Blue Fire: Ghost Online Review

I welcome you all to the new version of the Ghost Online review, please read this accurately as there have been many changes to the review layout while some remained.

Introduction
There's always been alot of tension going on in the MMO world these days, you've got games that are all the same such as Hero Online and Scions of Fate and then you go those unique games that try to do something different like FlyFF or Maplestory. In some cases such as these, their attept to differ from the norm was successful and as a result have gained a cult and casual following. But, when there's a game that's unique, there's always a game that tries to do it just like the other and make it better, FlyFF for example is currently (in my opinion) in rivalry with Perfect World, which as it would seem, is ALSO a flying MMORPG, and even more conveniantly, if you pick the right race, you can fly right from the start of your rise to the top of the ranks. There were also rumors of clones for Maplestory, called Ghost, but in reality, they were actually pretty much made at the same time and Maplestory beat Ghost to the punch in terms of American translation. Ghost takes everything that made Maplestory great, fine tuned them to near perfection, fixed the features that weren't done right, made the graphics drop dead gorgeous and even threw in a PVP system for the hell of it. The result is a game that anyone can really get caught playing for hours and hours on end.

Gameplay
Back when this game was still in closed beta, this game had many flaws, it was bugged, some text was lost in translation, some maps were locked from access and worst of all, it was PLAGUED with hackers. GMs are constantly on the move now to ensure "fair play" throughout the game. Ghost is very casual but that doesn't mean it's easy. The game plays like an action game with RPG elements, my favorite kind of F2P game. I've always been a big fan of side-scrolling games and Ghost has yet to change my mind about that, the combat is fast, intense and sometimes very chaotic. Choosing your class (which I will get to in a moment) will determine HOW you play the game. In this case, you will get a different play style depending on the class you choose.

Graphics
Did I also mention that this game is nothing like Maplestory, in which case, your not going to be going up against giant cuddly teddy bears. The locations are extremely atmosphering and sends chills down your spine sometimes. For example, later in the game once you exit the Blue Town region, you will enter Bamboo Forest and eventually find the Snake Cave. This is the first dungeon you enter and the developers at this place, give you an idea of what you will be up against in the future. In this case, disturbing places of great graphical glory filled with vicious blood thirsty (ugly) monsters, Praise the Lord! Like I said, many of the monsters are butt ugly, I'm talking of course about Face Birds and Ghost Dogs. Face Birds are found in Reed Valley while the Ghost Dogs are in Snake Cave. I look on the brightside though, atleast you have a better reason to kill these monsters! Despite these small, disturbing details, the graphics are to die for. You can see waterfalls in the background in Blue Hills, a red sky blotting out a crimson moon with it's dark clouds in the Southern Plains and vast plains as far as the eye can see in Reed Valley. It's times like these that make you appreciate the simple things in life, like the beauty of mother Earth, Ghost is a true representation of it.

Jobs/Classes
During the closed beta, you only had 3 classes to choose from, the Warrior, who's combat style is brute force and pure melee combat, the Mage which focuses on Fire and Ice to attack their foes and therefore and pure long range and the Assassin, which relies on speed and is able to use either combat style, Melee or Long Range, using either claws to cut up your opponents or gloves to throw shurikans into their eyes ;). Coming soon to Ghost Online though, most likely after the open beta is over, they will adding the Champion class. The champion is a giant powerhouse that uses a combination of power and speed to fell his opponents using axes and circle blades. It is currently unknown on how the circle blades will work however, but it's safe to say that they might used at close range. All 4 of these classes will serve specific purposes in Ghost, And like I said, each class will determine your play style, in closed beta I was an Assassin, in open beta, I remain a dweller of shadow. If you wish to look me up, I am called Orbin.

Final Impression
Ghost Online is an joyful box of monster killing goodness waiting to happen, it starts out slightly slow, but it immediately picks up after you've changed your job from Novice to one of the 4 other classes. If your looking for a good side scroller to wait around for LaTale, Aion, Florensia or Ragnarok Online 2, then this game is perfect for you. If give this game a 9.2 out of 10. If you've read the closed beta version of this review then I hope you reread this review in order to get a better idea of what's going on in this game. Many bugs have been corrected and connection issues are hardly a problem anymor, the translation is fully complete and there should be little to no hackers in the game. Till then, Keep your contact with stupidity limited my minions.