Mabinogi

 PC
  • Publisher: Nexon
  • Release Date: Mar 1, 2008
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 33
  3. Negative: 8 out of 33

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  1. jaga420
    Apr 21, 2011
    5
    Now, it's been a while since I've played so I can't give a fair score; hence the middle score. However, free to play games generally don't change much over the years.
    The game had its charms. I loved how you could create music and play it in front of crowds. The player character system was definitely interesting; over the time you play your character gradually gets older (you can get a    Now, it's been a while since I've played so I can't give a fair score; hence the middle score. However, free to play games generally don't change much over the years.
    The game had its charms. I loved how you could create music and play it in front of crowds. The player character system was definitely interesting; over the time you play your character gradually gets older (you can get a rebirth so you have the same skills but are younger, but that costs irl cash). Your skills are different too, you use them often in order to level them up instead of buying skills or something similar. I loved the graphics, I'm not one for "realistic" graphics because realism is something impossible to attain for gameplay graphics. So, I generally like more cartoonish graphics better because they can turn out exactly how the designers intended them to.
    Now for the bad side: the combat system was terrible. When every action, even defending yourself or attacking, has a cast time bar, you know something is wrong. I'm not saying it's unmanageable or impossible to get used to, but it's generally a bad idea. I'd rather have turn-based or active battles. Hell, even the ATB system from Final Fantasy is better.
    Keep in mind, I haven't played in a year or two, so I don't know if they've fixed the combat system or not. But hey, there's my thoughts on the game.    … Expand
  2. ZanathKariashi
    Apr 6, 2015
    8
    (2015)
    Pretty much every prior review is no longer relevant as nearly every issue people have had with the game has been fixed or at least addressed.
    WASD controls were added (though click controls are still the primary method of control). The dynamic combat update made nearly every skill (excluding magic and alchemy, where loading times made sense) in the game instant-loading,    (2015)
    Pretty much every prior review is no longer relevant as nearly every issue people have had with the game has been fixed or at least addressed.

    WASD controls were added (though click controls are still the primary method of control).

    The dynamic combat update made nearly every skill (excluding magic and alchemy, where loading times made sense) in the game instant-loading, speeding up combat (pets were unaffected by this change, so you want to see what the old system looked like, just try playing as your horse or eagle) as well as greatly reducing the effect lag had on combat, while still retaining the tactical elements of battle that Mabi is known for, just upping the pace a little. (there is some current imbalances with the newer combat skills being OP, however a comprehensive adjustment is in the works in Korea and we should start getting it pretty soon)

    About the only remaining one is due to the age of the game's engine, and even that has been getting some work with more to come with new changes to source client in Korea.

    The game is now a perfect example of how to do Free to play right.....though the fact it took Nexon nearly 7 years to get this point (most of the changes of which only started happening en mass in the last 2 years) is still reason enough to be wary of their other products they have a hand in (or soon will, in the case of Peria Chronicles).

    Free players now have basically the entire game open to them these days, with premium or VIP not even being worth the money because of just how little you get for your money's worth compared to just playing free.

    Up to 8 free character cards (slots) (6 by default and 2 more can be earned in game by taking a human to talk to the elf and giant leaders and joining their side, quitting after 24 hours and joining the other), 2 free pets (a ground mount and flying mount), and each character can also earn another free pet during one of the Generation quests for a total of 10 free pets without paying for extra character slots.

    Beginner benefits have also been extended until a character on the account reaches level 1000, allowing you to reset all your skills back to rank F to recover the AP spent and try different builds. Free recovery items daily (20 each of Beginner 30 stam/HP/Mana potions, and 3 Nao soul stones). Not only that daily quests (per character) have been added that can be used to earn additional AP or adventurer seals which can be turned in for a lot of neat items (one of the most notable being skill exp seals (only available on Saturdays) which can be used to help train previously very grindy skills, like CP-dependant skills or production professions).

    Events (there's usually at least 1 going on at any given time, usually 2-3 overlapping) also have no restrictions for free players, and can often have a myriad of useful perks, such as bags, pets, special items, ap potions, or special abilities/actions/emotes.

