Review Statistics

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2,790

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Plot Synopsis

No plot synopsis or other information available for Ragnarok Online

Story & Playability

Ragnarok Online RPG is an online multiplayer game that focuses on leveling up and customizing a character and thus, as is typical with games of this type, has a rudimentary story that feels almost tacked on for the most part.
Fortunately thou, the premise behind Ragnarok Online is interesting, being based on equal parts Korean ancient history and Norse mythology. A semblance of peace has reigned over Rune-Midgard for the better part of a thousand years. Long gone from the human’s thoughts were their involvement between them, the gods and demons almost a thousand years hence that only ended in an uneasy truce between the three factions. Recently thou, stories and rumors of monsters and strange occurrences have been circulating more and more. Adventurers from all over have excitedly started to search for clues pointing to this long-forgotten war. As more evidence is uncovered, more and more adventurers start their journeys for riches, for fame, or for reasons known only to them. Little do they know that these occurrences signify a second Ragnarok, breaking the fragile truce that have held the peace for nearly a thousand years…

Characters from both histories come alive as one battles monsters based on actual written-about characters from both eras. Terminologies, weapons, places and a dozen other aspects in the game contribute a touch to the overall tribute to the story that backs everything up, resulting in an MMORPG that's fun to explore and know about. For the hardcore fan, there's even a manga series with the full story to back everything up!

Rating

6 (average)

Graphics

The game features anime-inspired 2D sprites hand- rendered on a 3D background, giving a simple, attractive feel to the game. Characters move smoothly, barring occasional lag in the game servers. Although there are only a few rendered actions for multiple movements of the characters, the movements are appropriate for the skill / attack / interaction between the avatar and its surroundings. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, and reflect elements of the story and the architecture that accompanies it. Menus can stand improvement thou, there is limited customization for the myriad menus for inventory, character, stats, and the like.

As the characters are meant to portray a “cutesy� type of game, there is no “face� as such, only big, anime-type eyes. Some players regard this as a negative, thou it appeals to many fans of the genre. Another minor complaint is the level of customization that is visible to the player, for example, only the headgear, hairstyle and certain weapons can be discerned during play. Everything else (armor, expressions, footgear) cannot be differentiated from one another.

Rating

5 (moderate)

Sound

This being a game, the soundtrack tends to get repetitive after a while, although to its credit Ragnarok Online has chosen its tracks carefully which ensures that even if it gets repetitive, the soundtrack never gets annoying. Initially even, some of the tracks are catchy, with each track reflecting the map / environment that your avatar is in. For example, in a town map such as prontera, which is the capital city in the game, the beat of the background music gives the impression of an upbeat, "high-society" kind of mood, to reflect the cosmopolitan heritage of the biggest city in Midgard. In any one of the "monster" maps thou, the tone of the music changes to urgency or even booming rock music- brash, loud, and certainly dangerous.
There are no character voices per se, which is a shame, but is expected from a game like this. Instead of character voices, "emoticons" serve as speech indicators for the players.

Rating

4 (below average)

Fun

The idea of combining the different aspects of the story (Norse mythology) and the aspects of the history of its country of origin (Korea) results in an amalgam of interesting interactions, such as monsters straight out of a Korean ghost story drifting around a map with a Norse sounding name and architecture. It is interesting to note the story behind each and every aspect of the game. More importantly thou, the avatars were presented in a way that avoids the “serious� aspect of most MMORPG’s and is definitely a plus point for some people.

Many aspects of the game get its fuel from player interaction and group-play. Examples include an economy dictated by the merchant class avatars of the game setting up shops for other players to peruse, or groups of friends forming a party to defeat more powerful monsters, or even forming guilds that can battle other guilds for dominance.

On the downside thou, this game features more of the same formula in RPG’s, such as endless hack and slash (or aim and cast), crazy-long leveling times, the ever present threat of lag. Countering this is another online-game staple: interacting with other people and playing the game with your friends. This is also a game that anyone can jump into after a few minutes of familiarization, especially with a couple of more experienced friends to guide you along. After the initial learning curve, intricacies such as enemy weaknesses, guild systems, player-vs.-player and even pet-taming prolongs the game and makes it ever interesting in the long run. The level of commitment needed to reach a decent level in the game is prohibitive thou, but in a game that is so enjoyable, not many will be complaining!

Rating

8 (good)

Final Verdict

6.17 (average)

Reviewed by charlestio, 3y 38wk ago