Wonderking Online Review – A step in the Right Direction


Wonderking Online Review – A step in the Right Direction
Rickee Charbonneau (Jammart), OnRPG Journalist

 

Maplewonder, Kingmaple , Wonderstory, Storyking… WONDERKING!

Wonderking Online is a 2D sidescroller MMORPG that finally reached Open Beta on January 7th 2010. Many users flooded the servers in anticipation of having a chance to play this game without the excessive hacking and glitches that were present in the closed beta.  Now that the game is released, I will share my experiences in the game along with those of other OnRPG members.

 

Before I truly dive into this preview, I want to briefly tackle the issue of the repetitive comparison of this game to the MMORPG “Maplestory”.  The popularity of Maplestory completely overshadows that of Wonderking, but that does not mean Wonderking is a poor MMORPG. In fact, Wonderking has some features Maplestory players yearn to access, such as Realm vs. Realm, housing, and other minor additions. That being said I am not judging which game is better-that’s up to your own personal judgement-but I did find that playing Wonderking was an enjoyable experience, for the most part, and that it promises a wonderful turnout in the 2D sidescroller genre. Whether it will live up to Maplestory is beyond me (I honestly think it can’t reach that popularity level), but then again a small tight-knit community is what a great amount of players search for.

 

Wonderking Battling Monster

 

What Makes Wonderking Truly Wonderful?

To be blunt and honest, there isn’t much that sets this game apart from the rest. However, there are some minor details that make the game that make the game entertaining and diverse. The classes, skills, equipment, items, quests, and general game mechanics are very similar to that of other MMOS, but this one adds a twist to each element. The classes are disguised with pretty interesting names, skills are more flashy and enjoyable to use, equipment looks pretty wacky (in a good way) as you develop your characters, and quests allow you to level faster than most games would permit.

 

There is also official word that the game will host many new features in the near future, that should be of much interest to players who play more than others (but of course for the casual players as well), such as the previously mentioned realm vs. realm system, and the housing system. This MMO is still undergoing routine updates even in its Korean counterpart.

 

Wonderking Explosion

 

The main aspect of this game that attracts so many gamers is it’s extreme ease to play. Players can reach their first job change in a matter of minutes without any grind or tedious controls to learn.

 

Fighting monsters for experience is not the dull repetitive action of swinging your weapon. In Wonderking, your character has a few different animations for the basic attack, and can fight off 5 or so monsters at once without much trouble-it’s pretty fun. This is equally as fun to do in parties. The more party members you have fighting on your map, the more party points you’ll earn for killing monsters, which you can then turn in for Zed (in-game currency) or experience.

 

Another major plus about this game isthe quality of the graphics and sound. The BGM is above par in this MMO. Some songs are very repetitive and annoying in my opinion, but they are still of great quality (and most people seem to adore them). Wonderking’s graphics are also high quality. There aren’t many monster re colours in comparison with the majority of today’s popular MMORPGS, and they are all very decent looking and surprisingly unique!

 

…And best of all: they aren’t all CUTE!!!!!!

 

 Wonderking Oh Oh

 

Wonderking also has a neat boss system that is available in this Open Beta phase By fighting these bosses you can earn a pretty large sum of exp in a short period of time. Some bosses are harder to defeat than others, usually because of the fact that you aren’t the only one after them… so party up!

 

The Not-So-Wonderful Woes of Wonderking

Wonderking may sound amazing by now, but there are a few downsides to this game that I have experienced. First, the grind does hit you like brick wall in your late 50sas there aren’t many maps designed for high level players yet. I suppose NDOORS didn’t plan on seeing their community level up so fast.

 

Another drawback is that killing monsters 14 levels above your character’s level will only result in earning 1/10th of the experience that monster should normally reward you with. In other words, this means that you are limited to the amount of mobs you can actually train on.

 

Wonderking Angry Boss

 

It is argued that quests are not worth completing in this game. I found them quite all right, but high-levelled players mostly suggest that in later levels it is wise to stick to grinding, as it is more rewarding in experience in terms of time devotion. I personally rather stick to quests just so that I remain on the right track. To each their own.

 

A Final Note…

I enjoyed Wonderking, but I don’t know whether I will continue playing steadily or not. The game mechanics are really fun, but then again it is an Open Beta; there is a limited amount of content in the game. So far I have mostly encountered tons of hardcore players and very few casual players, which is slightly discouraging, though perfectly normal for this kind of game. As much as I hate to say it, if you didn’t like Maplestory and blame your deep hatred for the game on the 2D sidescroller scheme, try this game. It may appeal to you as it appealed to me. You may be pleasantly surprised! Happy Gaming!

 

Pros:
– Great BGM and graphics
– Flashy skills
– Little to no grind factor for the most part
– Fun game systems to come such as RvR and housing
– Boss battles that require teamwork
– Cute and intricate outfits.

 

Cons:
– Lacking in content
– Still in the open beta phase (may be glitchy)
– Quests are generally frowned upon.

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