Black Desert Online

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

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1667 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,021 out of 1667
  2. Mixed: 105 out of 1667
  3. Negative: 541 out of 1667

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  1. 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, going    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, 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
  2. lmaocetong
    Jul 8, 2020
    10
    The best MMORPG ever. You can do anything you want, there is a lot of content that can keep you for years. Really recommend!
  3. 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.
  4. Thebreaker
    May 3, 2017
    10
    One of the most beautiful and immersive mmo I have played in ages, once you get into the game there is no turning back, every other mmo will look lifeless and boring, the detail and the combat system is so fantastic it blows every other mmo out of the water, the amount of content you can do from fishing to crafting to horse training is endless
  5. MrEndorphino
    Jul 22, 2016
    10
    A lot of lore, great crafting system, insane amount of possible actions (horse taming and breeding, teaming up with other players for bosses or blue whale hunt, wide range of harvesting, hunting, mining, cooking and so on and on, I could write it out for hours.

    Game is grindy and quite RNG based, some ppl like it, some ppl dont. Its focused around earning and upgrading your gear. Its    A lot of lore, great crafting system, insane amount of possible actions (horse taming and breeding, teaming up with other players for bosses or blue whale hunt, wide range of harvesting, hunting, mining, cooking and so on and on, I could write it out for hours.

    Game is grindy and quite RNG based, some ppl like it, some ppl dont. Its focused around earning and upgrading your gear.

    Its quite complicated, most of those 0 reviewes probably didnt even bother to get grasp of mechanics or are just simply EOS and WoW fanboys trying to cut down rating. Shame on them    … Expand
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Dragco
    Sep 14, 2016
    10
    This game has it all that i expect from a MMORPG ... crazy good combat , nice skill system , grind thats fun, RNG , no lvl cap , crazy amount of stuff to do , massive world , crafting , breeding , pets do more then just fallow you , siege battles , guild battles , guilds control cities and points on map , you can own your own boat , mount, wagon and so many many more....
  9. hotbox
    May 3, 2016
    10
    visually amazing and love the combat system

