BLACK DESERT ONLINE: ROAD TRIP

Chapter 1

One of my driving philosophies behind Rigged for Epic is that every game reviewed gets the time it needs and I don't rush to the finish in order to be first.  I did see a few reviews around the time of launch but nowhere near as many as I would have expected. The main media sites that did step up and attempt a review frankly didn't give the game anywhere near the sweat, blood and tears required for such a massive piece of work. I guess you could call this 'road trip' a blog of sorts, that will record and chart my journey into a game-world, looking at my observations, successes, and failures. If it works out I will use this idea for other game such as my inevitable return to Elite Dangerous (once they add enough new features to tempt me back). I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea and so for a final review you can check back at the end for an overall opinion. However for those who follow my progress, I hope you enjoy reading about my exploits and adventures.

Black Desert Online (BDO) is a sandbox MMO from the Korean developer Pearl Abyss and publisher Daum Games. I picked up BDO when it first released in the EU back at the start of March but due to a very busy schedule, I have only just now been able to set aside a few weeks where I can get stuck in and look at the game in depth. So let's get dive in and see what we can see.

Square One

All journeys start with one step and here that comes in the form of a rather sexy character creator. In terms of first impressions, BDO starts as it means to carry on, with gorgeous graphics that really do catch you off guard the first time you see them. All of the available classes come with a preset template and each sets the bar very high in terms of character detail and animation. In my MMO career I have only ever played female characters and as a DPS caster, the sorceress immediately caught my eye, especially as she has a striking resemblance to Yeniffer from The Witcher 3. However being a sucker for pet classes the Tamer also looks right up my alley, in the end, I know I will probably role a few different classes but for the purpose of this project, I will settle on the Tamer.

The game launches which a small cut scene using in-engine assets and I was immediately hit by how bad the voice acting is. It is almost like the voice actor is trying to sound theatrical but it comes off as hokey and melodramatic. The game then starts proper, the view pans across the village you start in as you find your toon dazed on the floor. Woken by a transmogrifying black mass with eyes you start the games tutorial which covers basic movement and navigation. The first impression I get from BDO (the terrible introduction aside) is that it is absolutely stunning, almost impossibly so and this impression is not diminished as you proceed through the game's first quests. These first few hours I actually just spent wandering around Oliva and captivated by how alive it feels. As a walker, I have often explored many small villages and it is always a treat to find all its hidden corners. Aware of the fading daylight and cognisant of my lack of progress I decided to head into the wilderness to see what adventures awaited.

I will be making some video content for this project and so here is my first. This is more of a brief introduction to how the game looks and a quick tour of the starting village of Olvia. I will look at the games systems and chart more progress in my second chapter and subsequent video: I hope you enjoy it and if there are any specific aspects of BDO you want me to cover just send me an email at riggedforepic@gmail.com or find me on Twitter @riggedforepic