Our opinion on Revelation Online and its gameplay
Scheduled to arrive in its final version during 2017, Revelation Online is published by My.com and developed by NetEase Games. It is a free-to-play MMORPG. The player evolves in a fantasy universe about which little is known at the moment. However, the software seems to point towards an artistic direction largely inspired by Chinese mythology.
Revelation Online boasts a superb open world, Nuanor. The environments are very colourful and varied: you can quickly move from the underwater zone to the mountainous domain, passing through immense plains. Despite the graphics being below current standards, the effort put into the artistic direction is appreciable. We deplore the numerous loading times, although this should be corrected in the final version of the game.
The excellent soundtrack of Revelation Online should be noted. Neal Acree, who has already been responsible for the composition of many Blizzard titles, has done a remarkable job. By turns enchanting or oppressive, the tracks follow one another but do not sound the same. As the French version is not yet available, it is impossible to give a pertinent opinion on the dubbing.
Creating your hero in Revelation Online
Revelation Online is all about originality. Forget elves, dwarves and other classic MMORPGs: here, each race is unique. We can mention the Falmaris, a curious crossbreed between human and amphibian; the Mycelians, a kind of large mushroom with medical skills; or the Ursids, bipedal bears in charge of protecting the forest. These surprising races offer a welcome change of scenery.
Obviously, several classes are playable. The occultist offers an interesting compromise between healing magic and damage. The hoplite is the equivalent of the tank, and fights with a sword and a shield. The maverick is used to ranged combat and uses firearms. The magelame is offensively versatile, as comfortable with a weapon as with attack spells. The weapon master, who is very graphic, drops the shield in favour of a double sword or a two-handed weapon. Finally, the summoner can, as its name suggests, summon various creatures in combat. An additional class, the assassin, should appear soon.
As your adventure progresses, you will be able to access several bonuses. From level 29 onwards, a mount can accompany you everywhere. Some of them can carry several players on their backs, such as the whale, which can carry a whole guild. From level 42 onwards, you can also have a small customisable “home”.
Customisable gameplay
In order to suit as many players as possible, Revelation Online offers three types of control gameplay. You can lock on to your target, free aim or click to move. Any of these three gameplay options are viable with all classes. However, some are easier to play with than others. Most of the shortcuts are customisable, for the most personalised gameplay experience. It is also possible to customise your spells. A very advanced crafting system is also part of the game, and you can craft anywhere.
Battles are dynamic without being cluttered, and the player’s progression seems fluid. Most of the experience is obtained through the main quest, daily missions and dungeons. The player can also take advantage of the hot springs, which give experience without playing directly. Getting to level 50 is fairly quick; it remains to be seen what happens up to level 79, the highest level for the moment.
In PvE, the dungeons offer 5 different levels of difficulty, so you can feel yourself progressing smoothly. On the other hand, PvP is very complete, but 1v1 is still too different from one player to another, depending on their level and equipment. The large number of social interactions available is to be commended, however.
Our conclusion on Revelation Online
NetEase Games ‘ title is extremely promising. Both rich and original, it could give a second wind to the MMORPG genre. Don’t hesitate to test the beta of Revelation Online; it’s a safe bet that its realisation and gameplay will make you want to invest in the game.