Aion was first released in 2009 by Korean MMORPG giants NCSoft. The company is most commonly known for games such as the Guild Wars, which was my favorite RPG in 2005. However, the game didn’t enter the European and North American markets until September 2010. Ever since its first expansion, Assault of Balaurea, the game developers have released a series of downloadable content that dramatically improved the gameplay. The game became free to play in February 2012, the same year, Gameforge became a publisher of the game in Europe. Upon release, the hype around Aion was epic, and it has managed to maintain a high note of enthusiasm.

Set in a Mythical, Fantasy, War-torn World

The game plot revolves around the happenings in war-torn Atreia – a high fantasy world that draws inspiration from various myths and lore. Due to the protracted war in Atreia, the world became torn into two continents: Asmodea and Elysia. Upon entering the game, the player is first asked to choose a side to play. Due to the war between both tribes, you can only play on your side of the divide throughout the game. I believe that regardless of the tribe you pick, the background lore, quests, and general gameplay will not change. This assumption is hinged on the fact that the characters of each tribe are insanely identical. While the Asmodians are Black and humane, the Elyos faction is white and celestial. The character differentiation is somewhat reminiscent of angels vs. demon, good vs. evil divide, although I very much doubt that was the intended theme. Both factions have the same classes of characters. The game allows six nongender-based classes: The Warrior, the Mage, Scout, the Priest, the Engineer, and the Artist. The characters play pivotal roles in safeguarding the continued existence of Atreia. However, it is not until you reach level 10 that you are allowed to specialize. At level 10, once you leave the starting zone, you will have to choose two primary classes that would so ahead and specify into a more defined role for your character. It is also at this level that you unlock the famous wings for which Aion is known.

Fun Customizations

Just as I remember it, the Aion character customization kit is still very much as exciting as it was in 2009. The game allows for one of the deepest customizations I have seen in any MMO. I very much enjoyed playing around with the controls, creating a hideous beastly alien-man. You also get to pick the voice type of your character. I find this very endearing because it gives the game a casual, relaxed air right from the beginning of the game, unlike some MMOs that can be very tense and serious even before the game starts. 

Gameplay and Story

Once you’ve selected and created your character, the game immediately takes you into the detailed background lore of the story. After the god, Aion created Atreia, and he also made some dragons called the Drakan to safeguard the earth. Shortly, the Drakans became rebellious and evil, warranting the Aion to create a new protector species called the Empyrean Lords. These were the ones charged to defeat the Drakans and protect humanity. The Lords forged a force field with which they covered humans and the Tower of Eternity. War broke out between the Empyrean Lords and the dragon-like beasts. 

The Plot twist came in the form of a failed peaceful resolution of the war, which led to the second wave of fighting. The Lords suffered a massive blow this time, making the Aion have to banish the drakans. However, the defeat left a sour taste in the mouth of the Lords. They soon fell apart into two groups: the Seraphims and the Shedims. Each one blamed the other for the defeat. Both groups separated, one moved to Asmodea – which has little light and harsher living conditions; the other moved to Elysea- the Edenic part of Atreia. Years of adaptation made both sides irreconcilable and took on different forms. 

The plot of Aion is so beautifully crafted and cinematic that it felt like I had just watched a short film. For a game created in 2009, what strikes me the most about Aion is the visuals. The graphics are so nicely done, you would definitely be charmed by the beautiful scenery. From colorful faunas to ruined castles and weather effects, all are so breathtaking. The winged flights are by far my favorite part of the game as it affords me an aerial view of the scenery. It is a pity we can’t get to explore the other continent. I would have loved to explore that section too. Although you won’t be missing much, each continent has over 2,000 story-driven quests and five zones, enough to keep you very busy. The choice of background is also another fantastic feature that deserves lauding. However, I hate the inconsistency in the narrative voice, which keeps switching from English to Korean.

The most outstanding feature of Aion is the PvPvE gameplay, which combines the PvP and the PvE gameplays into one mode. In this mode, players are pitted against players from other factions while also battling evil NPC beasts. This mode takes place in the Abyss and is only accessible from level 25.

Enjoyable Chain Skill Style Combat

Another notable feature is the combat system. The game uses a chain skill style, which means that skills can only be performed in order. Some skills can only be used after you’ve used a skill that triggers it. As the player levels up, the chain starts to break out into smaller chains, which allows the player to choose what his next set of combos would be. At Level 20, Stigma stones become available to the players. It is with these collectible stones that a player can select how certain skills affect their playstyle within their class. This allows you to tailor your character to a playstyle that suits you. Apart from these, other factors such as the user interface, class systems, and fighting style are mostly a replica of what obtains in the world of MMO gaming.

Aion is so intricately crafted and designed that fault-finding becomes extremely difficult. At inception, most players complained about the grinding system, which made for repetitive plays. However, a new Fast track server has been added, and the game content has been streamlined to allow players to level up faster. The endgame focuses on PvP, which could be a drawback for players who prefer solo quests, but can be very exciting for lovers of PvP.