Currently In Beta: Aura Kingdom

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Currently In Beta: Aura Kingdom

      As of December 16^th, 7 PM EST, servers went live for Aeria Games newest free-to-play, Anime MMORPG- Aura Kingdom. I haven’t played for more than 5 hours, but, I have thoroughly enjoyed and cannot wait to continue my adventure as Arrynn, my level twenty-five Guardian.

 The Founder’s Beta, the first phase of testing, can be opted into with 1900 AP (Aeria Points); this will grant you the most basic package, which amounts to the total of $20. There are also premium options available, from Gold, which is $50, to the most ridiculously priced package, Diamond, which will cost you around $300. After a brief installation, and a small patch, you’re taken to a server selection, which is made up of various channels. Each channel varies depending on the amount of players present, and new channels are established according to population capacity and channel traffic. Server stability and a lack of latency issues strengthen the experience.

            The 8 available classes are entirely diverse and unique. From the balanced Guardian, to the evasive Duelist, each role brings interesting and varied combat mechanics, combat expertise, as well as spectacular looking armor. I, myself, chose the Guardian, as my decision was solely based on his shimmering golden armor and his balanced stats (and, come to find out, a highly active combat style). Character customization is limited, as it is in most MMOs, with only nine or so face variations, hair styles, and other options. If an in-depth character creation is what you’re looking for, Aura Kingdom leaves something to be desired. However, the in-game characters look entirely stunning, and what customization options are implemented allow moderate variety.

            The in-game tutorial is brief (no spoilers); however, it is exciting, as it introduces what appeared to be Aura Kingdom’s main antagonist, Reinhardt, a shadow knight bent on the destruction of the world of Azuria. The plot seems to be slightly generic, yet, a promising concept in the MMO genre, as most quests revolve solely around text based dialogue that has no hold over the overarching storyline. My character, Arrynn, unlike in other MMOs, really feels like he has a purpose within the world.

After the opening tutorial, I was taken to the beginner zone of Port Skardia, nestled between forested mountains and the sea. Hundreds upon hundreds of new players gather around the quest NPCs, some on Ethereal Wolf mounts, which are acquired through the more expensive, premium founder’s packs. My Envoy’s starter gear was a simple set of traveling clothes (as to be expected) and basic weaponry (dependent on the class you selected). Beginner quests were simple, and were designed to help new players become accustomed to the style and flow of what Aura Kingdom brings to the F2P MMO genre. MMO veterans, like me, who are used to questing, grinding, and moving from location to location to level up, won’t have an issue adjusting. Quests are basic, and generally involve the kill X amount of monsters, gather X amount of said item. However, with several fun additions thrown in, such as sneaking along a coast-line to plant bombs, add some variety to the mix.

Combat is a deciding factor as to what make-or-breaks an MMO. Aura Kingdom’s combat mechanics are a combination of classic MMO (Point and click, Click to move) and action oriented combat. Executing combos while on the move is so very satisfying, and is rewarded with extra damage, as precise back strikes give damage bonuses. For example, landing a Shield Bash (Guardian) and a Charge (Guardian) places my character behind his target, leaving the enemy entirely open for three seconds to unleash strings of back strikes. Low cooldowns on combat skills always kept me engaged in the fight, there was never a dull moment. Enemy variety is dependent on the level of the monster, and the zone. Larger enemies will display a red zone that dictates for a player to dodge, as a lethal blow will knock them back, and deal massive damage to their HP count.

Zones are relatively small, which, for someone who loves open-world content, will be slightly disappointed (as I was). However, zone variety, and the absolutely beautiful locales that the main story-line will bring you to are visually appealing. From the clear blue skies of Helonia Coast, to the red maple leaves of the Crescent Hills, Azuria couldn’t be more stunning.

I experienced my first dungeon at level 20, the Dimension Halls, which required a party of three. My friend, Kyle (Erees), myself, and one other player took the challenge, or what we thought would be a challenge. I found the dungeon to be short, and entirely easy, which was disappointing. One boss monster stood between us and the completion. Visually, the boss encounter looked to be difficult, which was not the case. The encounter had ended within two to three minutes, and none of us dropped below half health. However, my consensus of the PvE of Aura Kingdom cannot yet be determined, as I have not had the chance to test all of the current content available.

PvP, my personal favorite, I have not reached the level requirement (40) to participate in. I did try my attempt at a duel, however, the sheer amount of players surrounding myself and my opponent, I tended to lose sight of where he was, therefore, ended in my humiliating defeat.

Aeria Game’s Aura Kingdom has promise. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and find myself wanting to play more, and try the other seven available classes. My full review will come with the official release of the game, as quest bugs, visual bugs, and other issues currently dampen the experience.

See you in Azuria!

-Brian