1. Clever use of
graphics
 |
| I seriously don't get how these graphics are bad... |
The
first thing they said was this: “I don’t like how it’s a 2D scroller with weird
graphics” … or something like that. Well, when you compare the graphics to a 3D
MMORPG, you’ll find that MapleStory’s graphics are a whole lot more polished
and tidied, whereas most 3D MMORPGs have quite a few graphical limitations. It’s like
saying that for a gig at a restaurant, you’ll play a piece that’s simple, but
you’ve practised a lot, or a complex piece, that hasn’t been practised quite as
much. The graphics in general are very very cutesy and charming, so it all balances out. And it's not so pixelated now too (they changed the resolution.).
2. Superb sound and
music
Now,
I know a lot of MMORPGs have great music … but still, you have to admit,
MapleStory has some beautiful tracks in there. Really, there are some fantastic
scores … but I guess that’s a given, seeing as it is a fairly popular MMORPGs.
Oh, and since it’s a 2D scroller, there’ll always be different maps, most of
which have differing themes to them, which means a ton of variety, which is
really great. And plus, when you’re fighting monsters, the cutesy sounds they
make … it adds quite a bit of flair to playing, so everything’s been tuned very
very nicely with sound.
3. Heaps of classes
Now, in terms of balancing the game and all that stuff, the amount of classes is just ridiculous. But from a gameplay point of view, it's fantastic. There are 15+ classes to pick, and even though they all fit into a category, like a mage-type, or warrior-type, or thief-type, they all have a different style of playing. And it's seriously fun just to keep making more and more characters just to play around with the classes.
 |
| Yes... because tons of classes are necessary to keep a MMORPG alive... |
4. Easy rhythm
There’s
just this wonderful pace you get from doing storyline quests and even grind
quests – you fall into this nicely repetitive pattern; it’s hard to explain
really. You just got to play it to feel it.
5. Polished up
Now,
this is quite the general term, but it’s true. The graphics, sound, UI, quests,
mapping, and etc, are all very polished up, after years and years of experience.
They’ve made it pretty sleek and useful, and in general, it has a very pleasing
effect to both the eye and the instinct.
6. Ridiculous amounts of
randomness
Um…
Not sure if it's good or bad … Well, it's not that ridiculous... Ok, there is some random stuff, like the monster designs and some weapons found in the Cash Shop, but these contribute to that whimsical and carefree attitude that MapleStory gives off. It's this kind of randomness that makes MapleStory ... well, MapleStory.
 |
| Randomness x 9999 = MapleStory! |
7. Idiot-proofed
I’ve seen a lot of MMORPGs … and some of them just plonk you straight into their world without another word – sure, you can always read about how to do stuff … but I can’t ever be bothered. But MapleStory has been idiot-proofed once, twice, thrice, a billion times. You can’t go wrong – they teach you EVERYTHING. Well, aside from some more complicated stuff. Anyway, MapleStory will carefully guide you through, which is really a joy if you’re a newcomer.
8. Customisation galore!
There are so many ways to make your character yours. Ok, most of them are options through paying real-life money, but even without paying cash, you can still dress up your character in all sorts of outfits, equip awesome weapons, and all that stuff. It's a very free environment, where all characters will not look alike.
9. Simple but effective
MapleStory doesn't have any complicated stuff. Well, there are some other complicated thingies introduced that are a bit gimmicky, but overall, it's a simple game. Go through a couple of story based quests, and then grind and do grind quests, and job quests and yeah. It goes on. And it's fun. That's what makes up the "effective" part.
10. Easy and fun gameplay
Press Ctrl to do normal attack. Press Alt to jump. Assign skills (press K) to keyboard. Press I to get items. Also assign to keyboard. And when you level up, press S to develop your character. Press Q for quests. Alright! You now know have to play MapleStory! Just like that! Anyway, everything happens in real-time, so no more of that yucky turn-based stuff. Mash that hotkey until all monsters die! It's a whole bunch better than sitting and waiting. There's even some platforming thrown in the mix too - jump quests (where you jump up platforms) are extremely satisfying when completed. Except when you can't finish them. Then you will hate them.
... Whew. That was a long rant on how MapleStory is awesome ... but it is. It's developed over the years, and it's become quite fun for the newcomer. To the veterans, it's not so great, for nostalgic reasons. Other than that, MapleStory is still an incredibly great game that every gamer should not miss. So go download and play!
No comments:
Post a Comment