters and improve their gear.

So, if you do not live in your parents basement or have a real life, this game may not be meant for you. If you do have a life and you're not still living with your parents, just don't bother... the amount of time it takes to improve your gear score playing reasonably per day is not sufficient to bother playing or buying the game.… Expand

ChikatiloZ

Jul 9, 2017

4

Combat is great, graphics are good.
The cash shop greed is unreal and the grind is masochism, as in it should be illegal?
So get this, a couple hours in you find out everyone kills monsters while you click R to loot manually most of your time, you literally spend ten times longer looting bodies than you do killing mobs, you spend $40 to buy pets (=autoloot) Then you find out yourCombat is great, graphics are good.
The cash shop greed is unreal and the grind is masochism, as in it should be illegal?

So get this, a couple hours in you find out everyone kills monsters while you click R to loot manually most of your time, you literally spend ten times longer looting bodies than you do killing mobs, you spend $40 to buy pets (=autoloot) Then you find out your character is overweight after about 10-12 minutes of grinding, you spend $50 to increase your weight limit. Rinse and repeat, more annoyances come your way all the time, the game is kinda fun if you have your mastercard ready to go but without it the game is a cringefest. You have to buy this **** for every class you decide to play, dont like your class? Buy everything again, everything.

Then theres upgrading gear, so like, you need shards to have a chance at upgrading gear, nobody sells shards since everyone needs them, you can get them (0.1% chance) by chopping trees and other mundane tasks.

Just to explain how the upgrade system works, I have chopped trees non stop sixteen hours a day from wednesday morning until sundaynight, that got me about sixty shards, I tried upgrading my weapon with those, it downgraded to previous tier and then cost me about 100 million in repairs + 240 million silver in repairs to TRY to get it back to the tier it was at, which never happened.

So I spent literally one week chopping trees, nothing else, just chop trees, I lost a quarter of a billion silver (50 hours of focused grind) my gear is broken and noob tier, that's how the upgrade system works. Buying the gear off marketplace would be a way better option, but you can't do that since nobody in their right mind would go through this hell and then sell it.

Spent a lot of money on the game, all it does is frustrate me, i'm out.… Expand

Vidicus

Jul 23, 2016

4

As a experienced gamer (all the way back to the first video games) I see more and more lazy developers. Black Desert Online is a beautiful game, and it has so many things to do. The problem is none of those things matter. There is no end game in the game except to fight other players. So it is a MMO with no raids and no dungeons. All you do is grind the same spots over and over andAs a experienced gamer (all the way back to the first video games) I see more and more lazy developers. Black Desert Online is a beautiful game, and it has so many things to do. The problem is none of those things matter. There is no end game in the game except to fight other players. So it is a MMO with no raids and no dungeons. All you do is grind the same spots over and over and over while sometimes fighting over those spots with another player. One of the worst MMOs I have played and one of the most beautiful.… Expand

Megalon

Apr 14, 2016

4

I have played the game for 500 hours now. I am not sure how i feel about it exactly so I used a random number generator to generate a random number between 1 and 10. The rng said 4 so the game gets a 4/10.

Dragonfire14

Mar 8, 2016

4

PROS:
- Unique character creation
- Multiple character slots - Interesting trade route system - One time purchase CONS: - The UI is confusing and all over the place - Combat keys are random, for example to do a skill you may have to press a combination of keys such as "S, SHIFT, left click). Acts more like a fighting game. - Quest trails don't lead to the next objective forPROS:
- Unique character creation
- Multiple character slots
- Interesting trade route system
- One time purchase

CONS:

- The UI is confusing and all over the place
- Combat keys are random, for example to do a skill you may have to press a combination of keys such as "S, SHIFT, left click). Acts more like a fighting game.
- Quest trails don't lead to the next objective for some quests
- Boring dialog
- Bad english voice overs
- Male characters limited to one class (unless you want to be old or a giant)
- Energy system that limits your gameplay
- Energy is used on almost everything. From Gathering to talking to some npcs
- Game feels like an alpha
- characters sometime appear as default class looks
- feels unpolished
- Game mechanics are not explained (or not explained early enough)
- classes are gender locked
- First boss is a massive increase in difficulty compared to all the enemies you fight before hand
- Many free to play systems in play
- boring quests
- random arrows that point to nothing… Expand

Jaliver

Apr 11, 2016

4

Black Desert Online is one of those MMOs that either makes it or breaks it for gamers, unfortunately for myself, BDO broke it for me. My review will be as unbiased as possible and only discuss the details.

Pros: 1. Amazing life-like character generator, although I wish you weren't bound to a set appearance by class, BDO provides one of the best character generator systems in the MMOBlack Desert Online is one of those MMOs that either makes it or breaks it for gamers, unfortunately for myself, BDO broke it for me. My review will be as unbiased as possible and only discuss the details.

