Game Watch 2015 pt.2: Tree of Savior

On 01/11/2015 at 03:38 PM by Machocruz

Wherein I catalog and share the games that are catching my attention and piquing my interest in year 15 of the second millenium

I don't know what a Ragnarok Online is, besides that it's...online. But I keep seeing it in reference to this isometric MMO of Asia. Not that it matters - I was sold as soon as I heard music and saw visuals and gameplay that reminded me of the last few Ys games and other action-RPGs. Supposedly this is made in Korea, but it looks to have the earnest charm and storybook adventure that I associate with Japanese RPG and action-adventure games that I grew up with. I may do a side article on that, and how I think there is a reverance for nature, pastoral living, and artifacts of everyday living that informs the Asian approach to game design. I think in the west, game developers mostly use flora and fauna as props, background noise, not as things that intersect with human life and have energy and souls of their own. I call it the Miyazaki Ghibli Effect (as of 10 seconds ago).

But that's a discussion for another time. It's enough that I see inviting settings, charming animations, numbers popping up all over the screen, interesting classes, and hear sweet melodies. Being an MMO could be good or bad depending on the community, pricing scheme, quality of quests, and the necessity of grinding on bullshit just to make any significant progress.

I actually don't know if this is coming out in 2015, is already out in Asia, but I saw it this year and I want to play it this year.

Game Watch pt. 1: Lost Ark

SanAndreas

01/11/2015 at 06:09 PM

I tried Ragnarok Online a few times, but MMOs aren't really my thing. I'll fire up Final Fantasy XIV: ARR once in awhile and that's it.

I've always liked the Eastern aesthetic when it comes to design of environments myself.

Machocruz

01/11/2015 at 06:38 PM

I was intersted in your thoughts on this game. I'm looking at this more as an action-RPG first, MMO second. If it turns out to be a "theme park" MMO like WoW and FFXIV, I'll pass.

And I'm kind of getting close to working out a theory on what is different about eastern takes on what are European flavored fantasy environments( Ys, Mana series, Alundra). I think it has something to do with the melding of European and early American storybook illustration seen through an eastern (namely Japanese) lens, which makes it familar but dreamlike and alien at the same time. In modern America we heavily favor either realism, Image comics, or Pixar/Dreamworks. Our legacy of storybook and children's book illustration rarely influences our games.

01/11/2015 at 08:47 PM

I believe it was Tomonobu Itagaki or someone else at Tecmo that gave a term to the phenomenon you describe in game design: "Japanese hamburger", wherein the Asian take on the hamburger has a lot of the basics of a hamburger in the United States, but the ingredients they choose cause a disconnect when seen or tried by an American. In game design, it refers to elements that in many ways appear Westernized but have little details that seem off to an American gamer used to Western design elements.

Cary Woodham

01/11/2015 at 07:09 PM

Ragnarok Online is one of the oldest MMO's out there. Never got into it myself, but I do like the character designs.

Did you ever play Ys Seven? That game had great music.

01/11/2015 at 10:50 PM

I'm going to get around to Ys Seven and Memories of Celceta soon. Still haven't beaten Ys Origin. Due to Ys Seven and rhe numerous ports of Oath in Felghana and Ark of Naphistim, the series is getting more recognition in the west. It's been a long time coming.

KnightDriver

01/12/2015 at 01:13 AM

Playing Diablo III makes me think of these MMOs. It's very similar just with lots of people involved.

PixlBit