Dekaron Review: Old School is Old School
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist
Only a few games have included “action” into their description. Dekaron (2Moons in other countries) is one example. The game is 3D and takes place in a world where humanity is on the verge of extinction. Only the Dekaron, or the resistors of evil and the protectors of humanity are equipped to fight against the monster horde.
Storyline
Dekaron’s storyline isn’t really original. I must admit that the game’s humanity-against-the-world storyline provides it enough reason to pump-up any player. However, with an MMORPG like Dekaron, you wouldn’t really care for the story.
Game Controls
Dekaron makes use of the typical MMORPG controls. Dekaron’s game controls keep things simple for new players. The intuitive game controls also provide a smooth platform so that players can easily move through the series of skills they’ll eventually get as they progress through the game.
Characters
The job classes in Dekaron are gender and race locked and it doesn’t have any character customizations either. This is a definite let down for Dekaron. Games that have no customization feature like Dekaron are a rare and dying breed. Actually, I personally think that when a game has no character customization it’s really showing its age.
I think that Dekaron’s solid player base is the only reason that the game is still floating. Though I can’t really be sure if that’s all there is to it. I’ve seen a lot of high level players in the game still roaming the low level cities.
Skills
Dekaron’s character skills follow the skill tree system. You can actually plot the skills you want your character to have. This makes it easier for new players to have a bird’s eye view on what skills they should be getting.
The game’s skill sprites are not something you can look forward to. I think it was amusing to see how your characters unleashed their skills for a minute or two but then it got boring. The game’s skills are also connected to the character’s stat build. So there will be times that you will find yourself facing a similar looking character but with a stronger or weaker string of attacks.
Leveling
The game’s leveling system is similar to a lot of f2p games out right now. The game has balanced out the experience gain you get from grinding and questing. The usual course for game’s like Dekaron is to just grind if you reach the higher-level tiers. The game is very much suited for PVE grinding.
Graphics and Art
Dekaron’s graphics were a disappointment when I saw the start screen and it didn’t get any better. The game is using a very dated graphics engine that you only see now in very old games. The graphics will not suit the younger generation of gamers unless they have nostalgia for old school. The game’s details aren’t that good and you can actually see how rough some of the game’s backgrounds were made.
The graphics of Dekaron does not match the current MMORPG pool and that’s one of the reasons why the game has such a low number of new players. However, the game has a lot of beautifully done artwork. From the cities to the loading screens I must say that Dekaron’s artwork is superbly done. However the artwork can also trick people into thinking that the game looks as good as the art you are seeing.
Dekaron uses the “dark” and “serious” environment setting. This suits well with the game’s theme. That is why if you are a player who is used to bright and cutesy games you better avoid Dekaron.
Areas and Monsters
One of the things I liked in Dekaron is the vast amount of areas you can go. The amount of maps and dungeons you can venture into increase as you level. The maps can satisfy anyone who has the craving for dungeon runs and monster grinding in different areas.
I think this is where the game pushes the “action” aspect of Dekaron. The number of maps, the ease of the controls and the amount of monsters you can kill is a good mix in providing an “action” based MMORPG. However, the game is not for players who are easily bored with repetitive game play. While it may be true the game has all the elements that make a very action-paced MMORPG, the problem is that the game can’t deliver everything it promised.
Upcoming Updates
Dekaron recently had it’s long awaited update. The update introduced a lot of new elements that may attract a lot of players into playing the game again. However, as the updates are for higher levels so I don’t know if this will attract new players but it sure will satisfy a lot of loyal players.
Updated: new gear please
The updates include high level dungeon maps, an increased character system, new set of skills for higher levels and of course better looking characters. However as I’ve mentioned only characters who have maxed out the level of their character can use of the update. So it will take a while if you just joined or you haven’t been playing the game as long.
Conclusion
I personally think that Dekaron still has a long way to go. The game needs to upgrade a lot if they want to compete with other f2p MMORPGs. . One sign that a MMORPG is slowly slipping is the lack of any new players joining. It seems that a lot of the players still playing Dekaron are the high levels and gold farmers.
The game needs to do something to attract a new crowd but with the current graphics quality, I don’t think that’d be possible. Also I don’t think that the game delivers a decent action-based gaming experience.
Pros:
– Intuitive game controls
– Informative interface
– Upcoming huge update promises a lot for players.
Cons:
– Dated graphics
– No character customization
– Lack of any other features makes the game boring.
