Vortex Gaming

Mabinogi Heroes (hereinafter referred to as Mabinogi) based on Nexon's new action game 'Vindictus: Defying Fate (hereinafter referred to as Vindictus)'s pre-alpha test ended on the 18th.

As expected of 'Vindictus', which garnered much attention from gamers upon its initial reveal, quite a few reporters on the Inven team had played the game. They ranged from hardcore Lishita users who had enjoyed Mabinogi since Season 1 to reporters who played any female character, and even a reporter who was known as a Mabinogi expert within the Inven team. There was even a reporter who had never played Mabinogi but participated in this pre-alpha test, so it can be said that this was a successful pre-alpha test in many ways.

'Vindictus' aims to verify the direction of action through the pre-alpha test. What do the reporters think of the combat system of 'Vindictus', which has changed to resemble a Soulslike game? We shared various stories about 'Vindictus' that we glimpsed through this pre-alpha test.

Pre-Alpha Test of 'Vindictus' - First Impressions?

Noeul:Because it was made with Unreal Engine 5, I felt that the visuals and graphics were very good, and when I actually played it, it was just like the trailer. The optimization didn't seem bad either. As it was a pre-alpha test, I didn't expect much, but on the premise of turning on the DLSS option, it maintained 50-60 frames at medium options. Considering that it's a pre-alpha test, I think the optimization will get even better in the future.

I'd say the gameplay is a bit ambiguous. The visuals are Mabinogi, but the feeling of playing is a bit different. Compared to the early days of Mabinogi, the action is much more elaborate and weighty, so if you play it thinking of Mabinogi, you're bound to feel a sense of incongruity. However, Mabinogi was light and cheerful, but if you don't think, 'Why is 'Vindictus' so weighty?' and just think, 'This is the action that 'Vindictus' is pursuing,' then that sense of rejection disappears. In summary, the pre-alpha test evaluation of 'Vindictus' will vary depending on where you focus your perspective.

Fran:When the trailer was first released, my first impression was that it had returned with visuals befitting the current generation, and that it was trying to show the feeling of early Mabinogi again. In the actual gameplay, I think everyone had a similar impression regarding the visuals. The quality was enough to evoke nostalgia for Mabinogi in my memories, and the optimization felt very decent.

The gameplay was even closer to the Mabinogi I knew than I expected. If you were expecting weighty action or a sense of impact, you might be a little disappointed, but it's not at the level of flying around like the current Mabinogi, so you don't have to worry.

The next task for 'Vindictus', which has finished the pre-alpha test, is how to resolve the friction that arises when the controls and tempo, which maintain the framework of the original Mabinogi, meet a new direction. It's like the framework of Mabinogi and the direction that 'Vindictus' is pursuing don't mesh well and create dissonance. Of course, since it's just finished the pre-alpha test, there's a lot of room for improvement in the future, and in the current market situation, the feeling that 'it would be really fun if they fixed it' is actually something to praise.

Haco:I couldn't hide my excitement after watching the trailer video. Anyone who has experienced the combat of early Mabinogi will agree. To think that I could experience that fun again with improved graphics, how could I not be excited?

In particular, seeing the interview that attack speed options would not appear was the final blow. After that, I recommended everyone around me to try it together. However, the pre-alpha test felt ambiguous. It was fun, but I wouldn't say it lived up to my expectations. Considering that it's a pre-alpha test, the official version will be much more developed, but I couldn't help but feel that my expectations had dropped somewhat.

The biggest thing I felt was that this game was developed for gamepad play. There were many things that were uncomfortable based on the keyboard and mouse. Even if the key settings can't be changed, it's very inconvenient that you can't naturally transition from guard to heavy stander.

Compared to early Mabinogi, the action is quite light. Overall, the enemy's attack speed is fast and there are few openings, so it may be an unavoidable choice, but it's quite disappointing that it doesn't have a weighty feel.

Rubik:Considering that it was a pre-alpha test, I think it was a smooth and pleasant experience. The details and direction of the game can change at any time, but I liked that the core of the game was placed on action.

Personally, I think the most important part of an action game is the movement of the character. Moving forward, backward, walking left and right, rolling, running, and stopping all felt natural and smooth. The visuals and frame rate were also satisfactory. Compared to other action games that use Unreal Engine 5, the visuals were smooth and the frame rate, which cannot be overlooked as an action game, was not noticeable, which was impressive in many ways.

Can 'Vindictus' be called a Soulslike?

Noeul:Personally, I like Soulslikes, but I think it's a bit ambiguous to call it a Soulslike. Should I call it the grammar of the genre? Elements such as Souls, which are experience points and resources, stamina consumption for actions such as attack, defense, and evasion, recovery at bonfires, which are intermediate save points, but with the resurrection of mobs, and limited recovery methods are the core elements that make up a Soulslike. In this sense, it shares some aspects, but compared to other Soulslikes, the color is somewhat faint.

Personally, I think it should be seen as 'a game that borrows some of the combat system of Soulslike' rather than 'Mabinogi based on Soulslike'.

Fran:These days, there seems to be a tendency to recognize games with intermediate save points like bonfires or fighting with limited potions as Soulslikes.

From that perspective, I can understand why 'Vindictus' is called a Soulslike to some extent. The fact that you restart the game from the most recent resting point when you die, and the fact that you fight hard against enemies with limited potions, clearly shows that it has borrowed some elements of Soulslike. However, I felt that the overall combat style still had more of Mabinogi's flavor.

