Lost Ark received a big content update earlier this month and introduced a new class, PvP updates, events, and a brand-new season pass. The ‘Art of War’ is supposed to be one of the three major updates coming to the game this year. Raid content is also coming in April, so there’s a lot to be excited about.
The new Artist advanced class is fantastic to play around with and more support classes are always welcome. They are essential to endgame content and it can be difficult to find enough party utility. The Arkesia Grand Prix is also a part of this patch and it’s fun to get into if you did not get to try it when it made its first appearance.
While most of the update has been fun, the introduction of the Tulubik Battlefield is something I was greatly excited about and things and it really did not meet my expectations. A lot of work needs to go into the PvP mode for it to be fun.
The Artist is an Interesting and Fun Class
The Artist is a new advanced class that feels like a more engaging version of Bard and it is a blast to play. The class revolves around generating identity and Harmony orbs. You can use your Sunrise and Moonfall orbs to heal or increase damage. While the class is a lot of fun to play and you can keep your teammates alive through a lot of damage, the parties you end up with dictate your experience.
Countless players actively run from your defensive skills, and it becomes annoying to protect everyone. DPS players running from their support is a pain I’ve grown to accept in not just MMORPGs but in other genres of games as well, but it is infuriating nonetheless.
In terms of mechanics, Artist is fairly fun and the hitboxes of the Artist’s abilities are very generous. You can also cleanse debuffs, shield allies, buff their damage, and a whole lot more. The healing orbs feel fantastic to use and it might take a few more days to fully master the rotations for the class, but it definitely gets a thumbs up from my end as a Bard player. The only issue I have with the class is when everyone is too scattered around, making your kit inefficient at supporting your teammates.
Tulubik Battlefield Needs Immediate Attention
I was hyped for the new Realm vs Realm mode and after waiting for the update to drop, I was sorely disappointed. I’m sure not everyone will have the same experience as me, but I can barely ever find a full game after the first week.
I expected epic 48v48 combat with objective-based gameplay. Even when I do get into Friend Games, it is usually with unbalanced team sizes where one team completely rolls over the other side. There is no equalized gear system so if you don’t have some top-tier PvP sets, you are not going to have a good time if you go up against decked-out opponents.
Summoners also feel incredibly oppressive in the game mode and while Tulubik might not be the primary focus of the developers, I hope it gets some attention because realm vs realm combat can be a lot of fun.
Friends have started pointing out that the Korean servers stopped caring about Rowen long ago and the sentiment is slowly being shared by the global server players as well. If you’re able to find enough players on your server, it can be a fun little thing to do on the side during your Lost Ark adventures but I keep facing the dreaded “Fail to start Friend Match” screen.
Going by how the Korean servers have completely given up on Rowen as a whole, I fear that the global servers might suffer the same fate. Guild Wars 2 has gotten its real combat down to a science and while it might not be perfect, it’s one of the most fun activities I’ve experienced in an MMORPG. Lost Ark’s Tulubik Battlefield definitely has potential and I hope Smilegate improves it or works on a more refined experience in a different mode.
A New Battle Pass
The battle pass system has been done to death in games and a lot of games are getting it right. While the “value” of a battle pass is subjective from player to player, I feel the Ark Pass does a fairly decent job. The free track gives you all the standard stuff including shards, silver, honing materials, Epic Card Packs, Glittering Coins, and more.
Season 3’s Ark Pass should be worth your consideration only if you are looking for honing materials. You need to spend 1,500 Royal Crystals for the Premium Pass which is worth about $15 USD. Are the honing materials worth it? You essentially get double the honing materials compared to what the free track offers. If you are a regular player, it might be worth your consideration.
The Super Premium Ark Pass cosmetics for Season 3 are also quite nice and if you are into cosmetics, it is something you can look into. Nothing has changed about the game’s monetization through the battle pass, and Season 3 continues the trend of offering a fairly decent battle pass system.
My Thoughts on the Art of War Update
The Art of War update is fairly enjoyable but it fell short of my expectations solely because of the Tulubik Battlefield. I hope the mode gets some love to fix its issues as the idea of a realm vs realm mode is appealing to me as a former Guild Wars 2 player and I quite enjoy Lost Ark’s combat.
If you are not a Lost Ark veteran, I strongly recommend checking out the Art of War update for the Story Express, Hyper Express Plus 2, and the Punka Powerpass, all of which can help you progress quickly and catch up to other players ahead of the upcoming raid content. Veteran players can look forward to Brelshaza Hard Mode and the Hanumatan Guardian Raid, both of which are scheduled for an April release.
