Luna Online Review: Oh They’re So Cute
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist
When it comes to having the cutesy characters, nothing comes close to the cuteness factor of Luna Online. Big eyed cell shaded anime characters, petite build; it’s like a whole world of chibified (small dimension) characters ready to kill you with their jolly smiles. Luna Online has a certain charm that no other MMO could mimic. I know we’ve seen tons of big eyed MMOs but this game just has everything going for it.
Lune online is all about meeting new people online as well as fighting alongside them in order to overcome the hardest obstacles. You could say that the game lets players focus more on their social status rather than the game itself. There’s nothing bad with that concept, considering that this is an MMORPG after all. And what better way to role play than to actually use your character to converse and make new allies?
Starting Up
I was a bit disappointed after seeing only two races in the character creation screen. You’re basically supposed to choose between Human and Elf which are only separated by their future class types. There are no racial abilities and both races start up with the same three archetypes (Fighter, Mage, Rogue). Aside from their appearances, the only thing that separates these two races would be their stats upon starting the game Worry not because these classes tend to go separate ways as you progress in the game.
Absolute Pinnacle of Cuteness
The game has a lot of classes to choose from (40+ at the most) once you reach their designated level. Some of the classes are exclusive to each race so you shouldn’t really worry about them being the same. After picking your hair style and eye color, it’s time to start playing.
The Game Actually Helps Us!
Unlike most MMOs, Luna Online is quite charitable with gears and necessities. After going through some tough leveling, the game actually rewards you with a bunch of items that can be acquired through some sort of reward box. This is actually a good feature since MMOs are starting to feel like work nowadays.
Come Here, Honey
If you’re looking for a romantic activity for you and your date then you’d probably want to consider going out to kill monsters with her (works for me LOL). The dating system lets players pair up with other characters who share their likes and dislikes. It’s more or less a virtual blind date but it does have its merits. Dating is one way of getting good gear as this feature lets virtual couples access the game’s special instances. These instances give tons of special stuff so you might want to consider getting a date as this instance is reserved for couples only. Think of it as a free class A restaurant that’s only available for dating couples (what are you waiting for?).
Start a Farm Together
Grab em’ Kids! We Be Steadyin’ Up Da Farm
After you enjoy raiding instances with your loved one, you might want to consider making a farm since it provides a nice set of items for you and your family. Having a family is the same as having a guild, letting you duke it out with enemy guilds (Families) as well as benefit from having to own your own farm. Farms are exclusive only to families and require a hefty maintenance fee. It’s not meant to discourage you really, farms are quite important and could help you make your character better (not to mention richer).
Character Development
The game respects the traditional Stat system which is quite similar to that of Ragnarok online and Fiesta. There are five main stats to choose from which makes the game even harder as each level gained only offers you 1 point to distribute. Worry not, for a single point does make a lot of difference in terms of your character’s performance.
The game also lets you craft items (what’s new?) for your character to wield. Although as troublesome as most crafting systems, it always pays to have better gear. Why bother buying and purchasing items if you can make your own kickarse one right?
Craft Your Own Gear
One thing that most MMOs don’t have is the Fishing System. You might be familiar with this gimmick after playing games like Dekaron and World of Warcraft; however, fishing in this game gives you something else other than money. FP or Fish Points as they call it lets you purchase rare items like gear and consumables. Fishing is a boring hobby, but if it gives you better items then why not?
Graphics and Gameplay
Starting off with the game’s control scheme, Luna online uses the point and click system which is a bit outdated in today’s MMO Meta. You basically have to click on your target while pressing the number keys to execute your skills. Since the game doesn’t feature that many obstructions, the click and point system is greatly accepted. You’ll be surprised at how competitive this game is despite the user friendly controls.
The graphics are composed of cellshaded characters that blend well with their bright and colorful background. Since the game is all about cutesy characters, there’s no reason to add much detail to the structures (as well as trees). The interface is pretty much a buffed up Ragnarok Online, with a hotkey bar, upper left status bar, and a trusty map box. Most of the NPCs have anime portraits as well but are currently a bit too sexy compared to their “chibified” in game models.
The Verdict
Is it worth playing? Damn hell it is! The game is pretty awesome when it comes to character development as it lets you pick between an array of 40 classes (no need to ask for more right?). Hybrid builds are strongly discouraged as the stronger skills cannot be unlocked while sharing other class skills. Your best bet would be to head on a linear path in order to compliment your character’s original playstyle. Graphics are dated but still acceptable. Even though they’re nothing but cellshaded characters, I don’t see the reason why we should improve the game’s graphics any further.
The dating system is quite fun although I’ll have to agree with some speculations regarding other men making female characters. You better be careful since your soulmate may actually be of the same gender. There’s a lot of things to do and it doesn’t look like you’re about to run out of tasks any time soon. Cute and fun, this game is a must try.
Pros:
– It’s extremely cute
– Instances
– Lots of fun things to do (Fishing, etc.) with tons of good rewards
– The game doesn’t burn labor out of you.
– 40 classes man… what more could you ask for?
Cons:
– Outdated controls
– Lack of hybrid building
– Everyone starts off with the same 3 classes
– Needs more character creation features.
