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Leaderboard: Are you following Bless or Black Desert?
I'm a big fan of Korean MMOs, and I always look forward to what's next from our friends in the Far East. Since Blade & Soul doesn't seem to be gaining any traction in Europe or North America, that arguably leaves Black Desert and Bless as the primary triple-A Korean titles on the horizon. Black Desert seems to have more of the sandbox features I want, but I'm sure I'll play Bless too at some point. What about you, Leaderboard readers? Are you looking forward to either of these games? Vote after the cut!
See Bless Online's character creation options
Getting a closer look at character creation options when a title is deep in testing is always useful, especially to those of us who lack access to the beta. Steparu.com took Bless Online's character creator out for a spin as the title's closed beta test revved back up, and you can enjoy a sneak peek as a result. Steparu noted that it doesn't look as though classes are gender-locked, although players may be wedded to a faction once they roll up their first character. You can watch the character creation video after the jump, and make sure you bounce over to Steparu.com for more videos on several of the game's classes.
Bless Online adds mounts in closed beta
It's disheartening to play an MMO that forces your character to walk everywhere like an animal. Much better to get an actual animal to do all the walking for you, yes? Thankfully Bless Online will allow players to do exactly that, with the game's current closed beta test adding 30 mounts for players to use as their personal transport tools. Mounts in the game can be obtained via NPC trainers, via quests, or via finding and taming certain creatures out in the wild. They're also not meant as mere cosmetic variations, as each one supposedly has unique skills and attributes once you climb on its back. It looks as if flying mounts will be available in the future, giving players all sorts of different ways to get from point A to point B without having to rely on something so undignified as actually walking there.
Bless Online offers combat peek in latest trailer
Bless Online's second closed beta is coming up soon, with testing beginning on December 16th and going on until the 22nd. But hopeful testers don't have to wait until then to get a glimpse of the game's combat; Neowiz has released a brief combat trailer that shows off various fighting styles and their accompanying skills. Unlike the official trailer, this one is filled with in-game footage, complete with a peek at the UI. Check out a bow, sword and board, mace, and two-handed axe in action in the video below.
Bless Online reveals a new trailer for its second beta
The second beta test for Bless Online is coming next month, and the game is currently looking for more testers. Before you throw your hat into the ring, however, keep in mind that testers need to have both a Korean PMANG account and the ability to confirm their signup with a Korean cell phone. The goal here, if you haven't grasped it yet, is to have people from Korea testing the game. But you don't have to be in Korea to see the game's latest trailer. The trailer follows the format the game's prior trailers have established, looking gorgeous without saying a great deal beyond "two groups of people are fighting and some of them die in the process." It is very pretty, though. Jump on past the break if you'd like to see for yourself.
Go behind the scenes on a Bless cinematic
Remember Bless? It's been a while since we've heard from the Korean fantasy import, but today we learned of a new video that takes you behind the scenes for the making of a cinematic as well as a 1,000-player focus group test slated for the Korean market on November 6th. MMO Culture reports that Bless features "an epic storyline and conflicts between various factions and races which will lead to massive PvP battles." You can view the trailer after the cut.
Asker Online beta review says Korean game 'missing something'
Curious about the new Korean action-MMO Asker Online? One tester says that you really shouldn't be. Steparu spent time in the first closed beta and reports that the game is treading over familiar territory. He noted that while he's disappointed with Asker's choice of gender-locked classes (with only three classes in total so far), he found the boss fights challenging and enjoyable and the graphics pleasing to behold. "After spending a couple of days testing the game, Asker Online felt like it was missing something," Steparu writes. "I couldn't really get into the game as much as I thought I would have. Mainly because it didn't have anything new to present. The breakable environment and combat is a lot similar to Vindictus. The size of the maps are extremely small which reminded me of Dragon Nest or Continent of the Ninth. Asker just didn't have much of a flare or impact on me."
Korean action MMO Asker Online hits closed beta
2P brings word of another Korean MMO migrating to closed beta this month: Neowiz's Asker Online. The game first caught our attention way back in 2013 when it was nicknamed Black Sheep Online. It emphasizes a dynamic world with randomized dungeons, weather, grappling mechanics, and destructible elements. Neowiz is also responsible for BLESS, which is also still in beta and still has no hard plans to travel westward. We've included some of the newish Asker Online vids below. Think it's worth hoping for?
Get your Dizzel beta item key today here on Massively
Just as our sister site Joystiq did yesterday, Massively is giving away a boatload of Dizzel beta codes to our readers today -- specifically, keys for a Chrome Assault Rifle usable in the game. Dizzel is a free-to-play multiplayer third-person action-shooter by OGPlanet and Neowiz that falls into our Not So Massively category, but we think it could appeal to our regular MMO audience as well. Plus, free stuff! Interested? Just clicky the buttons below to grab your Dizzel item code, then follow these instructions to redeem it: Via official installer: Sign up for a free OGPlanet account by downloading the Dizzel Installer. Once Dizzel is installed, login to the game and create your character. Go to Dizzel's Redemption Page and enter your key code. Finally, check your in-game 'Storage' to add your items to your inventory. Via Steam: Download and Install Dizzel through Steam. Once you're in-game, locate and click the 'Shop' button on the top menu. Press the 'Cash Reload' button located on the bottom right. Steam's Cash Purchase window will be displayed; you will notice 'Item Package Redemption' on the right section. Please input your Keycode, and press 'Redeem,' and allow up to 15 minutes for delivery. Your item will arrive in your Inventory's 'Storage' section.
