Since Amazon Game Studios’New Worldtook the MMO genre by storm with innovative concepts, many have also kept an eye onLost Ark, a Korean MMORPG that was published in its original market in 2019. The game has since been in the works for a worldwide adaptation, published by Amazon Game Studios, and a technical beta is in place that will end November 11.Lost Arkis also considered an ARPG at its core, meant to rival games likePath of Exileand theDiabloseries while dabbling in typical MMO elements.
DespiteLost Arknot being a new game, many were keen to participate in the beta from Tripod Studios to see what all the hype around theMMORPGwas about. There are many similarities to and differences from comparable titles, and when combined they make for compelling gameplay with interesting concepts. Even thoughLost Arkis still a few months away from being fully released worldwide, it’s likely a good chunk of what is seen in the technical beta will make it to the final game, which means it’s a good time to compare its direction with that of other ARPGs and MMOs.
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Lost Ark Compared to ARPGs and MMOs
One of the most striking similarities betweenLost Arkand games likePath of Exileis its setting, which features several demonic enemies to fight with all means necessary. The isometric view is also a big giveaway for its ARPG influences, as well as the fact it comes with plenty of loot that allows players to progress their characters. Skill progression is more similar to games likeDiablo 2andLast Epoch, in which players can dedicate points to upgrade their abilities and change them to something slightly different, whereasPath of Exileis more focused on a general Passive Tree and Gem Links to customize builds.
ARPGs tend to be either single-player experiences or feature some form of party play when it comes to harder content.Lost Arkis more an MMO than it is an ARPG in this regard, as the game is built to make players run into other people as they go through each area of the game - not only in social areas like cities and settlements. Another major difference from classic ARPGs is thatLost Arkdoesn’t have procedurally-generated maps, rather players can traverse every zone in the game knowing it will have a pre-set path to progress.
Enemies also don’t respawn as they would in ARPGs, where players often reload a specific area and it fills again. Rather, the respawn rate inLost Arkis more similar to that of games likeNew World, in which killing an enemy means that players will have to wait a certain amount of time for it to respawn.Lost Ark’s MMO originscan be seen in how many classes are available for players to choose from, with customization options and the ability to make stunning characters that can’t always be appreciated in full detail because of the isometric view.
Lastly, as far as the actual gameplay goes,Lost Arkis defined by the presence of multiple skill bars that allow players to juggle between various commands similar toWorld of Warcraft. Overall,Lost Arkstrays from the design philosophy of its ARPG influences more than it does from MMOs, but its mix of both is ultimately successful in execution.
