Nexon was one of the most visible names at this year’s Pax East. Held in Boston’s Convention and Exhibition Center, a 4-hour bus ride from NYC, the convention was full of previews and new content. Nexon had two big booths: the Vindictus booth showed off the new transformation system, while the other booth contained a hands-on preview of a brand new game coming out this summer: Dragon Nest.
Graphics-wise, Dragon Nest looks great, but seems to be targeting a less serious, possibly younger crowd than Vindictus. The characters are small and cute, and the environments are bright. The control scheme is similar to that of Vindictus: WASD to move, mouse to change which way you’re facing. You can also bind skills to numbers for quick access. Left click and right click trigger different attacks.
The gameplay is also very similar to Vindictus, and just as addictive. The game is made up of instanced dungeons which you can go through alone or in a group. Players go through the dungeon, clearing rooms up to the boss, which in the demo was a black flying monster. The monster designs look cool, even if they are more “cutesy” than Vindictus. One booth had a party of a mage, a cleric and an archer. The outfits look great, and the characters had to work together to clear the dungeon.
The boss monster’s defeat was followed by a cutscene which showed part of what seemed to be an intriguing story. It shows the player (or players) being knocked out of the area by a dark clad. This person is then seen taking away a girl -- presumably a girl who you were trying to save in this dungeon. A moment later a woman in a red hood and cape approaches your character, does something to your unconscious body (heals you?). She walks away. The scene ends.
So it appears that the story is well developed and interesting. The only issue that could be found with the game is the flaws of the cutscene -- the fingers on the woman’s hands look blocky and are fused together. Also, at a couple of points during the scene, the woman’s hair and hands go through her clothes as through they’re not even there. This is a glitch that happens often in MMOs, and it’s understandable when it happens to your character, but a little more care should have been put into a premade cutscene.
Still, overall the game is well made and looks and plays like a lighter version of Vindictus. When it comes out, it will be the perfect game for those who think Vindictus is too dark and serious. Playing just a little bit was definitely an addictive and fun experience. Dragon Nest is one game to look forward to.
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