Everybody wants Kung-Fu fighting! Week 2 focuses on three MMORPG’s based on the ancient (and in this review, incredibly fictional) art of Kung Fu/Wuxia.
If there is one thing that makes good MMORPG, it’s putting up fighting styles to make the game somewhat interesting. Though I am personally still waiting for Kung-Fu Hustle: The Game (It’s been two years, Sony!), here are three mini-reviews/stories of the many Wuxia-inspired games that can either pack a punch, or just leave you punching yourself in the end.
Zu Online
Country of Origin: China
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Company of Origin: Onwind Digital
Distributors: IGG (Global)
Current Gameplay Status: Dropped
As many thought that this was based on a Chinese Novel (not really, it was really based on a Kung-Fu Movie called Zu Mountain says an old interview with IGG product manager Likeice Han), this Kung-fu centric fantasy MMORPG revolves around the mythical Zu Mountain Range of Sichuan, the 5 different races who inhabited there (Swordsmen, Bead Fairies, Sun Warriors, Moon Maidens, and Summoners) and their quest to search for the legendary Heavenly Scriptures in order to defeat the powerful Blood Demon and his army.
I was madly into Zu’s cell-shading style. I think that was all I liked about it.
I played this about first year of college and it was at the time pretty cute and interesting to look at. The players were awfully nice and the GMs were at least helpful to you, and I have met a lot of Filipino online players here and there who do help the newbies fight against the opposing clans, and they tend to forgive you if you screw up. Also, their flight system has some pretty cool graphics that shows different types of flight transportation depending on your race.
*insert mandatory Dragon Ball reference here*
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TwelveSky (1 and 2)
Country of Origin: Korea
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Company of Origin: Alt1
Distrubtors: AeriaGames (Global), GameClub (Philippines)
Current Gameplay Status: Dropped (had to make a new account for this review… Gonna start playing again reeeal soon)
The Twelve Sky duology, the debut game of Korean company Alt1, revolves around battles and sieges among the three factions: the balanced and noble Guanyin, the swift and liberal Fujin, and the strong and savage Jinong. Long story short: They all hated each other and wanted to dominate one another for supremacy, so expect a lot of PVPs and siege battles.
Each faction has their own weapons and fighting styles. There were also some weapons in each faction that seemed incredibly interesting, such as the Fujin’s lute (that contains a hidden sword, sort of like the sword Setsuka uses in the SoulCalibur series) and the Guanyin’s “marbleâ€, gauntlets with special gems attached to it (and probably the closest thing to ever doing real Kung-Fu in this game, I’m afraid.)
The Fujin Lute works both as a hidden sword for Physical Attacks and deadly “sound waves” for its more Ranged/Magical Attacks.
TwelveSky2 is sort of a graphical and gameplay-centric improvement to its predecessor, including more statistical balance within the factions, their characters, and their weapons, and the introduction of the Legendary Nangin, the Sky Clan. The Nangins play the role of those who want to end the warfare among the factions, enough to leave the faction they are from and start anew.
One best thing I love about TwelveSky was the existence of blood in their effects. It was rated M for its battle scenes where blood splatters about and in times, you can even decapitate the enemy’s heads! Though the premise of the gore effects is not as badass as you think, since all the gore you get is in decapitating their heads. But it was still pretty gutsy for an MMORPG to at least create blood and gore possible. Twelve Sky 2 though creates a “Mature Mode” Option for players to fully ultilze the blood and gore effects. Oh what am I saying? The Mature Mode option does almost nothing!
This was considered mature at the time, though.
Zhu Xian (aka ZX, Jade Dynasty)
Country of Origin: China
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
Company of Origin: Beijing Perfect World
Distrubtors: Perfect World International (Global), e-Games (Philippines)
Current Gameplay Status: Dropped
So here we have another Perfect World game. *sighs* Let’s get crack-a-lackin’.
Zhu Xian Online’s storyline, a very popular MMORPG in China which is based on an Ancient Chinese legend, revolves around a powerful battle between two factions: The Human race who have long gone in search for secrets of immortality, and the Athans who were sent by the gods to stop them. That is all I can state by reading the plot in the website, but it was a long and incredibly confusing plot that can only be solved by either reading the original Chinese Novel or a translated fanmade comic adaptation.
The first time I saw this game was in a store in Divisoria (or Thailand, or maybe PC Quest… my memory is really fuzzy). One guy was playing the Chinese version of the game. Thought at the time that it was Perfect World (sthat game was immensely popular at the time), until I asked him what was the title of the game was and he replied, “Zhu Xian. Not understanding what on earth was he talking about, I do remember a bit of the Heads-Up Display in the game, and after a few months, and ZX Philippines was in Closed Beta Mode… and I played it. It wasn’t bad (but it was definitely like Perfect World), but I am not really into the forbidden love plot that this game promotes heavily in the game.
Perfect World with Kung Fu theme. That is all. If you read some of my problems back in Week 1’s Forsaken World (with the quest system having an easy tracker and small easy quests), then you know what my problem is with ZhuXian. Though I’ve heard that the Philippine server will shut down on August 13th. It was truly fun while it lasted.
A Chinese-only 2.5D spinoff, Fantasy Zhu Xian, is a turn-based strategy MMORPG and is basically a loose, child-friendly interpretation of the Zhu Xian Series. I will not review this because I cannot understand Chinese to save my life. There is also a promotional live action miniseries and a manga series based on the game. Just sayin’.
Even if the style is kinda cute, I cannot play it.
Ending another week of Shenanigans! Next week will involve Three Kingdoms… and yes, you WILL observe me ranting about Dynasty Warriors Online!
And before I leave…
Mandatory Bruce Lee reference!