A week ago we started a review in progress of the newly released Perfect World Entertainment MMORPG, RaiderZ. Previously I detailed the starting experience from my point of view, and it has been a enjoyable experience thus far. This week I will be discussing combat and dungeons in RaiderZ. Along the way I will also be highlighting other bits and pieces. Combat is an integral part of any MMORPG, and it is the one feature you will be involving yourself in the most. A good combat system is likely to attract a large player base and this is what RaiderZ has, a hugely fun combat system.
THE SHINY PARTS OF COMBAT
Games such as TERA and C9 have switched up the traditional combat system which has been a staple in MMOs for a more action oriented take. With the mouse controlling your character and camera, and using clicks to attack. PWE's new offering takes this aspect and serves it up in a format which will have you dying (yes literally dying) to get into your next battle.
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Combat will have you very involved, you will be dodging every attack, while trying to make your next move. It is something you will have to be tactical about, carefully watching each enemies different attacks and adapting to how you can overcome them will be something you will find yourself doing. This is particularly important when it comes to bosses. Your style of combat is defined by which weapon type you choose, be it the same with most MMOs today. Whether it be fast attacks with one-handed weapons, ranged attacks, or slow yet powerful attacks with a hulking two-handed sword/warhammer.
Throwing out a powerful hit will make your enemy flinch, allowing for another hit to be dealt. But if a hit isn't timed right, it could be your downfall. But don't worry too much about this, dying is normal, in fact so normal, that you could find yourself doing the same quest or boss run over and over again to get it perfect.
THE ROUGH SPOTS OF COMBAT
While combat is a bundle of fun, it isn't without its issues. Hits sometimes do not register, and with a skill cool down that is quite high, it becomes quite annoying, this has happened regularly for me. In my opinion attacks from some monsters can be quite powerful, so one misplaced hit from you, could have you seeing the end in a couple of attacks from a monster. This I feel is something which is need of some polish. But do not let this deter you from RaiderZ, as the combat provides a hugely enjoyable experience and the game has a whole lot more combat orientated content to offer.
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THE LURE OF DUNGEONS
Dungeons is a regular feature you will be partaking in. Each zone leads up to a instanced dungeon through a series of story oriented quests. Some zones do not. But from my experience so far they have amounted to this. This is probably one of the stand out features for me within this game. You can tell with these instances that the developers have put a lot of time and thought into them.
Traps trigger when walked over them, certain tasks need to be carried out to access bosses or the next phase of the dungeon and bosses, they are just brilliant. Interactive monsters is something which RaiderZ advertises as a key feature and it is mostly key with bosses. Literally you will get picked up, thrown, smashed into the ground and even eaten!
Dungeons are well crafted, they offer up some variety, in the sense that it may take you a few times to overcome and figure out how to approach each one. Bosses also drop some valuable loot which can be used to craft rare gear through the Monster Hunter esque crafting system.
The design of these instances and what is inside them is also an attracting point for me. Whether it be a plant infestation with a giant plant acting as the boss or a medieval influence lair with a demonic warlord waiting for you, each one has some level of interactivity and an aspect of teamwork, which this game implores you to be involved in, not to mention the amount of fun that is to be had (have I mentioned fun?).
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My second week in RaiderZ has been as enjoyable as my first. Experiencing more instances and bosses is what makes me want to jump into the game more and it has not failed to disappoint so far. Join us next week for our third part where I will be covering more features, leading up to our final summary review of RaiderZ.
