MMOEXP: This was true to the launch experience of Blade and Soul
Environments themselves have seen major touch-ups. In one instance, a once-barren shoreline was replaced with a gorgeous vista with BnS NEO Divine Gems smoldering shipwrecks littering the water as a towering cliff face casts a long shadow over the beach. Another eye-catching example was a comparison of one of the game's cities. Where once there were a few buildings with an empty courtyard, there is now a bustling metropolis illuminated by webs of string lights. God rays shine through tree canopies, and distant terrain features are rendered in finer detail. As far as video game remasters go, Blade and Soul NEO is a high-effort delivery.
We were offered a look at PVE and PVP gameplay footage, and thankfully for fans, it looks like the same iconic combat system as its predecessor. How Blade and Soul NEO's combat system has players managing cooldowns between combo abilities feels like a mix of traditional fighting game and tab-target MMORPG, and the improved graphics and animations add intensity to the over-the-top spectacle of Blade and Soul's combat. Footage of a small 3v3 faction PVP bout was a chaotic display, but the free-for-all PVP was even more so. Players were seen desperately competing for a Scavenger's Treasure Chest, using crowd control abilities on each other for a chance to grab the coveted loot.
The footage also revealed the revamped Tomb of the Exiles dungeon, which looks excellent under the new lighting and its surprising verticality leverages the game's freeform movement system. We caught a glimpse of the Infernal Lord boss fight as well, which was kicked off with cheap Blade and Soul NEO Classic Divine Gems an impressive cutscene before the party got busy dodging his varied moveset. Frontal swipes, AoE knockdowns, fire breath, and a devastating grab attack might knock a few players down, but at least they'll look good in the process.