Pros:
1. Amazing life-like character generator, although I wish you weren't bound to a set appearance by class, BDO provides one of the best character generator systems in the MMO market, I've spent more time creating characters on BDO than any mmo before due to how in depth it is.

2. The game has some realistic traits, due to fast travel not really being a thing, you have to explore the entire map yourself, this may seem tiresome to many but to myself, there is nothing more enjoyable than traveling around a diverse fantasy world rich in graphics and exploration.

3. Combat in BDO doesn't really go stale, due to many different classes and possibilities in pvp matchups, no fight in BDO is similar to the next unless of course you literally play all day fighting everyone. Even PVE by yourself isn't too bad as BDO isn't a point and click mmo you need to actually fight tough enemies intelligently.

Cons:

1. Money Sink, this game is terribly corrupt, for a game that stands strongly with character creation, you'd think there would be more diverse options in what kinds of clothes you wish to wear. Unless you're really balling out of control in life, you'll find it kind of ridiculous to pay 30 dollars for an outfit in game when the game itself cost you 25 dollars. This game has a Free to play model which for a game you have to purchase is pretty ridiculous.

2. The energy system, energy works exactly like a mobile game function for your phone. Basically in a mobile game you may be given a token that recharges in 6 hours or something after using one and with those tokens you can do various actions and that sadly is exactly how the energy system works.

3. Very antisocial MMO. BDO has one of the most competitive communities in existence for an MMO and its not good. The game itself doesn't encourage players to talk to each other but instead encourages competition among each other and because of this most players will never be able to play with older players on the game. Everyone keeps trying to climb and climb the competitive ranks on the game so for every day you're not playing BDO other people are and they are passing you. This means you will not be able to get into most guilds, play with your friends who started the game earlier or later than you etc.… Expand

KrytyNiekrytyk

Mar 9, 2016

4

Pros:
- great graphics
- great character creator - sandbox Cons: - boring (go to place B from place A and kill everyone, do the same from B to C etc). - no equipment system (you will look the same from lvl 1 to lvl 50, or you can pay 30 euro for some epic outfit) - hud - no tutorials - combat system has too many keyboard shortcuts, so you can be pro player if you will just hitPros:
- great graphics
- great character creator
- sandbox
Cons:
- boring (go to place B from place A and kill everyone, do the same from B to C etc).
- no equipment system (you will look the same from lvl 1 to lvl 50, or you can pay 30 euro for some epic outfit)
- hud
- no tutorials
- combat system has too many keyboard shortcuts, so you can be pro player if you will just hit keyboard with your head.

So:
Wait for f2p or for equipment system patch, and this will be quite better (like 6/10).… Expand

Sajonara84

Mar 7, 2016

4

ignore 10/10 and 0-1/10 reviews, those are clearly paid reviewers....
As i predicted this is just another overhyped asian grindfest with nice graphics and combat mechanics.
Everything else is just mediocore at most with terible UI/Story/PvE/fetch quests
If u like endless grinding and u are fan of echii thats game for you, otherwise stay away from this...

pythag0ras

Apr 7, 2016

4

Not even sure where to begin with how bad this game is. I think people are starved for mmos so they are willing to put up with all kinds of stuff in a game and still give it good ratings. first of all , any 10 is automatically disregarded and down voted as nothing can be a 10. Nothing. So that makes you a fanboy or an employee if you voted 10. NOW that that's established, on to the game...Not even sure where to begin with how bad this game is. I think people are starved for mmos so they are willing to put up with all kinds of stuff in a game and still give it good ratings. first of all , any 10 is automatically disregarded and down voted as nothing can be a 10. Nothing. So that makes you a fanboy or an employee if you voted 10. NOW that that's established, on to the game...

-open pvp

I could stop at that but ill go on.

-ridiculous learning curve
-takes forever to do anything
-everything costs points! you cant just go gathering for a while , unless youve saved up pts from waiting...
-tons of wait mechanics
-progression was much too slow for me , not trying to marry a game ... felt more like a job lol

a 4 from me. Im just not as starved for an mmo as some of these reviewers.… Expand

snooze4321

Mar 4, 2016

4

Black Desert Online is enjoyable if you like pvp or running goods between cities for profit. But the games pros are outweighed by its cons.

Pros: - An amazing parkour system where you can climb over any wall and onto roofs etc. - The game looks great and has good optimization - The autorun feature means you can set a destination to a quest or location and just hit your run key - TheBlack Desert Online is enjoyable if you like pvp or running goods between cities for profit. But the games pros are outweighed by its cons.

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

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

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

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