Black Desert Online is the latest addition to the console MMO roster. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 version of the game, called Black Desert, was released earlier this year.
The MMO genre has generally been dominated by PC titles. Those that have been ported to home consoles often suffer from performance issues. Or they have problems with menus and controls that are too complicated to navigate with a traditional gamepad.
But MMOs are increasingly finding their way onto consoles in a working state. The Black Desert high fantasy sandbox is the latest example, putting players in a world they can explore at their leisure.
History
The game starts without too much fanfare or explanation of what is happening in the world you are in. It is possible, however, to piece together some background details.
There has been a resource war between the competing nations of Calpheon and Valencia in previous years. Everyone is trying to get their hands on as many black stones as possible thanks to their powerful magic. Don’t get too involved, though, as Black Desert does little in the way of narrative.
MMOs are intrinsically linked to their history. The best examples all have an interesting storyline to keep players hooked. After all, grinding for equipment and taking on the same dungeon bosses would get boring without any motivation to do it outside of getting more loot. That’s why so many MMO games guarantee a satisfying endgame narrative. In this case, the plot is confusing at best and completely absent at worst.
This is not to say that Black Desert is a failure. Its developers have clearly decided to focus on other areas. They aimed to revolutionize the genre and create something more suited to modern times.
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