Characters

The game starts off with a short segment that has you try each of the basic character classes. The classes have some staples, like a magic-user and swordsman, but also some fun takes on pet classes with the Marionette and Scytheguard specializations for Puppeteer. There are some customizations available, but the classes are gender-locked. This is certainly disappointing, but pretty common for games developed in, and for, Asian audiences. Nuverse Games is based in Hong Kong. Gender-locking aside, the classes feel unique from each other and have a real class presence. The basic classes all have evolution options at level 15. I picked Magister, which is the magic-user.

The Magister can choose Elementalist, Warlock, or Magician at level 15 and you can try out each specialization. These all played very different and while the Warlock's ultimate looked awesome and the Magician had flash, the Elementalist, a simple glass cannon, was more my style.

Gameplay

First things first: This is an ARPG and, honestly, the combat is fun. There are limited abilities (it is a mobile game), but they have character (at least on Magister) and don't just feel like spamming magic missle in different colors. The dodging requires timing, but isn't super-punishing (at least not for the early leveling experience). The mobs are trivial and lack any real tactics, but the boss fights require at least one eye open. Movement feels smooth, but some of the mechanics are tougher on a touchscreen; that's just how it is.

Crystal of Atlan is heavily instnaced and is more of a hub/lobby game than a traditional MMO. This isn't a deal-breaker for me, but I definitely prefer open-world to hub/lobby. The instances do have hidden chests, so it's not all bad.

World

The aesthetic feels close to what the game describes itself as: Magic Punk. It feels like a magic-esque steam punk world, although that's really just magic in a pseudo-victorian-themed universe. I really like this style so it works for me. The actual story is less clear. You play as a new adventurer to the guild and you're trying to earn credibility. There's some magic crystl (the Crystal of Atlan) that apparently destroyed the previous civilization and looks to be resurfacing. That's bad, I guess.

The questing is basic, but enjoyable enough. There are cutscenes and some quest dialogue is voiced, which brings the world alive. At least one of the early quests had a solid emotional component and that was greatly appreciated.

Gacha

I'm stil early on, but the gacha component looks like it's specific to cosmetic items, like pets and costumes. Expecting a mobile game to not have gacha elements is silly, so I'm not offended. As long as they don't hold back my progress or make the game unfun, I'm quite happy to not spend money and just enjoy the free stuff. If the games makes it so you have to do gacha to progress, I'm out (looking at you, Tower of Fantasy).

The Verdict

Will I keep playing? Yes, for sure. It has simple enough gameplay and is fine for hopping in for 15-20 minutes on my phone. The fact that I can do longer stints on my PC with the same characters is awesome. Cross-play is one of the best things to come from the invention of smart phones. If you like ARPGs and the aesthetic sounds right (and don't mind supporting ByteDance), it's definitely worth checkint out.

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