Inside the first focus group test, pay-to-win concerns, and everything we know so far about the ambitious cross-platform sequel.
Since Throne and Liberty didn’t do well, NCSoft is back with AION 2 another high-stakes MMORPG gamble. The game is meant to be a spiritual successor to the original and was made for both PC and mobile devices. It just had its first Focus Group Test (FGT) in Korea. There was an NDA on testers, but some were allowed to share their thoughts online, which paints a complicated but cautiously optimistic picture of what’s to come.
At its core, AION 2 is a cross-platform MMORPG designed for PC, accompanied by a mobile app that allows you to craft and, potentially, play the game more. Since the test was only done on a PC, not much is known about how it works on mobile devices yet. However, the integration seems to be more of an add-on than a replacement for the whole experience.
If an MMORPG is free to play, one of the most important things to know is if it’s pay-to-win. Early thoughts say that AION 2 will definitely have some pay-to-win features, though maybe not the most aggressive ones.
NCSoft stated that cosmetics, like outfits and wing designs, will be the main way that the game will make money. There is a diamond shop, but it’s only said to sell useful things like instant heals and extra dungeon entries. Right now, there are no plans to buy any direct gear or stats.
However, people in the West may have a different idea of what “convenience” items mean. People are already questioning pay-to-revive systems, especially in competitive PvP areas like the Abyss. The creators have said that there will be few gacha elements, but bundles and convenience boxes may still show up. It’s important to note that testers saw a monetization system that was two months old, so things could change even more before launch.
The character creator in AION 2 was something that everyone liked. Several testers said it was deep, detailed, and flexible, and they compared it to the strong system in Throne and Liberty. This is a AAA-level tool that lets you make complex designs, but some testers weren’t impressed by the quality of the first outfit, comparing it to Throne and Liberty’s notoriously plain launch gear.
What’s the good news? Wings are back, and they’re better than ever. You can craft them in-game, and getting more wings gives you bonuses like longer flight times and higher stats, which is a nice way to keep you playing.
They are the Gladiator, the Templar, the Assassin, the Ranger, the Sorcerer, the Cleric, the Chanter, and the Spiritmaster. Mounts are also coming back, and you can get them from both monster drops and premium currency, just like in Throne and Liberty.
The user interface, on the other hand, may split fans. Because it was based on mobile games and Throne and Liberty, the UI may feel too “mobile-like” for people who usually play PC MMOs. It does its job, but it might break the immersion.
The fighting is called “semi-manual.” You’ll be able to auto-path while questing (think Black Desert), but you’ll have to take control of fights by hand. This is a clear lesson from Throne and Liberty, which had problems with gameplay that was too automated.
Based on class and level, there are 8 to 12 skill slots. Around level 20, you can awaken skills and use points to improve them and unlock special effects. You can switch between action and classic camera modes during combat, which is a mix of targeting and manual aiming.
Interestingly, some testers said the action combat felt like old-school TERA, which is a good sign for responsiveness. However, others said the hit effects still feel a bit floaty and lack impact.
AION 2 looks like it will be fun if you like dungeons. At launch, testers said there were more than 200 dungeons, which is a lot, even for an MMO. Both PvE and PvP are important parts of the game, and yes, the Abyss is coming back.
But things aren’t always easy in PvP land. Some testers suggested that allowing people to buy revives could make PvP less fair, especially in competitions. Even though flight combat brings back memories, it feels broken and easy to abuse right now, especially since players can just fly away to avoid PvP altogether.
The party system can hold up to four people, with the tank, healer, and DPS roles all having their own roles. It reminds me of early Throne and Liberty compositions, before the game’s structure changed to be more chaotic.
You can’t buy gear in AION 2. You have to earn it by killing monsters in dungeons or the field. Once an item is used, it can’t be traded for anything else. This is called “bind on equip.” But you can trade with other players one-on-one, which is great for social players and guild-based economies.
A talent grid system is part of the progression system. It lets players spend points to unlock stat boosts and make their own builds. This makes character development much more in-depth, which moves the game closer to the RPG side of MMO.
A Nvidia 5070 GPU was used to test the game at 60 frames per second, but the developers say it works best with older RTX 2070 cards. The goal is for mid-range setups to have stable performance, and at launch, frame rates should not be limited.
Graphics are said to be good, and most complaints are about floaty animations rather than technical issues. AION 2 isn’t trying to change the way graphics look, but it does want everything to work well.
Open-world PvP isn’t coming to AION 2 (yet), but there will be 1v1 and 4v4 arenas and battles between realms that happen through dimensional rifts. Elyos and Asmodians are back, but they are now on different servers. This means that rift-based instancing will be used for cross-realm PvP.
It has world bosses, timed events, and world scaling systems to keep old zones interesting for high-level players. Testers liked that you could explore and move between zones, and they especially liked that you could fly in all of them.
From what we know, AION 2 seems to be NCSoft’s attempt to change direction after Throne and Liberty. Some ways of making money raise red flags, and UI choices that are based on mobile devices might turn off die-hard PC MMO fans. But there’s clear progress and polish in places that didn’t have either before.
Early testers said it felt like a better version of Throne and Liberty, with better combat and a more well-thought-out design. How NCSoft handles making money and localizing for the West will determine whether that leads to long-term success.