    Usage of bags is free, as is opening player shops, and transferring items between characters via the bank tabs. All the generation content is free. Spirit weapons are free. Rebirths are completely free (purchased character cards are now only used to making new characters once you've run out of free cards).

    At this point you're basically paying for extra pets (optional but nice to have), extra appearance customizations, or a few quality of life items (the VIP players also get an extra inventory tab over mere premium players). Or the ability to rent a house (which unlocks the ability to sell items even when offline. The normal player shops require you be online).

    Or use farmland...which is completely useless. Since it's original purpose was allowing free players to make money since they couldn't open shops, but was rife with bots. Now that it's a premium feature, it's almost never used period, since it's a lot of work over the course of a real week, but gives less profit then you can make in a few minutes of opening up a shop and selling a single stack of holy water.

    A lot of the earlier translation errors have been fixed, and a lot of the time sink quests have been tweaked to remove completely or at least greatly lessen any grinding previously required or long periods of waiting (some of the quests used to require real DAYS before the next quest would come, which is now reduced to around 5-10 minutes). However...this does run the risk of players being thrown into content that is fairly difficult within less then an hour of starting the game, where as before, you'd have at least had a few days to mess around learn the game before getting to those quests).

    It's a pretty solid game these days....still a lot of room for improvement, but very much worth playing if a fantasy style sandbox is your thing.    … Expand
  3. Twiggly
    Oct 11, 2013
    9
    (2013)
    Mabinogi is a game that i always find myself going back to. It is a game with a small community that is active and helpful, there are many updates and events. I have seen how the game has changed, it is now unnecessary to pay to play the game anymore, you get free pets and you do not have to sell nx items to earn money. Events can bring you rare items.
    Mabninogi is not a game    (2013)
    Mabinogi is a game that i always find myself going back to. It is a game with a small community that is active and helpful, there are many updates and events. I have seen how the game has changed, it is now unnecessary to pay to play the game anymore, you get free pets and you do not have to sell nx items to earn money. Events can bring you rare items.
    Mabninogi is not a game where you grind and play 24/7, its a casual game that allows you to relax yet there are tense moments when fighting bosses. It encourages you to find friends to help you and do dungeons.The game is not based on combat, it is a mix of life, music, magic and combat. This allows players to have a wide range of choice to choose from. It is not a fast paced game but more of a tactical gameplay, the player has to choose the right skill or he/she could end up dying or losing a valuable item.

    Mabinogi has many features and areas to explore, from deserts to ice lands, from towering cities to rural villages. Mabinogi is a game with constant new features that makes the game interesting. The graphics are not the best and is fairly outdated, but it is still decent and different. There are lag issues that makes combat buggy and cause deaths.
    Mabinogi is a game i would recommend to people that are casual gamers and want something new, it takes time to settle in the game for there are so many things to try out that take time to learn. I love it, and that is why i still play it.    … Expand
  4. TurnerS.
    Jun 26, 2009
    9
    A excellent game that is constantly improving, likely worth a perfect 10 once NA catches up with the Korean version of the game.
  5. Saiyankron
    Dec 10, 2014
    0
    I'm damn near tempted to uninstall it...I get that maintenance has to be done once in a while but this thing is CONSTANTLY having connection problems and other tech issues...It frequently crashes, it frequently generates error messages...and too many connectivity issues. Out of AT LEAST 50 attempts to play, I've only managed to get it to work a total of 5 times...and that was 50 tries perI'm damn near tempted to uninstall it...I get that maintenance has to be done once in a while but this thing is CONSTANTLY having connection problems and other tech issues...It frequently crashes, it frequently generates error messages...and too many connectivity issues. Out of AT LEAST 50 attempts to play, I've only managed to get it to work a total of 5 times...and that was 50 tries per session.

    I was going to come on here and say if you haven't played it yet, I recommend it...but now I'm not so sure. The only thing I can tell you is that it is a pretty decent MMORPG...but that is if, and I do mean a BIG IF...you can ever get it to work.

    So, my recommendation is...if you download this game, and you can hardly get it to work...don't waste your time...uninstall it and delete it...because that's what I'm going to do if I can't get it to work in the next few days.

