Are you a Ragnarok Junkie?

[Dameon Angell]

If you are (I'm not, but I do have a couple friends who are) then check this out.

Ragnarok Online Mobile Impressions


TOKYO--Most of the companies represented at Tokyo Game Show are Japanese, but there are also a smattering of foreign legations from such exotic locales as Finland (Nokia), the United States (Microsoft), and Korea (Gravity Corporation). Gravity has been hard at work touting its entry into the MMORPG sweepstakes, Ragnarok Online, and their new mobile edition of the game is a vital part of that effort.

Ragnarok Online Mobile is one of the first cross-platform mobile games to make use of the "keyhole" concept--wherein a mobile game grants the player limited access to an MMORPG's continuum. In this case, the money that players earn in the mobile game can be transferred to their character in Ragnarok Online, and vice-versa. This is admittedly a pretty humble usage of the keyhole ideal, but it's impressive nonetheless; Gravity has taken a bold step in an area where other companies--including the mighty Square Enix--have delivered nothing but speculation.

We didn't have a chance to check this functionality out first-hand, because Ragnarok Online Mobile is currently only available in Korea. Still, the game looks slick, even when denuded of its online features. You view the majority of gameplay from an overhead perspective, maneuvering your character and swinging your sword in a manner that's highly reminiscent of the old SNES adventure classic Secret of Mana. By contrast, all town-based activities are controlled via a static system of menus. We played the game on a variety of handsets, and it ran admirably on all but the super-miniature Motorola model.

According to Gravity employees, the company is currently in negotiations to bring Ragnarok Online Mobile to other territories, including the U.S., Europe, and Japan. If what we've seen so far is any indication, the game could prove to be a hit in all three markets--and could even earn Gravity some new Ragnarok Online converts.

That's right, if your social life has suffered from you being at home too much, now you can look like a dork in public playing that same game, but you can get that pasty white skin back to a natural tan while you quest for that +4 Sword of Asskicking. And, when you find that sword, you can go back home and give it to your PC's Ragnarok character.

The Tokyo Game Show always has weird stuff like that, check out a local newstand for an Electronic Gaming Monthly, or another similar magazine for more info on all the new and unique crap the Japanese came up with this year.

[Kim]

God damn, mother fuckin stupid.

[SpiderMage]

I haven't played RO in months...

I dropped Continuum for FFXI... FFXI for RO... and now back to Continuum

Gods my consoles must hate me

[Selex]

I played the free version of Ragnarok Online from Pillows... Played it for about 3 weeks... I quit cause it got boring... yea..
I dont see why you bash a game like RO when you play a game thats 2d and you shoot 2d ships.... Dont hate me cause im believable.

[Dameon Angell]

I tried Ragnarok, like you did, you know, just curious to see what was going on in Korean MMORPG land. I thought it was a good one, I seriously loved the art style and the way the whole game was presented, but the lag for me was way too much for me to play in.

[cundor]

Same, I had huge lag too
Looked pretty cool tho

[SpiderMage]

I get huge lag too, it sucks but somehow it was still fun.

I like RO much better than FFXI.