Blade & Soul

Blade & Soul is a third-person MMORPG with martial arts set in eastern fantasy. Players can expect spectacular battles and seductive characters, a sea of content for leveling up in pairs or teams. The project is developed by the Korean studio NCsoft, and in Russia and the CIS countries, it is supported by the company "Innov". The game is distributed under a free-to-play model with the option to subscribe to premium services.

The gameplay of Blade & Soul is built on an unusual scheme for MMORPGs — with a dominance of fighting and slasher elements, expressed through various combo attacks designed for both melee and ranged combat. The screen showcases action reminiscent of Devil May Cry 4 and Ninja Gaiden 3, with adjustments for large-scale multiplayer battles.

Four races and 11 classes allow you to create a character tailored to your preferred playstyle. Mastering numerous skills and techniques is quite simple due to the combat system that does not require aiming at enemies — to hit with weapons or launch magical attacks, you just need to turn in the right direction.

The game has a limit on the amount of experience gained per day, so character development can take a considerable amount of time. But there is a way to level up quickly.

As the character levels up, new abilities are unlocked, and various attributes increase. The points earned are invested in primary attributes, and through weapons, armor, and other gear, you can enhance specific parameters.

The unique gameplay is enhanced by the ability to redistribute points easily at any moment — this allows for correcting development mistakes and changing the combat style. Each character knows a dozen basic skills, and each of these skills has several secondary ones that modify the primary one.

The game world is based on thoughtful eastern fantasy, combined with the myths and legends of the peoples of Southeast Asia, as well as eastern stylistics in the architecture of buildings and the surrounding environment.

According to mythology, the world of Blade & Soul is divided into four parts. The main action takes place in the Middle World, where humans and other races reside. There is also the bright Land of gods and deities, the "gray" Lands of the dead for spirits and ghosts, and the dark Lands of demons, the lair of evil.

Long ago, the land of Naryu stretched across the entire territory of the Middle Lands, and its inhabitants were happy and carefree. This did not please the archdemon Manhwan, who fed on the malice and hatred of people. Gathering a vast army and attacking Naryu, he desecrated the world of the living and their souls. Only the Guardians were able to stop his invasion and send him back to Hell.

Currently, Blade & Soul features two continents divided into locations, as well as a number of additional levels that can be accessed through portals. The levels in the game are spacious and diverse — cities and villages, fields and meadows, deserts and coastlines, dungeons with dangerous mobs and boss lairs.

The story of Blade & Soul unfolds many years after the invasion of Manhwan — a treacherous demon corrupted and endowed several Guardian students with incredible power to steal the Twilight Blade. This weapon can free the demon and restore his former might.

The created character immediately finds themselves at the center of events, as their mentor is none other than Hong Sokkyun, the great strongman and Guardian of the blade. After learning the basic techniques, the novice gets caught in a web: enemies betray and kill Hong, steal the Twilight Blade, and frame the character as one of the traitors.

Now they must not only clear their name and find the sinister weapon but also prove their worthiness, ability to wield the blade, and restore the balance of power. The plot is divided into 10 acts, each containing several dozen quests, totaling about 30 hours of gameplay.

The choice of race in Blade & Soul determines the character class, but this condition cannot be called strict. Each playable race can try their hand at 4-7 classes, with the class selection varying from race to race:

Classes differ in complexity, combat mechanics, and interface. Some may be difficult to manage due to the need to remember numerous combos and skills; some classes use mana, while others use combat spirit; the interface also changes accordingly. To find out which class to choose, read our guide.

Additionally, in Blade & Soul, there is no classic division into tank, damage dealer, and support — they are replaced by masters with their strengths and weaknesses, for example, a tank cannot withstand hits if they do not dodge and constantly block enemy attacks.

Here are the classes available in Blade & Soul: