I was recently given the opportunity to try out the closed alpha test for Black Desert Online as it begins to make its way to Western markets. The MMORPG is super popular throughout Korea, offering up some incredible looking visuals, in-depth character customization, and a unique combat system.

I really wish I had more time to spend on the game than what I was able to. There seems to be a depth here that I only scratched the surface of. However, the below video should give the most basic overview of the game. It includes a look at the character customization, a look at the various menus and options within the game, a look at some of the early implementations of the questing system, and a look at early game combat.


You can find out more information at the original Black Desert website and soon at the Black Desert Online site.

As this is in alpha (I believe I mistakenly said "beta" in the video), there are some rough edges. Translation from the original Korean seems to be real hit or miss in both the written dialogue and within some menus. I am also not sure as to the extent of what (if any) voice acting there is for the game. Right now the game contains no voice acting work in this alpha stage. Even still, the visuals and combat make this one to look forward to in the future. The combat alone already makes this a standout title in the MMORPG genre as it is far more hands on than many are probably used to. Moves can be chained and combined into one another with relative ease thanks to a rather intuitive combo and ability system.

This game is a huge hit in Korea and Russia, and one that Western audiences have been requesting for quite some time now. Once this game makes its way to North America and Europe, it will be "buy to play." This means that you pay once and you can keep playing the game for as long as the servers stay up. You will never have to pay a monthly subscription fee. With any luck I'll be able to hop into future tests when I have a lot less going on. I would love to take a much deeper look at this game compared to the surface level stuff I was able to provide to you today.

If you have any burning questions about the game, feel free to ask them below and I will do my best to provide you with an answer or share my opinion.