Joystiq is giving away tens of thousands of Dizzel beta codes
We love games, you love games. That is why you are here reading this right now, it is the central component in our ineffable bond. Want to know what we love even more? Playing games a little bit early. Why wait when you can dive into the gory innards of a game as it's being made? Indulge in that impulse by participating in the Dizzel beta. OGPlanet and Neowiz's third-person shooter MMO is making its way to the US for the very first time and you can get in on the beta easily. How? Just click this link. It's that simple. After you've done that, follow the instructions below the break to redeem your code. [Images: OGPlanet]
Bless Online's Korean beta hits 100,000 sign-ups in four days
If you're interested in checking out Bless Online's first closed beta, you are certainly not alone. Over 100,000 signed up in just four days -- and that's just those who meet the regional requirements! Of course, the lottery recruitment for beta slots -- open to Korean residents 19 years of age or older -- continues this whole week, so that number is expected to rise. It makes you think: Just how high would it soar if fans in the West were able to apply?
Bless Online offers first closed beta February 20th
If you want to check out Bless Online (and you can get your hands on a Pmang Korean account), you can apply for the new fantasy game's first closed beta phase that goes from February 20 to the 23rd. Steparu reports that besides trying to secure a beta spot through numerous events occurring on the official website, players 19 years of age and older can also sign up for the beta lottery until February 16th. If you lack the credentials to apply for the beta like the lion's share of the Western fan base, you can still get a taste of it in the official gameplay trailer below.
Bless heads overseas, but stays in the East
The good news is that Bless is traversing the seas to open up in new markets. Yay! The bad news is that said markets are not out here in the West. Sorry folks. The fantasy game known for its visually stunning screenshots and trailers is keeping to the other side of the globe; it will be available in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Publishing the game in that region is Game Flier, Taiwan's largest online games company. After posing for a picture at the Bless Taiwan Signing Ceremony, executives retired from the public spotlight at G-Star 2013 to conduct business in the business section. Although there is still no guarantee that the game will even make it to the West, we can hope that expanding into these markets is just the first step on the road to many more. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Bless announces beta plans for next year
Before we go any further in this post, you should know that Bless is still a long way away from any sort of western release no matter how its beta testing goes, seeing as it has no announced localization plans whatsoever. That having been said, the game is heading toward beta testing starting early next year, so if you're reading the site from Korea or are just deft at translation, you can look forward to that. According to the development team, the plan is to open up the beta test toward the beginning of the year with a January-to-March test window. Barring unusual developments or unforeseen glitches, the game is also slated to launch by the end of the year. From what we've seen of Bless so far, it certainly looks gorgeous with a focus on story and endgame content. Only time will tell when and whether we get to experience it firsthand.
Bless blasts the airwaves with a trove of new trailers
What in seven trailers is that? Why, it just happens to be seven trailers. No, make that eight! Neowiz is definitely no stranger to sharing the HD visual beauty of Bless with fans, from tantalizing trailers to galleries galore. But this time around, the company is offering a look at many aspects of the game all at once, releasing a number of trailers showcasing special effects in combat, clothing and armor design, the real-time day/night cycle, the seamless world, the sky box, and more. Get a gander at the world of Bless in the combat and seamless world trailers after the break, then head on over to Steparu.com to see the rest.
New Bless clip shows off boss transformation
Bless is shaping up to be quite a pretty game, and developer Neowiz is intent on showing off what harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 3 truly means for a fantasy-based MMO. This latest trailer focuses on the transformation of a giant wolf boss into an uglier giant wolf boss, and while short, it offers a glimpse of what players can expect in terms of Bless's bad guy design. Check out the video after the break, and take a look at our interview with lead producer Jacob Han for more information on the future of Bless.
Leaderboard: Which upcoming Korean MMO excites you the most?
There are a lot of interesting Korean MMOs on the horizon. Well, they're interesting to me, at any rate. The problem is, none of them are playable in the West as of yet, even though one of them has a Western publisher and the others publish English-language news semi-regularly. Assuming you are also something of a Korean MMO aficionado, I've put together a poll featuring some of the blockbusters we'll (hopefully) be playing in the near future. Feel free to vote for the one you're most looking forward to, and explain why in the comments. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Bless website updates with city screenshots
Bless is one of those games that we'd be following a lot closer if there was more information about it available in English. It's a Korean MMO, see, and like many Korean MMOs it's unequivocally gorgeous and sufficiently mysterious in terms of mechanics to whet our appetite. Neowiz did update its website today, though, and there are some new screenshots that show off plenty of impressive architecture and various city locales. Steparu has the details as well as a selection of the newest shots.
RaiderZ shutting down in Korea, NA version endures
RaiderZ just can't catch a break, it seems. Just a few weeks after the title was shuttered in Europe, Neowiz announced that it will be taking the game offline in South Korea next month. The Korean version will go dark on September 24th, and the publisher said that it will be reimbursing cash purchases through October. The North American version is still alive and kicking, however, and has released a state of the game post to rally players behind the title. Perfect World said that it's preparing new monsters, zones, dungeons, and loot for the near future. The company also took the opportunity to promote its in-game events, such as GM-run hide-and-seek games.
BLESS breaks update silence with new screenshots
If you've wondered about the fate of BLESS, we've got something for you! Although all has been quiet on the news front for the Korean game (and by quiet, we mean not a peep since our interview last fall), it has not disappeared into obscurity forever; the official website has posted an update and a number of screenshots highlighting the world built on the Unreal Engine 3. Even without an English translation, the update offers folks a peek at the progress of the game with various screenshots that show off a bit of the landscape, cities, and wildlife mounts (one of which appears to be a giant!).
