In what is set to be an exciting year for gaming, 2022 is packed full of big releases with the hope for more indie title success and a strong showing for AAA titles across all platforms too – with mobile gaming continue to succeed much in the way it has been for a number of years too as favorite games where more like here can be found, players may find themselves in a position with too much to play rather than not enough. Of these big releases comes a not so new title in the MMORPG space, and one that may hope to experience the same success it has had in the east.
(Image from pcgamer.com)
Lost Ark is a 2.5D isometric action-based game similar to the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile, however it doesn’t lean as heavily into the ARPG dungeon-crawler style of grinding through multiple floors for hours on end and instead leans into the MMORPG style of gameplay a bit more – it features a very strong PvE styled end-game with mechanically demanding boss fights and a 3v3 arena for the PvP focused too showing the difference from the previously mentioned games. It was originally released in Korea back in 2019 and has grown massively over time to consistently be one of the most played games in the region, often the second most popular game in PC Bangs only behind League of Legends. Shortly after it would also release in Russia, and found similar success by becoming one of the most popular games in the region too.
With the February release date closing in for European and North American players, it has been a long wait for ARPG and MMORPG fans hoping to get onboard with the game, but can it replicate the overseas success? Amazon Game Studios had secured the publishing rights and may have learned some valuable lessons from the launch of New World to hopefully provide a stable server base and fewer game disruptions, and whilst the game did fall under some western criticism early for the pay-to-win aspects that are more common to see in the eastern market, some of the concerns have also been addressed as the game has been adapted for the new audience.
Given the MMORPG market is still very much up in the air with players leaving preferred favorites in World of Warcraft and trying new horizons in Final Fantasy XIV, this could provide a perfect clean start for some who are waiting for some other wildly anticipated games like Ashes of Creation or not yet announced Riot G
