ArcheAge Through the Eyes of a Beginner in 2022

ArcheAge is nine years old this year . All this time, XLGames’ MMORPG has been on the radar, especially among Russian players. Due to new sanctions, compatriots cannot pay for World of Warcraft , The Elder Scrolls Online , Final Fantasy XIV and other well-known MMORPGs. But the Russian version of ArcheAge is available in the MY.GAMES launcher . We decided to check what it’s like for a newcomer to play it in 2022.

There are only six races in ArcheAge, and for me this is one of the few disadvantages of the game. On the other hand, in addition to the usual elves, humans, and gnomes, there are ferre cat-men and local demons represented by battle-borns. Another nation is the Harnians, but they look no different from people.

I chose ferret because I played MMORPG for many races, but I see cat people for the first time. In addition, they have a useful 10% bonus to running speed, as well as a 50% bonus if the character is climbing a tree or climbing stairs.

With classes in ArcheAge, everything is great even for experienced players. During the game, you can combine 14 specializations (from warriors to magicians) in such a way that 357 classes will be available to choose from. When creating a character at the start, you can choose one specialization, at level 7 you can take the second, and at level 15 – the third. At the same time, you can change specializations at any time or return them along with all progress. Although the game is far from Path of Exile in terms of variability, it gives WoW and TESO a head start.

The starting locations and introductory story for ferre and demonborn (played up to level 25) are not impressive, but, fortunately, they can be run through in a matter of minutes. Few assignments, but a lot of experience. Closer to level 10, the fun begins – players can get their first watercraft by making it themselves or by buying it from an NPC at the auction. On boats and launches (and later on full-fledged ships) you can fish, kill monsters or fight against other players.

Unlike WoW, Lord of The Rings Online , and a few other predominantly Western MMORPGs that I’ve spent thousands of hours playing, ArcheAge is a joy to fish. Only here you can fish, run into the enemy, and then set off in pursuit, shooting back with spells or boarding the enemy.

The sea in ArcheAge does not belong to any faction, therefore, sailing from the coast alone, you can rely only on your weapons. Battles at sea are aimed at high-level players, so the “kids” will go to the bottom very quickly. On land, factions are divided by race.

Another activity for singles is crafts. There are 20 professions in the game – a paradise for crafting fans. Here you can engage in both traditional MMORPG crafts, such as cooking and blacksmithing, as well as exotic ones – construction and book printing. Most of all I was interested in trading. You can trade goods from workshops, and sell them in the trading posts of those locations where they will give a lot of money for them. The cost varies depending on demand. The only disadvantage of the profession of a merchant is that you will have to carry the load on your back at low speed and reach the goal on your own two feet. In a separate storyline, the player is given a tractor that will allow them to carry four loads in addition to one on the character’s back.

In addition, in the game you can steal other people’s work – from plants and animals to the houses of members of your faction. But theft is punishable. Upon reaching 50 Crime Points, the player can be imprisoned after being killed. At the trial, the jury will be other players who will decide how long your character will sit behind bars.

PvE-focused dungeons in ArcheAge are not as difficult as those in WoW, for example. Much more interesting in PvP, where there are several modes on land and at sea. You can participate in battles against other players starting from level 30, but it is better to do this from level 50. On the 30th, the only suitable option is a 1v1 battleground. The biggest battles take place in factional wars at the maximum level. They can capture land and own castles.

By the time ArcheAge was released in 2013, I no longer played MMORPGs much, and paid almost no attention to the Korean game. Catching up now, I would recommend it most of all to fans of events, crafting and pastime outside of noisy companies. The game has a lot of content for solo or duo play, and the graphics look like most popular colleagues in the genre

What ArcheAge lacks is perhaps a fascinating plot. Having got used to Western MMORPGs, where even in a very niche Secret World Legends it is interesting to study characters and lore, I would like to see something similar in Korean games. However, the history of the races is the maximum that the plot in the game managed to entertain me.