Pristontale II Review: A Brand Spanking New Tale!
By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist
Pristontale II: The Second Enigma is the direct sequel to Yedang Online’s successful 2001 MMORPG of the same name. Pristontale II continues from its predecessor’s lore however significant changes were made both in the game’s graphics engine and the game system. The creators meanwhile retained all the game features and systems that players enjoyed in the first game.
First Impressions
Being one of the people who used to obsess and play Pristontale. Memories of the game were of almost blocky characters, intense but pretty basic skill sprites and one heck of an addicting game to play specially if you are playing it with friends. So I was expecting a lot from Pristontale II and I was not disappointed.
Inserted image is what the previous game chars looked like
In terms of the game’s graphics engine, it proudly says that Pristontale II uses the Unreal engine. THis is a definite level up and it made Pristontale II such a sight to behold specially for an old player such as myself. I never realized that the game could look this good and I was just right to set my expectations that high.
It looks so good that even new players introduced into the game without prior knowledge of how Prisontale looked then won’t be disappointed. The game looks better than most of the MMORPGs out right now and I think the only reason some would be turned off by the graphics, is that it looks pretty much an Asian MMORPG.
Significant Changes
Pristontale II retains the two races from the original game but adds a third one, the Sophetio race. Unlike its predecessor, the there are only two jobs available per race in Pristontale II. Each race has a melee and ranged fighter and each job class is basically divided into the defensive or the offensive kinds.
The game also introduces the mount, lapis and loot pet system, all of which were not part of the first game. The Lapis system will be explained later own however the mounts and the loot pet system are self-explanatory.
While it is a given that these two game features are not significant leaps or bounds in the game, they are the best examples of the novelty features you’d get to experience in the game that were not part of Pristontale. However, it cannot be ignored that these things should be expected from the game since they are already part of every other client based MMORPG out there.
Pristontale II also introduces a better and more up-to-date game interface that is similar to a lot of aisan-themed MMOs out now. While this may be an attractive point for old players such as myself, this won’t even matter to any new player.
Lapis
As an added feature to Pristontale II. The Lapis is the small sprite or spirit that is seen flying above your character’s right shoulder once it is equipped. These little things provide a boost to your character’s stats and even buff them if the said Lapis has one. You can get one through either one of the starting quests or purchase one over at the premium store.
You can either go with slimer here or a tinkerbell lookalike
The Lapis also levels in conjunction to the character’s grinding or questing. You can think of them as the support pets in other MMOs, the only exception the Lapis has is that you don’t have to feed them on a regular basis.
Skill System
Pristontale II retains the skill-based gameplay from its predecessor. This means the game still does not allow any stat allocation and the natural growth of a character’s stats is highly based on the path it has chosen. This pushes players to rely once again on their skill allotment skills and their equipment capabilities.
Crafting
Speaking of which, Pristontale II players may now craft their items with the inclusion of a crafting feature. Similarly to WoW’s crafting system, players get to choose to get an area of specialty in crafting. You get to use crafting materials dropped by monsters and then create your own equipment with the help of a recipe.
The crafting system adds a new “goal” or players to explore which was once unavailable in Pristontale. In fact, the crafting quests provide players with repeatable quests that give them not only points for their chosen guild but also experience and in-game currency.
PVPing
PvP in Pristontale II is still restricted on certain areas. These areas are called the Warfare zones and are marked as red on your maps. In these zones almost everyone is your enemy except for your clan or party.
The thing about the Warfare zones is that you are given “additional powers” at every hour on the hour. This keeps the tension up for those who are inside the area because the probability of facing a “buffed up” character is highly possible and that the monsters inside of the area are pretty much buffed up as well.
Conclusion
While Pristontale II did provide the nostalgia I never experienced from other games. It is in fact a good game on its own even for new players who have no idea on the first one. Yes it has a pretty good core gameplay that originated from the first game and yes, the new and improved graphics, the added game features and the updated interfaces would make any Pristontale fan sqeal for glee, but I’m sure the reaction’s going to be different for a new player coming in.
All that was added to Pristontale II is already found in other MMORPGs. For a person who has no loyalty or ties to the name will think that this is all just fanfare and PR fluff. I would even go as far as saying that the game is catered more for Pristontale players rather than new ones.
With that said, Pristontale II is a must play for old players of Pristontale looking for something new to their beloved game. New players are still welcome to try the game out, however you should keep an open mind with the game or you’re going to end up irritated and would think you just wasted your time.
Pros
– Definite improvements in the graphics compared to the first pristontale game.
– They have improved Pristontale’s core gameplay.
– The game is pretty much an update of the old game.
Cons
– You would not appreciate the changes unless you have played the first game.
– The game seems to target old Pristontale players rather than attracting the new players.
– There is nothing new or innovative in the game if you compare it against other MMORPGs out now.
