Eldevin: classic feel meets modern systems

My time with Eldevin has been somewhat of an unexpected journey. I am usually not the type of gamer to actually consider diving into a browser game for any real length of time other than a quick time killer or a pure boredom romp with nothing better to do. Eldevin surprised me from the moment I logged in on my character and began to see all of the loads of content held within.

The first thing you will notice about Eldevin is that this is without a doubt a fully equipped browser game with no downloads required. You simply make a Hunted Cow account and you are free to make your character and explore the world of Eldevin completely free of charge.

I am going to break down each piece of the game down into sections and talk about the various things that I have liked about Eldevin and the things I think could use some work and even things that I just plain didn't like about the game. Throughout this review I have taken into consideration that this is indeed a browser game and thus I weigh my decisions made about this game against other browser rpgs and not against the more AAA mmo titles out there.

Visuals:

Right off the bat looking at Eldevin may make some new gamers cringe as there is nothing really special about the visuals here. Considering the nature of this game and that it only requires that you have a browser and have Java installed I feel the game looks fine. This of course will look dated to many gamers in today’s day and age. This is definitely one of the weak points of Eldevin but if you can get past this there are a lot of good things to find elsewhere.

Gameplay:

This is going to be the real meat and potato's section of my review as I will explain a little bit about the systems within the game and the overall combat approach and character customization. The visual options you have for your character in Eldevin are rather limited but seeing as how the graphics are on the lower end I can't imagine really faulting the game for this. The combat in Eldevin, overall feels smooth and presents a wide range of combat options upon reaching level five. The combat system looks and feels similar to that of an action RPG like Torchlight 2 or Path of Exile. The one thing that is different is that although it may look and feel like an ARPG its actually a tab target based system similar to that of many modern mmo's. If you have ever played Divine Divinity it is essentially the exact same approach to combat.

Upon reaching level five your character will be given one talent point which can be spent in one of six different progression trees: Templar (Tank), Warrior ( Meaty DPS), Assassin (Dual Wield Melee DPS and Range hybrid.), Ranger (Ranged DPS uses a bow), Mage (Ranged DPS casts spells), Prophet (Healer) . Your character is also given six stat points which you are free to distribute between any stats that you want regardless of which way you choose to progress in your talent trees. Progression down one tree does not mean that you are forced to use only skills related to that tree. You can also allocate talent points down multiple trees if you so desire, leaving room for a lot of experimentation and true hybrid classes. The downfall is that you are only allowed to respec your character once every sixty days for free. If you want to end up repeccing more often than that you will need to drop some real money in the cash shop. That being said this is some of the most freedom in terms of character building that I have ever seen in an mmo.

Aside from a huge amount of character combat freedom you will also have a large amount of crafting professions to pursue should you deem them worthy of your time. Every crafting profession in the game is extremely useful. The only real issue I have with the crafting system in this game is that it is VERY grind based and certain professions will take you likely hundreds of hours to max out. This can be a good thing if really enjoy the fulfillment that comes with taking raw ingredients and making useful items from them, but for someone who just wants to get levels quickly this is likely to be a boring and frustrating experience. One saving grace of the crafting system is that once you have all of your raw materials, you can bring them all to a work bench and craft them into items all at once without any human intervention. My character is actually making hp potions right now as I type this review. This feature makes it nice if you want to get something done around the house or have some schoolwork that needs doing. This allows you to feel the satisfaction of progression while avoiding the no time to play blues. The gathering professions on the other hand do require you to be present going from node to node collecting various materials. This can be a long process and is likely to make some players feel like they have in the words of Handsome Jack “headbutted a belt sander.”.

If crafting isn't your thing why not take part in the some of the numerous instances and dungeons spread all throughout the world of Eldevin? Eldevin features a dungeon finder which will conveniently look for other players that are interested in doing the same dungeon as yourself and then put you all into a group so that you can play together! This is a great feature but it could use some work. The dungeon finder will put you into a group regardless of what the group make up is meaning you will get a lot of full DPS groups which can make getting through the dungeons very difficult sometimes. The good news is that if you manage to get a balanced group the game works exactly as it should. Eldevin can be a very challenging game at times which helps to emphasize team work and group unity.

Instances and crafting not for you? How about taking place in some of the varied PvP matches? Yes, thats right! Eldevin has a complete collection of various PvP game modes including Capture the Flag, Domination and Team Deathmatch. These can all be joined through a queue which you can wait for while doing whatever other tasks tickle your fancy. This was something that really surprised me about the game. I think its great Hunted Cow went through the effort to support multiple varied maps alongside various game modes.

No matter which of these various things you like to do in Eldevin you will no doubt end up doing some solo questing to help you along with your leveling. Side quests are what you would expect from the game and are usually the typical “Go kill these” or “Go gather this” or the super fancy “ Go Kill This and Gather This from it!” but they do serve the wonderful purpose of granting experience and giving you a good tour of the various areas within the game. The story quests deserve some recognition here though as they are mostly well written and have some very cheesy if not very cool cinematics.

Animation:

The combat animations in the game are passable but they are nothing to stare wide eyed and awestruck gazing at your computer screen. The various skill animations look fairly good and seem to be on par with many of the other browser mmorpgs on the market. Crafting animations for the most part are typical looking an do a good enough job depicting what your character is trying to do weather it be mining, fishing, forging or making potions.

