NCSoft’s Blade & Soul Neo brings us back to a remastered MMO that still looks nothing like the competition.
NCSoft is set to relaunch its martial arts MMORPG with a stunning new look and an opportunity to relive an adventure that still stands out among the crowd. Ahead of this return to the Hongmoon School, we got a look at the upcoming changes and had a chance to talk to the team at NCSoft America before the action begins.
The Original and Best?
For those that never caught it tway back when, Blade & Soul is a popular MMORPG known for its captivating wuxia themes, fast paced combat, and stylized aesthetics. Originally launched in Korea around 2012, the game made its way to the US and Europe on January 19, 2016, captivating players with its rich lore and dynamic gameplay. Drawing inspiration from martial arts novels and mythology, Blade & Soul immerses players in a world of stunning landscapes and mystical creatures. The game’s combat style is a fast-paced, skill orientated feature. It allows players to execute combos and flashy moves thanks to adynamic skill bar that reacts to the current situation. Player leaping in for the first time can choose between the Cerulean Order and the Crimson Legion, adding an extra layer of depth to PvP encounters. With multiple unique classes to choose from and a stunning character creator, players can tailor their experience to suit their preferences. After a plethora of expansions and awsome wild new classes, it’s time to take another look at the game.
Blade & Soul Classic
That was our first reaction too. Upon seeing the early teasers drop into the Gamespace inbox, it made sense. With WoW Classic, Aion, and Old School Runescape all doing big numbers , a stripped back experience and a return to basics was logical. We were utterly wrong. Blade & Soul Neo is a return to 2012 and the start of a very particular time the MMO market, but it’s not a rehash by any stretch. An invitation to sit down and take note appeared on screens during a chat with NCSoft America. The opening moments and early introduction to Blade and Soul Neo are a wave of nostalgia. The class selection still features the likes of the Jin, Gon, Lyn, and Yun, wand all their respective classes. I’d note that we didn’t see enough to determine if gender locks are still in play, but I would fully expect this to be the case as the Yun are an established feature in lore.
The once audaciously good character creator is still in play with, millions of potential combinations at play and sliders that go on forever. Only Black Desert rivals the first few screens of Blade & Soul for choice, depth, and amount of time lost before even beginning to paly. Even better, the glow up begins here. Completely re rendered, tidied up, and seemingly upscaled to my eyes, the Neo relaunch features a seriously upgraded engine. Character models in the character creator are obviously enhanced with better textures, lighting, and options to try on armor before even leaping into game. It makes the brief glimpse of this time sink an even more enticing offering, this time around.
It isn’t just the character models that have been upgraded here. The visual overhaul promises more intricate and enhanced suits and cosmetics. While plenty of the original game’s drip is going to come over to Balde & Soul Neo, we can expect some even bigger, better clothes. Cosmetics will be a feature of the cash shop, this is a free to play MMORPG, and there is a battle pass coming to the title. This is confirmed. What players can expect , according to NCSoft, is a system that allows most of the in game consumables and cosmetics to be looted in game or acquired using Valour Stones. Top tier cosmetics with additional emote, animation will however need tome money thrown at the screen.
This time around we will see some exclusive and cool looking options that may even include emotes, particle effects and nuance that just wouldn’t make it into the earlier incarnations of Blade & Soul.
Getting into he game, new textures, lighting, combat flair, and general particle effects aren’t the end of that initial tease. A aside by side comparison details just how much work has been done. More than replanting the grass, spawning in weather effect or subtly adding more stars in the sky. Some environments have had fundamental redesigns to make better use of the visual technology available now and it’s stunning. Blade &Soul was already impressive when it launched back first time around but, if nothing else, it looks like it’ll stand up against the best of the best again.
Movement and combat
Old school adventurers who’ve been around long enough to play Balade & Soul Live or remember the launch way back will find a familiar port. The dynamic skill system and reaction combat is core to Blade & Soul. A quick look at PvP and an Infernal Lord boss run details the same skill-based play synonymous with this MMO. Movement and attack look almost free form, while your ability to block, stun, and parry attacks are all bound to your own ability to click in good time.
This really continues to shine in PvP, with the launch version of Neo incorporating faction based PVP and field based PvP from the start. There’s also going to be an update shortly after lunch, confirmed by NCSoft, that will add 6v6 arena PVP gameplay to the action.
Players looking for some more PvP play can will also find a completely new addition to the game. NC announced a new free for all PvP arena, titled Scavenger’s Lair. Going toe to toe with other players, the winner will be the last player standing and be able to loot the treasure chest.
New Systems
Blade and Soul Neo went reduce some new systems of previous engage with. NCSoft demonstrated the new weapon Soul Core systems. Soul Cores show as an additional weapon slot that can be unlocked and the Soul Cores are a boss ability . Showing as an additional weapon skill on the hot bar, this is massively impactful. With a whole minute cool down, it could change the course of battle in both pvP and PvE. In an example, NC showed off a powerful Flame Lord ability that can do huge damage.
Mantra, acts much like Soul Cores, but used in accessories. Rather than provide a flashy firefight, this system unlocks slotable selections on accessories. With up to three slots unlockable, players will be able to slot stones that will activate passive skill buffs. While we didn’t get into the depths of how these slots will unlock, they seem to provide a wide variety of potential play changes. Variations using different stones seem to apply various buffs, and there are several tiers to unlock. The intent seems to be to provide flexibility of build that can be min maxed with the skill and class system to vary the efficacy of player choice.
Leaning further and so this new flexibility as the enhanced skill book system that leaving so new introduces. This variation on the white platform doesn’t just provide skills that use law and then continue on with an audio fashion each skill book provides not only a base skill with variations on that ability for example a Blademaster would have an option to choose to do massive damage, debuff, or add stuns to something like take Flight. This is an example of the concept rather than a final confirmation of the actual choices, to be clear. So, looking for a stun heavy support Blademaster, then this could be viable.
Finally, Windwalking gets a shakeup for Blade & Soul Neo. The wuxia inspired movement that lets players traverse vistas, run up walls, and skip across water was, like combat, a defining factor in the way Blade & Soul presented itself to the world. Now, the new Neo incarnation dispenses with the stamina bar and lets players explore wherever they want.
Despite the changes there are some familiar signs that make this an encouraging move for Blade & Soul. NCSoft’s pedigree speaks for itself. There’s a lineage of high-quality MMORPGs from this outfit. We already know that this is going to be a huge world with tons of content, reliably maintained, without the general jank that plagues so many MMO launches. Where this renovation goes, lets see, but it’s worth some time. You can find out more about Blade & Soul neo on the official website now
