Korean MMO ‘Blade and Soul’ Set for Winter Release in the West

Blade and Soul, Korean developer NCSoft’s free-to-play kung fu-themed massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, will be coming westward this winter.

The game’s unique class system, combat mechanics, and story made it a big success in Korea. NCSoft will host a beta test for the game this fall.

While many other MMOs contain a healer as a support character who primarily aids other players, Blade and Soul does not have a dedicated healer. Instead, all classes have an active role in fighting and can heal themselves.

Unlike combat in other franchises, Blade and Soul provides a more immersive and nuanced role for gamers. The game “ditches any form of turn-based combat and uses a fast-paced and real-time combat system instead.” Gamers are not simply subjected to enemies’ attacks, but can weave in and out.

Blade and Soul’s story is based on a standard martial arts movie plot, in which the main character must seek revenge for a dead master.

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