    And don't bother trying to contact support either...they're constantly down too.

    It's a good thing I don't have a PREMIUM account or otherwise sank money into this, because I'd be a HELLUVA lot hotter about it than I already am.

    So, if you have this game and don't have the issues I do, good for you...enjoy.

    If you experience what I did, however...well...let's just say you have been warned.    … Expand
  6. Guardwill
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    This game is one that is you do not like anime your not going to like the look of the game. Some do not know how to even play the game. That's ok since other players always help them. The players on this game are a lot nicer than most of the Free MMOs that you will find online. Yes yo can spend money on in-game Items but that's what makes it free. Without some way to make money you wouldThis game is one that is you do not like anime your not going to like the look of the game. Some do not know how to even play the game. That's ok since other players always help them. The players on this game are a lot nicer than most of the Free MMOs that you will find online. Yes yo can spend money on in-game Items but that's what makes it free. Without some way to make money you would all have to pay to play the game. Also if you still do not want to play you could use the free offer system to earn free NX points and get what you want.… Expand
  7. JS
    Oct 20, 2009
    4
    Definitely NOT worth a ten. Even though it is "free to play", expect to move at a snails pace if you do not pump money into the game. The majority of players I know spend more than $15 dollars a month on this game, and that's as much you pay for WoW. Positives: "Social Game" (as social as a bunch of anime kids can get ie if you are obsessed with Link/Naruto/Bleach/Roleplaying, Definitely NOT worth a ten. Even though it is "free to play", expect to move at a snails pace if you do not pump money into the game. The majority of players I know spend more than $15 dollars a month on this game, and that's as much you pay for WoW. Positives: "Social Game" (as social as a bunch of anime kids can get ie if you are obsessed with Link/Naruto/Bleach/Roleplaying, you're golden) Many Skills: But its either master a few slowly or master a lot very, very, very slowly. And some are worthless/flat out unprofitable for the first 10 levels (and some even after that). Events: This game does have events constantly, and event items bring a pretty penny or make you popular for a while, if you would rather have popularity than money. Negatives: AP: Free players will never get enough. Heck, playing players will never get enough. Skill Leveling: Ex. Rank C (low rank) Potion Making: Make potion with gold herb-doing this 200 times will only get you 60% towards next level. Then you have to make 700 more potions to level up. And thats making each ONE at a time, and with around a 40% fail rate. :( Company:Very immature player base, will roleplay out loud, will spam inappropriate things through chat (mainly stupid crap) and will be all around unpleasant. Very much a pre-teen player base. "Free to Play": If you plan to play this and pay nothing, expect many, many, MANY hours of grinding, weeks of waiting, and having any friends who pay to inadvertently leave you in the dust. Also, herbalism will require you to at least get to know somebody w/ money that has bought a herb pig. And this is all coming from a free player who has been playing since the NA release, and has reach at least rank A in every skill, save a few magic ones. Multiple characters, mind you.… Expand
  8. MMO_Critic
    Jun 16, 2013
    0
    A slowly dieing, sandbox free-to-play MMO. It had potential at its release but evolved into a moneysqueezing online Birdcage. Unless you spend 15 dollars a month, you wont have even half the benefits. It is crowded with the same people that have been playing this game since the start. Everyone, who still had a clear mind, stopped playing it a long time ago.
    Nexon keeps recycling the same    A slowly dieing, sandbox free-to-play MMO. It had potential at its release but evolved into a moneysqueezing online Birdcage. Unless you spend 15 dollars a month, you wont have even half the benefits. It is crowded with the same people that have been playing this game since the start. Everyone, who still had a clear mind, stopped playing it a long time ago.
    Nexon keeps recycling the same events and squeezing out the last dime of the players. Do not touch it as a new player.    … Expand
  9. Herkras
    Apr 17, 2017
    6
    I recently gave this game another try and I've got to say that it's okay.

    It's aged. It looks and it feels that way. But it's still fun -like always- with friends. PvP is still broken and it goes this way: Do you have a ranged weapon? Then you're sure to win! To put an example of this, my newborn character was able to slap the **** out of my veteran friend mainly because I had range    I recently gave this game another try and I've got to say that it's okay.

