There are a number of quests that distract you from leveling

We have been covering Black Desert Online for a long time. Personally, I’ve been excited about it pretty much since the first amazing screen shots and information of the Korean version appeared online. At long last, the game is landing on the western shores, with a launch in both North America and Europe on March 3rd, and early access beginning today for those who purchased the most pricey pre-order package.

Of course, you can expect a review, but reviewing a MMORPG doesn’t take just a few days (if you do it seriously, at least), so I’m going to share my first impression from the multiple beta phases here. Speaking of which, that beta begins on February 18 and runs until February 22. For a chance to participate in the pre-release test you can register here or pre-order one of the premium packages, which run from $50 to $100 -- as opposed to the $30 base game, for guaranteed access.

Korean MMOs are notorious for being grind heavy, and while I cannot speak to the end-game of Black Abyss, the early hours of the game are very combat focused. Combat is, happily, a lot of fun. It is very dynamic and each encounter presents many options and combos. Enemies can be back stabbed and staggered and especially in melee, it felt a little Dark Souls like, which I really enjoyed. As is so often true, casters simply spamming spells from a distance are both less interesting to play and a little too easy.

For all classes, though, combat dynamics are well done, with a sort of camera-jarring motion effect taking the place of controller vibration. Speaking of the graphics, another feature that should be familiar to World of Warcraft players is the lack of loading screens. The world is beautifully rendered as one large continuous changing landscape. There is a dynamic night and day cycle and weather patterns that actually impact what you see around you.

If you want to know more about the game, Fraser took a look at it during one of the Black Desert Online beta phases. He avoided the combat, instead exploring its massive money-making crafting systems, and found it quite enthralling. I can't say I'm a fan of the business model they are using for the NA/EU version of the game. You have to buy it, unlock the other versions, but there are still some pretty expensive cash shop items.

The good news is that some the things that could be consider Pay-2-Win were taken out or toned down since beta. Overall, I don't find this game to be P2W, but I think there could be less of the cash shop since you have to pay to play. Players can also farm, tame and breed animals, hunt, fish, and much more. Combat also takes a more real-time based approach when it comes to attacks, with the game allowing full gamepad support for those willing to learn the ins and outs of battle.

Voice acting will be available for the English language, with French and German subtitles. The French and German community however won’t have separate servers, as they don’t want to split the community too much. The same consideration is also valid for different server types like PvE/PvP/RP, but Daniel said that they are interested in getting feedback about this, so if you really want a PvE or RP server you should probably convey your opinion to Daum Games Europe and there might be a chance for this to happen.

It becomes very evident very quickly how huge Black Desert is. There are a number of quests that distract you from leveling, numerous side activities that distract you from quests, and a ton of knowledge that will keep you from unlocking all of these things at first. If you are looking for a traditional, combat-based MMO similar to the rest of the market then Black Desert may not be for you. If you are looking for a sandbox that is rich in features and holds endless possibilities to engage players, then this game can be highly recommended to you.