These days though, fans of the game generally face one dilemma. On one hand, there’s the ever strong yearning to experience the game all over again. But on the other, most of us are unable to delegate the kind of time which an MMO demands. To fill this gap, it’s not uncommon for folks to turn to mobile games. This allows us to take games to wherever we go, rather than having to be planted in front of a PC. And that’s where Ragnarok X: Next Generation comes in. It has the elements that made the online game such a beloved title, with a few modern retouches to fit not only the new decade, but also the mobile platform.
What is Ragnarok X: Next Generation?
Ragnarok X: Next Generation is a new mobile game published by Nuverse. It was released back on 18 June 2021, which makes it quite new. But as mentioned earlier, it has everything that makes for a Ragnarok Online experience. It’s an officially licensed mobile game, so you can be assured that the things you see and hear are not only authentic, but also nostalgic. Everything you see will be immediately recognisable. This ranges from the characters and monsters to the cities and map areas. You’ll immediately recognise the Novice class character as you create your avatar, as well as the Theme of Prontera that plays in the background while you do so. And once you step out of the city gates, you’ll hear the all too familiar Streamside playing as you hunt your first few Porings.
Speaking of the Novice class, the other classic classes from the MMO naturally also make their way to Ragnarok X: Next Generation. They are the Swordsman, Thief, Mage, Archer, Acolyte and Merchant. At the moment it appears that the second batch of Second Classes (Crusader, Rogue etc.) are not in yet. But if you’re looking to play the original set of Second Classes, then you can progress all the way to Transcendent Second Classes.
Modernising a classic
In addition to the many familiar elements, Ragnarok X: Next Generation gives the old formula a new coat of paint. Most evident of them all is pushing the world of Ragnarok fully into the realm of 3D. This does involve taking some liberties with the art style, but as mentioned, everything will still be immediately recognisable. Also added are many quality-of-life improvements that makes it so that you don’t need MMO levels of investment into Ragnarok X: Next Generation. This includes a mount system that improves your movement speed, cutting down the time it takes to go from one location to the next. Another modern element is a weather system, something that didn’t exist in the original.
Free-to-play friendly economy
One thing that irreversibly changed Ragnarok Online was going free-to-play. While it was still fundamentally a game that can be played for free, things that you could pay for gave a very pay-to-win vibe. Ragnarok X: Next Generation takes a very different approach: doing away with the traditional item store entirely. In its place are the Exchange Centre and Chamber of Commerce. The latter of which serves as a generic NPC shop where you can pawn off your loot for Zeny. In a strange twist, you can also buy some of these monster loot, with a markup in price and a daily purchase limit. Speaking of currency, there are two new ones in addition to the good old Zeny: Crystals and Diamonds. The latter is the premium currency which is bought using real money. These can then be changed to Crystals, and vice versa. But the Crystals are by far the more important currency, as it is the one used for most trades between players. Some of the rare items may use Diamonds instead. So the game needs a handful of people to spend first to introduce these into the game. But once that happens they stay circulated within the game economy.
All in all, Ragnarok X: Next Generation puts its own modern coat of paint over the good old Ragnarok Online formula. Despite its newer features and Quality-of-Life changes, it retains the same BGM, as well as its familiar characters, both enemies and player classes alike. And it has an interesting monetisation mechanic that doesn’t immediately put free-to-play players at a disadvantage. If you want to know more about the game, you can head over to the game’s official website, or the official Facebook page. To download the game, this is the link to the game on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, respectively. This article is brought to you by Nuverse.