    It's aged. It looks and it feels that way. But it's still fun -like always- with friends.

    PvP is still broken and it goes this way: Do you have a ranged weapon? Then you're sure to win! To put an example of this, my newborn character was able to slap the **** out of my veteran friend mainly because I had range and that the gunslinger had skills to re-take its distance. So I won, even against his fancy shmancy transformations.

    The levels are meaningless though. What it really matters is how high you upgrade your skills - Which you have to level up by use, then spending some Ability points to up them. And repeat.
    The game itself aknowledges the long-tedious grinding process of leveing up to a proper 1000 out of... 7000? levels so beginners have big big bonus in experience.

    Good thing is your character not being forever-bound to a class (or talent). It gives you that 'freedom'. But after you check all the skills you'll see why though. Some are so lackluster that binding a character only to them would be boring, like the Lancer, which only has 3-4 skills of its own aside from the basic set of skills.

    The world is big, but dead. There's no real reason to explore the thing aside from cities and dungeons. This is because there's this 'fast-travel-portals'. Self explainatory.

    I dont think I ever got to read the scaling of skills in-game. For that I had to check the wiki and discover that I was building wrong. This may be salt from me, but I usually like to know how things work in-game and then use the internet as a support-guide. Because of this my first character (a gunslinger) ended up doing tickles for damage and over-powered by the rest of the rest of my party. Then I was told the gunslinger was "And end-game character" And while yes, I won against my friend this was because of its 'Ultimate ability' which is like a +X damage to your basic attacks. But it has a duration of 15 seconds tops with a 400 seconds CD.

    There's plenty of events for you to have fun though! And those usually give good cosmetics and different kinds of weapons.

    Personal notes:
    Im a big big fan of nice stories and Mabinogi's story is just meh. It doesnt help that the 'in-game cinematics' are as expressive as a potato. So you'll have your happy-looking character smiling at some giant boss so... Yes. Kind of immersion breaking. That and that I couldn't really get to 'feel' a character. I ended up just shrugging and clicking to skip the dialogs all together. And the "Oh its beacuse its old" is bull****. There's a 'movie-mode' in which you can make your own shorts with the in-game assets. If the community can do it so the devs. - But this is me asking for a better delivery in the story.
    There were several times in which our party would have to sweep a city-sized area to find the last spawn of enemies so we could get to the bossfight. Frustrating as the game does not tell, show nor hint the location. And in these city-sized map-dungeon-quests you're not allowed to use flying pets. Which are perfect to do the thing. So you're forced to do it by foot or ground-mounts.
    Remember how I said the world was massive but dead? Well the most fun I had with the game was going merchant with a friend. We bought some random goods from NPC merchants and we were forced to go walking to the cities to sell them. Why was it so fun? For one he's the kind of person who you want if you want to laugh to the simplest of things, second we got to really appreciate the world and to be careful in which areas we went. Third we had a GOAL, an actual goal, along side with dangers of NPC bandits that would grow stronger after every encounter or how much we were carrying. And to have some level of interaction with strangers either by fooling around or just asking directions or stuff. - That's another point. People either ignore you completely or help you suddendly. Mostly the first one. But there's always that good soul~

    All in all. I could consider this as an Anime Mary-Sue life-simulator. It's not entirely bad but is not that good either. Or at least not for me as I'm not really an anime-boot-licker. So yes. While there's a good ammount of things fixed. The thing still kind of meh.    … Expand
  10. onehitok
    Jun 24, 2022
    2
    Two words: 1. Repetitive. 2. Grinding.

    Backed by absolute **** slot machine mechanic and outdated content.

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. PC Gamer
    73
    Mabinogi offers a lot of engaging play for a free game, but you'll quickly wish that its "free" price tag included WASD controls. [Aug 2008, p.74]
  2. GameZone
    70
    Mabinogi is a great MMO for gamers who aren't looking to grind levels or raid 20 man dungeons for epic loots, but rather enjoy a colorful, online world that gives the player a sense of freedom when it comes to developing their character.
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