NCSOFT gave beta access for the MMORPG title Throne and Liberty over the past weekend, and though the game itself has come a long way in terms of development and attempting to fix some of the known issues prior to coming to the US, is it enough to get a large enough player base to keep things afloat?
While there are several good things to say about the title, there are also several mechanics and features that fall short, but let’s take a look at all of the good and bad combined and see whether or not the reputation can be salvaged.
Graphics and In-Game Design
The stunning graphics and ambiance have to be one of my favorite things about Throne and Liberty, as the visuals just bring you a feeling of immersion that I, as an MMORPG consumer, have not felt in quite some time. I feel this way due to the scope of the world around me and my character, it feels overly vast, and yet somehow brings me into the larger whole. This, coupled with the audio and sounds of everything rustling around me, the storyline that I initially followed was engaging, and the visuals themselves were easy on the eyes, really helps to sell the world I’m investing time within
Now, this is not to say that the graphic quality is top-notch and has no flaws, as some areas feel dull or lifeless. Still, most of the map brought me into a serene yet hectic environment to duke it out with the enemies surrounding the area. Whether it be rolling hills blanketed with houses and windmills and weird creatures to engage in combat with, or snow-covered mountains teeming with life, there really is a massive amount of content to look at.
There are some titles that I have previously played that only focus on what’s on the ground or what looks good in one specific area rather than making a massive cohesive world that blends together seamlessly like our world in real life. Some of these games made it feel as though areas touching each other were still entirely separate, as there were not any visuals linking one area to the next, you just ended up running into a whole new world basically on the same path you have been on for hours. The seemingly endless trees that branch off high into the ether, the swirling pools of flame and fire that appear in the sky, and the flow of the world around me as I ran through the different landscapes really brought me into the game, and I did enjoy that. It didn’t feel like I was just waltzing into an entirely different planet while running on the same road as some titles seem to do.
Pay to Win Elements
I never look too closely at in-game shops, as usually, they turn me off to a title with too many moving parts and elements that I can never seem to keep up with. Throne and Liberty, however, was one I wanted to look at in-depth as I heard certain materials could be purchased to give someone with a massive amount of disposable income a major leg up. This was determined to be true, as there are things within the in-game shop that can give someone a huge advantage in terms of crafting materials if they have a seemingly endless amount of money at their disposal.
There will be the ability to buy Lucent, which is the pay-to-win currency being discussed amongst the community, within the in-game shop upon release. Once Throne and Liberty actually launches, Lucent can be bought with real-life currency and used on the Auction House in-game to buy materials, weapons, armor, and other high-end and high-tier items, but not currently as the title is still in beta.
This does, in fact, take away from the overall fairness of the game, as those who happen to have deep pockets can just buy all of the high-end equipment to become unstoppable in PvP scenarios, which, since the end game in Throne and Liberty is mainly PvP this pay to win advantage will make things a bit shifty and unbalanced.
Combat, Classes, and Animations
Another thing worth mentioning here is that Throne and Liberty has been available in Korea for the past eight months, meaning that this is not a game that is still in major development stages and should feel complete and finished. Since this beta was just a test for the upcoming US release, the title should have an overall cohesive feel in terms of storyline, gameplay, and combat.
The combat and animations in Throne and Liberty are another win for me, as they just feel complete and give a really good sense of what each ability is. What I mean by this is some titles I have played during beta don’t have good quality animations for the attacks and heals, which makes me feel like I don’t really get a good sense of what the ability truly is.
Yes, this should be a given as this is in fact a complete game just making its way to new areas across the globe, but there are some games I have sunk time into that even after years on the market still feel incomplete. When it comes to fighting enemies, I want to feel as though I am right there with them knocking them to their knees with a barrage of spells or slashes, and animations and sound quality help add to that immersion and feeling.
An example would be say, a fire spell – if I shoot a fireball and don’t see some form of orange blazing ball in front of me is it really a fireball? I like my character's abilities should give me a good idea of what I am casting and to really make me feel as though I am an elemental powerhouse that can manipulate fire and ice with ease. Though the animations are bright and somewhat over the top, they developers achieve this without the spells becoming blinding or taking up the entire screen and they have nice crisp sounds to boot.
In terms of classes, I really like the fact that you can just equip any weapon you want and become that class. Let’s take Final Fantasy XIV as a simple comparison here, as the title allows you to swap between classes in-game by taking on different jobs throughout the lands. While it isn't as easy as swapping out a weapon in FFXIV, as you have to complete quests and learn the job prior to unlocking it, you still aren't left stuck playing a class that you chose during character creation.
In Throne and Liberty, if you equip a Staff you become something like a Mage, and if you equip the daggers you almost become a stealthy rogue-type class. This to me is awesome, because I love to be able to change my abilities and playstyle according to a tough boss fight or whatever my friends or group members might need for a dungeon or PvP. Not being locked to one specific class after character creation is a breath of fresh air to me personally, and I thoroughly enjoy the easy swapping of classes at the click of a button.
During my playthrough, I chose to try out the Mage-type class, the Healer class which uses a wand, and the Hunter class which utilizes a crossbow. Each and every one of these different classes comes with abilities ready to go once the main weapon is swapped for another – no quests or training required – so it made it easy to change my class and abilities for a specific fight while I was getting my face kicked in out in the wilderness.
Swapping weapons can take a very tedious battle with enemies you have to kill for a quest and make it simple. Lets say these enemies are slightly spread out but still in a clustered area. Using a ranged weapon to shoot them from afar and in rapid succession can make the quests go by much faster. Swapping weapons does not change the overall gameplay drastically, but it does allow for customization options while out in the field and not having to completely respec like you would in say, world of Warcraft. The other thing with the weapon swap changing your class is that it isn’t a major learning curve. When you start out, there aren’t that many abilities to choose from until you level up and begin learning new skills. This means that while you are still learning the ropes of Throne and Liberty as a whole, you can also learn each class and how their abilities function as you make progress.
Conclusion
Overall, yes Throne and Liberty does have a “pay to win” element within the in-game shop, but for me, it isn't enough of a major paywall to stop me from enjoying the rest of what the title has to offer. You can still go out and earn Lucent through PVP and different events, so nothing stops me from being able to earn the currency without spending real money. Does it give some players a massive advantage to beat me up? Sure. But that doesn’t mean I cant still enjoy the storyline and fights with friends and stay in my own lane.
The animations are nifty without being a massive distraction, the combat is engaging and fun, and the graphics are very pretty and visually appealing to me. I would say that there are some issues that still should be fixed prior to release, such as a few bugs with lag, and any other major problems fans bring to the developer's attention. All in all, I think Throne and Liberty has potential, not to be one of the greats such as World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV per se, but it could see a lot of players if the issues at hand get dealt with correctly, especially the pay to win business model that has turned many fans of the genre away.
