Nearly 14 years after the original MMORPG’s launch, NCSoft has revealed Aion 2 in a fuller capacity via a developer stream, giving us the first taste of what to expect when the sequel arrives.
Set 200 years after the original, Aion 2 is supposedly more of the vision that the original’s developers wanted, as the original was constrained by technical limitations. The game is meant to transcend the original race-versus-race conflict; while Elyos and Asmodians will play on separate servers and occasionally matchmaking against each other, the story looks beyond good versus evil.
The map of Aion 2 is literally 36 times bigger than the original game’s, and therefore, flying will remain an integral part. Further, they’re ensuring that flying will let players go quite literally anywhere in the game’s world, with limited terrain restrictions so that players can fly and fight on land, in air, and even in the sea.
Classes this time around are more drawn from the new wave of MMORPGs, instead of older classic MMORPGs. The eight to start will be Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Spiritmaster, Sorcerer, Cleric, and Chanter, and all will be achievable through standard MMORPG grinding means. It looks like they’re going the action route, with dynamic movement and dodging options for players to engage with.
For those who spend way too long doing so, Aion 2 looks to expand on the character customization, with over 200 features adjustable and tons of iconic features from the original.
There’ll be a breadth of combat gameplay options, from solo dungeons to eight-player dungeons as well as dynamic field events. Global matchmaking systems will be implemented, as well as an “Easy Mode” for those who want it. Combat will also have features such as a “rear hit detection system,” and won’t rely on auto-battling. As for PvP, there seems to be some possibility for invasions, but what that looks like practically is unclear for the moment, with more deep dives promised down the road.
Aion 2 is PC-first, assumedly in part to meet a mobile-heavy market demand, but the team will also have a mobile interface, allowing for cross-platform play.
While we wait, there’ll be a Focus Group Test in late June, but its invitations will be only chosen from those who have a Korean telephone number. However, a global open beta also seems to be down the line, so we’ll be on the lookout for that.
(Summarized from translations from /r/MagusSeven and FeloGrafix.)