    i dont get all the low scores probably just haters who never played

    this game offers so many things to do

    one thing i dont like is i think open world pvp shouldnt have such harsh penalties so more people will fight in the open
  10. Yobukank
    Jun 1, 2016
    10
    Only mmorpg that managed to suck me in after early wow. Economy- growth mechanics are very sophisticated.Yes it can get hardcore and unfair, but drama gives a life vibe to this game that all mmos miss today.Developers are dedicated and very active on content updates.Its needs some polish and my rating would have been 9/10 if not of the 0/10 unjustified haters.
    TLDR Worth every cent,after    Only mmorpg that managed to suck me in after early wow. Economy- growth mechanics are very sophisticated.Yes it can get hardcore and unfair, but drama gives a life vibe to this game that all mmos miss today.Developers are dedicated and very active on content updates.Its needs some polish and my rating would have been 9/10 if not of the 0/10 unjustified haters.
    TLDR Worth every cent,after ages finally an mmo worth my time.    … Expand
  11. 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!
  12. Hykaro
    Feb 14, 2017
    10
    After playing Legion i went back to BDO way less P2W
    You cant buy In-game Money like in WoW and way less depending RNG like Legendary system in WoW.
    After all in 2017 BDO is more generous than ever i have a blast atm.
    BDO rocks
  13. CastellanoMeg
    May 13, 2017
    10
    One of the hardest and most beautiful MMO today.
    The game gives you the opportunity to choose between PvE, which is not only grinding, also LIFEstyle, and PVP.
    Many Events.
    Many free Stuff.
    Economics are just perfect in game.
  14. 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
  15. 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 of    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 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
  16. 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 go    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 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
  17. mrtgltkn123
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    This game is the best MMORPG game u can find in the 2018 and probably has the best pvp mechanics in all games that I played.You can grind (farm) for as much as you want and improve your character's gear and beat other players or if you like doing lifeskills you have so much options.And you can choose the character u want beetwen 12 characters and try all of them.Popularity of the game is amazing
  18. Peckinpah
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    I am very successful and satisfying.
    I'm waiting for attachments
    I am very excited because the game is incredible.
  19. Unalersoy
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    This game is one of the best mmorpg . Huge world map, great graphics ,fluent story.. I love it
  20. Slappydash
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    Very successfull game in my opinion.
    I had a lot of prejudices about this game but when I played this game
    I'm now addicted to the game
  21. Aycan
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    Gerçtekn mükemmel bi oyun yeni sınıfların gelecek olması da mükemmel.
  22. 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
  23. blabla35
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    This game is so satisfying me up. Im happy to see this game being such a popular. I hope its gonna be more popular
  24. Uko
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    Different area , good npc and graphics.. Community is kind , servers hot i like it
  25. baran1000
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    İnanılmaz bir oyun deneyimi yaşatıyor insana kendinizi kaptırıp gidiyorsunuz saatlerin geçtiğini farketmeden herkesin oynamasını tavsiye ediyorum
  26. Nitrex
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    Thank you very much for making a game on the podium I expect. I think they made the best game from their hands. I see it as a project thought out to the very finest detail. Thanks to everyone who has passed the test.
  27. mitra
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    The game is very nice. Much better than other games. It turned out better than I expected. I recommend everyone, thank you.
  28. Skywolfx
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    The best game i have played till the now!!!!
    To be honest in this game's life skills, horse training and all the crafts thanks to i can't stop playing this game.
    The game has a great story and gameplay.
  29. rwegeti
    Apr 28, 2018
    10
    ı love that game i absolutely recommend its perfect. i was thinking it was a bad game but its not really.
  30. 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 de    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 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
  31. jarjar3135
    Apr 30, 2018
    10
    One of the hardest and most beautiful MMO today.
    The game gives you the opportunity to choose between PvE, which is not only grinding, also LIFEstyle, and PVP.
    Many Events.
    Many free Stuff.
    Economics are just perfect in game.
  32. MobileMMOS
    Jun 4, 2018
    10
    I give it a 10/10. I've played wow for years and this stomps wow. I love the beautiful graphics, the sandbox feel, and even the small details of the way my horse turns when I move. It's very realistic and even though there's not a lot in the way of raiding, there's so much to do. I recommend that you try this game today!
  33. 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.
  34. 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.
  35. 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.
  36. kezzyhko
    Aug 30, 2020
    5
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  37. Rick2wise
    Oct 31, 2020
    10
    This is the first time I have ever enjoyed a game so much I felt I had to give it a really positive review. If you are looking for a MMORPG to grind away the hours this is for you. The crafting, gearing, combat all have the depth to keep you busy and more importantly is fun! Be warned though you need to give this game time as it can be overwhelming at first. It also does not "hold yourThis is the first time I have ever enjoyed a game so much I felt I had to give it a really positive review. If you are looking for a MMORPG to grind away the hours this is for you. The crafting, gearing, combat all have the depth to keep you busy and more importantly is fun! Be warned though you need to give this game time as it can be overwhelming at first. It also does not "hold your hand" as much as is now normal in the genre. I think this is a good thing but others may not agree. Be prepared to read a lot of in-game information as well as look at online resources. People say this game is "Pay to win" which I think is unfair. Games need to make a profit or they won't continue to exist. I think there is very little you can not accomplish with enough play time. You can buy items to speed up the process or as one You tuber put it "pay for convenience". Give it a try!… Expand
  38. JesterX
    Dec 29, 2022
    10
    Es un excelente juego. Los que le dieron mala racha es porque son unos nenes que no saben jugar.
  39. 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.
  40. 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
  41. 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 feet    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 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
  42. 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 there    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 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
  43. 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
  44. 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.
  45. Pukiru
    Feb 14, 2022
    10
    I've been playing this game for a little over a year and I can confidently say that this is the best game for me. I am a PVE player and PVP is not very important to me, for me there is a lot of content in this game and I do not get bored in it.
  46. 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
  47. 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.
  48. 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
  49. 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
  50. JackPlack
    Mar 17, 2022
    3
    Beauty graphics, one of the best fighting combos, 10x better than Elden Ring but:
    - boring, and too easy at beginning.
    - story - bad
    - too much pay to gear or furniture currencies
  51. 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.
  52. 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 compared    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 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
  53. Dartza
    Aug 1, 2023
    4
    I have probably put about 5,000 hours into BDO. The problem is that about 4,000 of those hours were me leaving my computer on overnight and while I was at work, fishing or doing some other AFK activity. The combat is either a grind when you are trying to get .01% exp per hour at higher levels or it is getting one-shotted by a witch in pvp. There is amazing value in this game if you don'tI have probably put about 5,000 hours into BDO. The problem is that about 4,000 of those hours were me leaving my computer on overnight and while I was at work, fishing or doing some other AFK activity. The combat is either a grind when you are trying to get .01% exp per hour at higher levels or it is getting one-shotted by a witch in pvp. There is amazing value in this game if you don't value your time.… Expand
  54. 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 also    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 also way too many items, these two things lead to a very confusing new player experience.    … Expand
  55. Akc1um
    Jul 31, 2023
    0
    Unfortunately, the planned updates completely ruin the PvP system in the game. The goal of the game is character development, but sieges with restricted parameters and planned patches completely destroy the fragile meaning that was still present in this game. The game will turn into Genshin Impact and lose half of its player base within six months. It's very unfortunate.
  56. 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
  57. juan873
    Aug 21, 2023
    10
    Como MMO es el mejor que hay actualmente y que ha habido nunca... dudo que se encuentre un sucesor mejor
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    Jan 1, 2018
    80
    With it's massive and unique open world, Black Desert Online is inviting you to a great adventure.
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  2. Digital Chumps
    Jul 27, 2017
    50
    Overall, Black Desert Online is a typical MMO in every single way. While I disagree with their claim that it’s the “next generation” of MMOs, I did find the character creation to be the most robust of any MMO out there. Unfortunately, the character customization is the game’s biggest highlight, and many of the other elements of Black Desert Online can be found in many other MMOs.
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  3. The Overpowered Noobs
    Jun 11, 2017
    70
    Black Desert Online comes to the table with an intricate character sculpting tool, gorgeous graphical presentation, and a nuanced, exciting combat system overlying a less immediately apparent, but very unique, sandbox-style resource management simulation. Those looking for a rich narrative, complex or groundbreaking PvE questing, or highly unique monster design may be disappointed, but those seeking a mechanically rich, visually striking MMO will find themselves at home.
    Read full review
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