By Jeffrey Kerkdijk (Hyarume), Onrpg writer
Twelve sky a Oriental fantasy MMORPG, developed by Alt1 (formally known as Gigasoft) and has been a big hit on the MMO market. Twelve sky 2 is an improved version of that game with better visuals, enhanced gameplay and a new clan. Could it become another big success, or is it yet another grinder?
The game is set in ancient China where three clans rule the land. These clans are: The Imperial Dragon Clan, Royal Snake Clan and The Fierce Tiger Clan. Until recently these where the only Clans that ruled the land, but The Ancient Sky Clan arises from their dark ashes.
Entering ancient China
When you first start the game you can create a character like in most MMORPGs you have three clans to choose from(and there isn’t a fourth yet) and a few customization options plus you must pick a weapon that you would like to use.
Each clan has its own starting locations and fighting abilities that can be learned. One clan starts in the middle of a cold icy area and another starts near a volcano with ashes falling down from the sky, there is no shortage of variation in the game.
Quests are extremely generic(kill this, talk to that person over there..) and they also appear to be not really rewarding: little experience and money is given to you when you complete a quest and sometimes a piece of equipment or a weapon. When it comes to enjoying the game you are better off hunting for monsters from the start.
Gameplay in a martial arts world
The combat system in twelve sky is pretty interesting, you have a lot of cool martial arts moves some of them are for a single enemy, and with others you can easily kill 5 or 10 at once. Twelve sky 2 is a big grind. There are dungeons and other places that you can do in groups, in these you can find some great items and quite a bit of money.
You can learn some special skills in the game such as running with a very high speed, a jump move which allows you to jump on objects rooftops for example. This is fun and all but the jumping is not necessary in PvE but in PvP it can be a lot of fun.
The game has no WASD controls, it is a full point and click game. But as it is WASD wouldn’t work here either. The game makes full use of the point and click controls and it feels really old. For example when you are using your running skill, you can only click where you want to go once if you want to change directions it will cost you another smack of MP, this is very annoying.
Each time you level up you get a few stat points, you can distribute these in any way you want. This system works for those who have been familiar with this but can be a pain for the newcomer to the genre.
This game also has another familiar MMO syndrome “potion spamming” as healing items don’t seem to have a cool down at all you can use as much as you want as fast as you want. This makes PvP on an equal level more like “Let’s see who of us has the most potions today”.
PvP
You can dual with players from your own clan or battle against the other clans with your clan as an ally. Dueling can be fun but if you are both around the same level it all comes down to the “potion spamming” mechanism. Also when you are fighting against other clans this will happen but then the PvP isn’t just 1 vs 1 all the time, thus making it a little more fun to do.
Graphics
The graphics are in a mix, the character designs look awesome, but the world looks less interesting and really flat. The animations look great but have a sudden stop, for example: You are using your great skills your character slashes the enemy multiple times and then at the last swing the animation stops and returns the character back to the normal position all in one frame. This really makes you think the game is really old because it is so strange to see this in a new MMORPG.
Sound
The game has some interesting background music it really suits the game and adds to the feeling of ancient china. The other sounds when in combat are really annoying whatever you hit it all sounds the same and there is little variation in the combat sounds. Another thing that makes this game feel so old.
Personal Recommendation
Twelve sky 2 isn’t a bad game it just feels really old, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try the game. The game sets place in a unique concept of ancient china and has a lot of variety in landscaping.
The core game is “Just another grind” however it does have its own unique style. The game is a lot like the first twelve sky but this time around has better graphics, mechanics and some new content.
Visuals and sound do feel a bit old for these days. But it does seem to work, allot of players are already playing the open beta of the game and the two servers available are almost completely full at most times of the day.
Bottom line: Twelve sky 2 is a unique grinder with a martial arts style, But the game is worth it to check out!
Pros
– Character design
– Variation in locations
– Martial arts style
– The PvP concept
Cons
– The actual PvP
– Potion spamming
– The suddenly stopping animations
– Battle sounds
– Potion spamming
– The game feels old
– The grind