Sound:

The overall sound of the combat skills and the various crafting activities are really rather poor. What shines the most in terms of sound here is the music which is absolutely wonderful and for me one of the strongest points of the game. Each area has a different song or tune that plays while roaming the area and every one of these songs are beautiful and intoxicating. I can't describe how many times I would walk through certain areas and begin whistling along with the songs as they played or just take in each note as I mine or gather apples. This really adds to the immersion and gives the game a relaxing and peaceful quality.

Cash Shop:

I think this is worth talking about because of the fairness of the cash shop model. Eldevin never requires you too pay real money for anything. The full game in its entirety can be experienced without ever spending a dime. The subscriber models even offer little in terms of non convenience options. I have played for around 75 hours or so at the writing of this review and I have not once felt like I needed to buy anything. I have thought about it because I believe in supporting the games I enjoy but I've had a hard time figuring out what I would even want from the shop at all. This is a great move by Hunted Cow and they should be commended for having such a lenient free to play model.

Community:

Normally when talking about the community of most online games I would say that you should ignore most people entirely and worry about having a good time on your own. Eldevin is one of those special games that has a community that care greatly for the game and other people playing the game. Every interaction I have had with an Eldevin player has been a good one which is something that I cannot say for most games. The community is always helpful and in many cases willing to go out of the way to help new players. This is by far the strongest aspect Eldevin has going for it and it is something so rare to find that this alone is worth giving Eldevin a look.

Conclusion: 7 / 10

Eldevin is a true hybrid game in my mind seamlessly blending an action rpg style and feel with the modern systems of newer mmorpg standards that we hold dear. This combination can lead to a very enjoyable experience. If a caring community within Eldevin isn't enough for some, the vast amount of content should be. Weather you enjoy crafting, instances, a well put together story, PvP, or just murdering bad guys for hours on end Eldevin is sure to have something for anyone willing to look beyond its rough edges. Some players though may have issues with the games grinding nature, especially in regards to the gathering and crafting systems.

The MMO Language 101

While writing my Eldevin review it crossed my mind that many people reading this blog may not know various gaming or MMO terms which could make understanding my review difficult. In light of this epiphany I have decided to make a short guide to MMO acronyms to better help new gamers and non gamers alike better understand the basics of the MMO language.

I want to begin by saying that these were in no way taken from any website or publication. These definitions are simply my personal interpretation of various MMO acronyms and will be consistent with the way I use them in my upcoming Eldevin review.

MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) : This is a term used to describe a game in which many users connect to and play simultaneously. One can interact with any of these players and choose to play with them or in some cases against them.

MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game): I have defined the MMO section of this already so lets discuss the RPG part. A role playing game is technically a game in which you assume the role of a character other than yourself to play as. This of course means that almost any game can be considered role playing but as far as RPG's are concerned there are a certain level of systems expected to be available to the gamer. An important one is some kind of choice for how your character works and the way your character fights. Your character must choose a role if you will to determine fighting style. Most RPG's have some kind of class system in which the player picks a certain archetype, for example: Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Gunslinger, Archer or something along these lines which defines the way your character fights enemies and supports allies. The systems within MMORPG's will vary from slightly to greatly but almost all MMORPG's have ways to customize your characters play style. Crafting is also something that is likely to be expected from most MMO's. These systems allow players to make various things in game ranging from purely cosmetic (like dyes for armor) to items that can make your character stronger (better armor, weapons etc.) These are just a couple things most people expect from MMORPG's but they are the only things I am going to talk about in this guide.

DPS (Damage Per Second)(Melee/Ranged): This is an acronym used to talk about how much damage a character does or to talk about the role that a character plays. A DPS character is a character who’s job it is too deal strong consistent damage on monsters to ensure their timely demise. A melee DPS character is a character that deals damage in a close range scenario and will use close range weaponry to deal damage. Close range weapons are something along the lines of any bladed weapon and can even be a close ranged gun like a shotgun for example. A ranged DPS character is a character that deals damage but does not have to get close range to do so. They do this either through using a weapon like a bow or gun, or by casting some sort of longer ranged ability. I like to call these characters “a dime a dozen” because generally speaking there are many more DPS type characters played in MMO's than any other character role. They are needed for most MMO's but they are generally easier to pick up and play than tank or healer roles which explains why most people are more comfortable playing them.

Tank: This is a term used to describe a character role in which the characters main job is to hold the attention of monsters to keep his/her less resilient allies out of danger. Tanks are usually difficult to kill as they have many ways to avoid and mitigate damage from enemies.

Healer: This is a term used to describe a character role that focuses on healing and supporting allies. Healers generally play an essential role in the MMO world because without them to keep people alive many difficult challenges would not be possible.

Respec: In many MMO's it is common to earn various points when you gain a level. Once you spend these points you can usually only get them back through what is called repecing. Respecing has become an essential feature in the MMO world because it allows players to try different ways to play their character. Repecing usually costs some form of in game currency or in some cases (like Eldevin) it can cost real money.

ARPG (Action Role Playing Game): This is a term used to describe a role playing game that focuses mostly on combat and usually only has other very basic systems. ARPG's have a different set of expectations in terms of the way the game plays and feels compared to most modern MMO's.

Meaty: A term used to describe a character that can take more hits than other characters. This is usually used to describe a DPS character that is more resilient than other DPS role characters.

Squishy: The opposite of meaty. Used to describe a character that will die quickly if enemies manage to attack it.

I hope these terms help anyone who may be confused by my incoming review. My Eldevin review is finished and I will be posting it on Monday March, 17th. I want to give everyone a couple of days to look this over and get acquainted with some of the basic MMO terms before I post my review. That being said if you think I forgot anything or have some questions please feel free to ask!

Also if your are antiquated with the MMO scene what is your favorite MMO related acronym?