Regardless of it being a sport I spent a comparatively small period of time in, by no means even reaching degree cap, I’ve all the time had a little bit of a gentle spot for Aion. Partly it’s as a result of it’s one of many first non-WoW MMOs I attempted, nevertheless it’s greater than that.
As its sequel approaches, I discover myself growing a cautious however rising optimism for its sequel. If Aion 2 can replicate the strengths of its predecessor whereas avoiding its pitfalls, we might have a very particular sport on our fingers.
To grasp why I’m hopeful about Aion 2, you first should perceive what I appreciated about Aion. What I keep in mind most was that Aion had one of many extra distinctive settings I’ve seen in an MMO, particularly a Korean MMO.
One of many largest causes I are inclined to bounce off most Korean MMORPGs is that they virtually all the time appear to observe probably the most bog-standard fantasy tropes in relation to their world-building and artwork design. Not so with Aion, which had an uncommon degree of thought put into its setting.
Aion‘s world of Atreia is a “hole earth” fashion setting the place the inhabitants primarily dwell on the within surfaces of a hole sphere. The northern and southern hemispheres have been as soon as related by the Tower of Eternity, house to the setting’s supreme god, however when it was destroyed by the monstrous Balaur, the planet was shattered into two halves, every with its personal individuals: the Elyos of the brightly lit and bountiful south, and the Asmodians of the darkish and chilly north.
I used to be an Asmodian loyalist after I performed, and I used to be impressed by the nuanced writing of their faction. They’re clearly a really harsh society with a really corrupt ruling class, nevertheless it’s equally clear that they’re nonetheless human, with the typical people being as able to kindness and decency as anybody else. Low key top-of-the-line implementations of an “evil” faction I’ve seen in an MMO.
The alien feeling of this setting was bolstered by its artwork design, with the zones having a vibrant and dreamlike aesthetic that felt subtly however meaningfully completely different from the fantasy worlds seen in different video games.
The draw back was that each one that backstory was hardly ever related whereas taking part in, and most quests nonetheless boiled right down to primary kill ten rats tropes, however the potential for brilliance was all the time lurking there below the floor.
My largest hope for Aion 2 is that extra trendy quest design and story-telling instruments will permit it to do higher justice to the distinctiveness of the setting. Realistically, NCsoft in all probability gained’t give the story fairly the extent of consideration I need (few MMOs deal with story to the extent I want), however any enhancements on that entrance might be welcome, and the current alpha of Vindictus: Defying Destiny raised the bar for my expectations of story in a Korean sport, so that you by no means know.
I’m heartened that early previews are already exhibiting that Aion 2 is preserving a number of the surreal visible design that made the unique so particular. This isn’t simply one other generic Western Europe-inspired fantasy setting.
One other factor I loved in regards to the authentic Aion was the fight. It’s not that spectacular by in the present day’s requirements, however when it launched, its luxurious VFX and sound design coupled with a enjoyable combo system made it really feel like an actual reduce above different tab goal video games of the period. We all know that Aion 2 goes for a extra motion oriented set-up (although I’ve heard some debate on whether or not it’s true motion fight or a hybrid system much like Guild Wars 2), and if the devs ship the identical degree of polish to motion fight that the unique did to tab goal, New World may lastly have some competitors for the title of greatest MMORPG fight.
Aion is most well-known, and maybe most lampooned, for its flight function. Participant characters are winged Daevas with the ability of flight… apart from the truth that many of the sport’s zones are no-fly and solely permit gliding. Personally I nonetheless managed to get a good bit of enjoyable out of gliding, nevertheless it’s plain that it did really feel a bit foolish for the sport’s largest promoting function to be so closely restricted.
This can be a mistake that Aion 2 plans to right, as flight might be totally out there throughout the entire sport world with little to no restriction. It appears like fight can also have aerial parts, and whereas I’m a bit involved that the controls for such could also be a bit awkward, it’s undoubtedly a great way to make the sport stand out from its terrestrially sure competitors.
One of many issues that left me unmotivated to push in direction of degree cap in authentic Aion was the information that its endgame was skewed fairly strongly towards PvP. We nonetheless don’t know precisely what the steadiness of PvE to PvP might be within the sequel, nevertheless it does sound like NCsoft needs to maneuver the needle a bit extra in direction of the co-operative facet of issues. PvP might be restricted to instanced modes and timed occasions, whereas PvE goes to supply what appears like a fairly sturdy menu of dungeons and raids (with matchmaking and a number of difficulties from the beginning) and open world occasions. I might find it irresistible if NCsoft took some cues from elsewhere in its roster and borrowed a number of the open world design of Guild Wars 2.
In the end what drove me away from the primary Aion was the identical difficulty that ended my time in most MMOs of the period: It performed an excessive amount of like World of Warcraft. Whereas I feel it was a really polished and competent tackle that components, on the finish of the day after I wish to play WoW, I’ll simply play WoW.
However gone are the times when each new MMO was merely copying Blizzard‘s homework. Within the present state of the style, Aion 2 has the chance to really unfold its wings (pun meant) and set up a completely distinctive identification all its personal.
I do additionally have already got some disappointments with Aion 2‘s path. Over its run, the unique Aion has added some very inventive lessons, together with a gunslinger, a mech pilot, a bard, and a punk painter, however Aion 2 is launching with a category roster solely restricted to straightforward fantasy archetypes. The builders have additionally mentioned they are going to be eradicating the already minimal monstrous bodily options of the Asmodian race, which was a big a part of their attraction for a few of us.
Some individuals could also be involved that Aion 2 can also be being developed for cell, however the builders have careworn that the PC model is their precedence, so my hope is that it shouldn’t be overly compromised by the necessity to additionally cater to cell.
I feel it’s necessary to handle one’s hype, so I’m making an attempt to maintain my expectations for Aion 2 real looking. It’s in all probability not going to be all the things I need it to be (nothing ever actually is), and like several sport, it will possibly nonetheless be ruined by poor execution, regardless of how good its concepts are.
Nevertheless it does appear as if Aion 2 is shaping as much as have all of the substances of a very stable MMORPG, and it’s the primary upcoming MMO shortly that I discover myself feeling some real pleasure for. I’ll admit to getting some chills after I first watched Aion 2‘s trailer and heard the unique’s epic rating paired with the sequel’s spectacular visuals, and I’m eager to see what NCSoft will reveal subsequent. Azphelumbra!
