FREE-TO-SLAY

LOST ARK's blend of ARPG and MMO is a (mostly) successful experiment

- Rick Lane

Lost Ark is a game with zero chill. A Korean hybrid of ARPG and MMO, it embodies the best and the worst traits of both genres. Ambitious to a fault, it offers a vast and spectacular fantasy adventure elevated by a stunning combat system and an astonishing sense of scale, although its grand plans are hindered by hackneyed storytelling and a repetitive quest structure.

Right from the off, Lost Ark’s mantra is ‘why fight one enemy when you can fight 20?’ and it gives you the combat skills to facilitate this. You start the game at level ten, with five abilities already unlocked. For the Paladin—the class I spent most of my time with—this includes powers like Spin Slash, a powerful one-two punch of an attack that puts a massive dent in enemy health bars, and Light of Judgement, where your Paladin thrusts his hand forward, emitting a beam of searing light that sends enemies flying back.

The game is structured heavily around these meaty combat skills, to the point that you’ll mostly use your standard attack for mopping up stragglers when the fight’s already been won. Your powers only become more impressive as you level up, too. With higher-level powers unlocked, I liked to open-up combat with Wrath of God, a devastating attack. Then I’d mop up any remaining foes with Flash Slash, where your Paladin moves slowly forward, cutting at the air rapidly like an armored lawnmower.