Tera Online Collector's Edition
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Pure eyecandy...in a good way
Yes, it's a Korean MMO, so you will see the most beautified male and female character models, and it will have the outstanding graphics. HOWEVER! This game is true to it's claim of "True Action" or however they call it. In other words, your bum is toast if you don't move it while in battle. Forget key mapping, your mouse is your strongest utility, which to me, is an awesome feature. It gives you convenience in a time where it matters. Dodging, blocking, overall, when you're moving, you need something quick and easy to bring your enemies down! I played Beta and noticed some sound issues, and I play it now and it seems like some of the voice acting just doesn't fit, clicking on NPCs and the map are a bit clunky, but it works fine. Let's not forget, EXPLORATION! You will truly enjoy exploring the wondrous world of TERA, I know I did. You can climb without jumping everywhere, which breeds new life to the explorer in all of us MMORPG'ers. Is this a hardcore or casual game? Like most MMORPGs it has room for both, but it's fun for both standards and I found the community to be very friendly. Honestly, try the game out if you're concerned, you won't regret it.
5/21/12
Amazing Execution
En Masse brings us a Korean-style MMO with amazing graphics, great gameplay, and deep story lines. Yeah, you'll get the standard types of quests (run n fetch it, kill'n'collect, etc) but there's a lot of other things to do. Cross-server dungeon group matching, skill/ability chaining, "True Action Combat" where there's no standing still and pressing the keys in your skill rotation. Position matters, tactics matter, blocking / ducking / dodging definitely matter! Dynamic and fun combat will keep you on your toes. 7 races, 8 classes, a rich crafting/enchantment system. A fully fleshed-out fantasy world with a deep and luxurious lore base. Played the Open Beta this past weekend and hit the beta level cap of 32. It was a blast every step of the way. Nothing felt grind-y or tedious. The game moves you along at a good pace. It is a very social game, as some mobs (known as BAMs - Big A** Monsters) are nigh-unsoloable at the same level (ie the BAM is 30, and you're 30). Even with a full group of 5, an equivalent level BAM takes a good 4-5 minutes to bring down. There are visual cues to warn you of impending special attacks, giving you the chance to block, dodge or possibly interrupt. In-Game support and tech support were fast and responsive, lots of communication on the Tera FB page. Being a Korean-inspired game, it does get annoying with a little message every hour telling you how long you've been playing, and to play responsibly - LOL - AS IF! Pre-Order headstart begins this weekend, cap raised to 38, and launch is May 1. Oh, and check out the Elementalist statue/figure at e2046.com (do a search on that site), for a look at the Elin Sorceror. If you're tired of waiting for GW2, and bored with WoW and SWTOR, give Tera a look.
4/24/12