If you’re not ingrained in the video game culture of the East, you may be unaware that there are a variety of major MMORPGs that thrive in Asian countries but don’t always land with audiences in the West. One such example of this is Blade & Soul, an action fantasy MMO that takes players into a Wuxia-themed land of Asian legend and myth. With over a decade of development under its belt, NCSoft has decided that it’s time Blade & Soul hit the reset button, all with an announcement of a remaster of this long-running MMO.
It’s set to be known as Blade & Soul Neo and as the press release affirms, we can look forward to a “modern interpretation” of the MMO that will attempt to capture the “original spirit of the free-to-play, open-world MMORPG in a richer, visually enhanced experience set in a world of Asian mythology where fast-paced combat collides with the stunning visual beauty.”
We can look forward to the original storyline making a return, where players will be required to pick and create a character based on one of four playable races (the Dragon, Qilin, Phoenix, and Turtle) and within one of seven class types, including the Assassin, Blade Dancer, Blade Master, Destroyer, Force Master, Kung Fu Master, and Summoner.
This remaster is being built on Unreal Engine 4 and will offer “enhanced textures and lighting, improved animations, and more environmental details and atmosphere”. It will incorporate a few more modern features that have become popular with fans, including Infinite Windwalking to allow players to freely run and sprint without having to worry about their stamina bar.
While there will be plenty of PvE action, there will even be PvP support that includes Dungeon Raids, Field Combat, and Faction Combat where two teams of six players battle it out.
NCSoft hasn’t yet set a release date nor window for Blade & Soul Neo, but we are told that the game will launch on the company’s Purple platform and that we can look ahead to more information, including when the title will debut on PC, soon.