Tree of Savior

In a market oversaturated with RPGs, especially the Asian kinds that rely on flashy effects, fan service and zero replayability, it is had for any new entry to stand out anymore without being already labeled. Some games rely on epic stories, other rely on neat new game mechanics, and others rely on pulling on your heartstrings for the sake of nostalgia. Tree of Savior is a Korean MMORPG that manages to bring you all of the above, all wrapped up in a unique world, presented in a graphical style that you will not find anywhere else any time soon.

There are a few archetypes MMOs follow nowadays when it comes to the art style it uses; some go with the ultra-realistic style, despite it being taxing on your PC's resources. Other prefer the anime-inspired style, while some go for the cutesy Chibi style. Given the popularity of these art styles, it has become common sense that most MMOs that come out should follow one of them unless they want to risk failure before they even launch. Tree of Savior takes that risk and manages to captivate you with a unique blend of 2D hand-drawn graphics mixed in with pixel-shaded3D that is done so seamlessly that you believe you are living inside a living, breathing anime.

Tree of Savior follows the same character creation path of most MMOs out there, by allowing you to choose between four character archetypes (the fighter, the ranged fighter, the spell caster, and the support). However, that first couple of minutes when you choose your archetype will be the only thing this game has in common when compared to the others. The more you advance in level you gain access to more and more subclasses, each with their skills, pros, and cons, and you may choose to venture into the skillset of those new subclasses or master the ones you already have.

The game lets you control your character solely via keyboard, and this makes it feel even more like an old-fashion adventure game that you used to play on your console when you were little. Enemies range from cheeky little turnips to boss monsters so massive that they need their introductory cut-scenes. Speaking of which, the combat system is so complex that mindless button mashing will only get you past the turnips, since boss monsters can knock you around, and have abilities that need you to get out of the way unless you want to bid your life bar goodbye.

All monsters drop loot, which can range from equipment to reagents and vendor junk, all of which can be used to either strengthen your character or make your pockets fuller. Regardless of what you want, the market system makes it easy for you to advertise whatever you have for sale, ensuring an almost player-driven economy. Of course, looting would be all the more difficult if you didn't have friends to help you with the hunting part, and that is why the social aspect of the game is not ignored at all.  Most dungeons (except those that state that they can be soloable) are designed for teams of well-balanced players if they ever aspire towards loot of epic proportions. Lastly, PvP is also an essential aspect in the game, and for those of you who hate being ganked, you should know that all PvP content is reserved for the arena where you will be matched against players of similar skill level.

A cute MMO that puts other AAA titles to shame

While the Asian feel of the game may deter some players, for others it can be the thing they love most. Couple this with the innovative class system and you have a game that you will either play for hundreds of hours on end or uninstall half an hour after the tutorial.