Elyon, the MMORPG previously known under the title Ascent: Infinite Realm, has been out Elyon Gold across the West for the past month and, even though there's not any level cap at all, I've finally reached what can be considered the game's end. As I wrote in my review in progress, the initial 30 , 40. or even more levels are more of a tutorial than anything else. Once you reach level 40. Things are beginning to become more accessible. If I had to summarize my experiences thus far, I would say that there are a lot of things to like about Elyon. Innovation isn't one of them.
The Harth world Harth is vivid and colorful and, as soon as you go beyond the city's borders you're bombarded by color from every direction. Even though the world appears filled with color does not necessarily mean it's beautiful, but it is. This is an MMO developed with Unreal Engine 3. after all. Though many fantastic games have utilized UE3. There are some visual limitations due to the platform's age one of the most prominent is an absence of texture fidelity. It's not obvious at a distance, but textures become blurry and sharp when you get within them with the most graphically advanced settings.
Even with the limitations of visuals I find the steampunk aesthetic very appealing. The steampunk aesthetics make a wonderful addition to the generic high-fantasy setting, and Krafton doesn't go overboard by adding pipes and cogs to every inch of every building. Also, there's a splash of mechanical beasts that complement the many live (and dead) creatures you'll encounter.
At the point where you're nearing the end of the story is when things start to open up in terms of activities to be enjoyed including dungeons and more dungeons. Dungeons are broken up in Normal and Transcendent Dungeons. I found the initial couple regular solo dungeons familiar however satisfying. These are the typical run and gun dungeons that are filled with trash mobs and even a mini-boss or two that you can prepare yourself for as you advance to the final boss battle. The dungeons in these are on the shorter side and usually can be completed in between 10 and 15 minutes. Although I wouldn't have minded the slightest bit if they were longer, the rewards are appropriate for the level of difficulty and how long they require to complete.
For the rest of the normal dungeons let's define them as they are in buy Elyon Gold reality - arenas that have a boss fight. Whatever the case, whether it's a co-op or solo dungeon you literally enter the dungeon, chat with somebody, and then go in a single room where the fight happens. The battles typically consist out of two different stages. The first is a fitness test in which you face a few waves of regular foes. Once you've completed that then it's time to move on to the final fight, in which you'll face an enemy boss, as well as any additional enemies he spawns during the battle.