Haco:Personally, I strongly agree with calling it a Soulslike. More than anything, isn't the form of combat closer to Soulslike than Mabinogi?

I could feel this greatly from the mob sections, where I couldn't easily stagger them, giving me a similar feeling to Soulslike where you can't let your guard down even in normal situations. Lishita was okay, but Fiona was quite difficult even with mobs.

Not to mention the boss fights. I didn't need to know the patterns for the mid-bosses, but I had to know the patterns to clear main bosses like Gnoll Chieftain or Iruk. The short intervals between the boss's patterns also gave me the impression that it was closer to Soulslike than Mabinogi. Considering that early Mabinogi flowed into a combat style focused on measuring the distance from the enemy, parrying normal attacks, and only hitting smashes, the combat of 'Vindictus' felt closer to the combat called 'dodge + normal attack'. In fact, there was almost no timing to put in a 4-hit smash, and at most I could only put in a 2-hit smash.

Rubik:There are parts that borrow from Soulslike, but I don't think that's enough to call 'Vindictus' a Soulslike. When asked what defines a Soulslike, I think that the ability to freely develop your character to your liking is also important, in addition to the grammar of the genre. The play style also changes depending on whether you develop it as a melee character or a magic character.

The ability to develop your character in a way that suits your taste is also a key aspect of Soulslike, but 'Vindictus' has a fixed weapon for each character and fixed skills, so if you awkwardly follow Soulslike, the game may end up being neither one thing nor the other.

But it would be fun if Fiona used magic or Lishita wielded a Long Hammer.

Positive and Negative Coexisted in the Pre-Alpha Test

Noeul:First of all, the visuals and direction were very good despite being a pre-alpha test. Should I call it a dark feeling? I hope the current feeling continues.

The combat system will be divisive. The current Mabinogi is so flashy and exhilarating that it makes your eyes spin. So, if you compare it to Mabinogi, it might feel frustrating. Of course, this is only when compared to Mabinogi. I think the direction of action that 'Vindictus' is pursuing is different from Mabinogi. This part is closer to Soulslike, and I was satisfied because I could feel a unique sense of control in the part where I had to understand and attack the boss's patterns. However, the performance of active skills and the boss's patterns were so tight that I could hardly use 4-hit smashes, which seemed to need improvement.

The most serious thing was the lock-on. It was okay in boss fights, but when catching mobs, it was so serious that I wondered if they had even done QA. I hope it will be improved in the next test.

Fran:I think everyone will be satisfied with the visuals. Maps like the Northern Ruins and Ice Cave, which evoke nostalgia for those who enjoyed the original, have been reborn in a sophisticated way, and the styles of the Gnolls have also changed very coolly. Seeing the Mabinogi IP reborn like this once again makes me feel new.

I was also satisfied with the fact that they subtly included costume presets and gesture lists. It seems to be a part that can appeal to people who have memories of the past Mabinogi, as well as those who enjoy the current Mabinogi. I know there was a multiplayer experience, but they said they were developing it mainly for single-player, and seeing that they included a variety of gestures, it seems like they put a lot of thought into it.

The combat was just okay. Other than the fact that it hurts a lot when you get hit and you only have 3 potions, the combo smashes and the skills that stagger the enemy felt mostly the same. The fact that it's the same as Mabinogi is both a compliment and a disappointment. It tastes good, but it feels like one seasoning is missing.

The lock-on was serious. Usually, when you lock on to one enemy, you strafe around the target, but 'Vindictus' doesn't look at the locked-on enemy and looks in the direction you're heading. So, I often attacked the wrong place. I hope they fix this part as soon as possible.

Personally, I also felt that the camera was a bit awkward. It felt like it was located in the center of the screen, which was a hindrance to combat. I wondered if it would be possible to add an option to adjust the camera position. Oh, and I don't know why they added jump. I think it will be used to avoid jump attacks or boss's ground attacks in the future, but even considering that, its usefulness seems ambiguous.

Haco:Like the other reporters, I didn't see anything wrong with the visuals. The first impression related to the visuals was enough to give it a passing grade.

I was also satisfied with the combat system in many ways. In particular, I want to give high marks to the fact that they didn't make it completely the same as early Mabinogi. In particular, I liked the fact that they allowed me to use various active skills from the beginning, and that they put in cooldowns instead of deleting SP, so that I could use the skills evenly. The same goes for drinking potions. It's been reduced to 3, but I can drink it while moving, so in some ways, I think it's gotten better. I want to praise all of these parts. This game isn't just Mabinogi with the visuals overhauled.

Of course, there were many inconveniences. I couldn't understand why the heavy stander key was separated, and why the conditions for Gliding Fury were so strict. The most uncomfortable thing was running. It was a method of turning it on and off by pressing the run key, but if I stopped or attacked, I had to press the key again.

I also agree with the camera story to some extent. It would be better if there was no lock-on. It's said that it doesn't have much practical meaning, but I also missed the initial sensibility of Mabinogi. Things like part destruction, object use, grabbing, and auxiliary weapons are all missing. Of course, these parts can be implemented in the future, so it's time to save my words now.

Rubik:I want to give high marks to the direction. There was a scene where soldiers were horribly killed in a Gnoll attack, which I thought was a good direction to immediately show that it was a dark and cruel game.

I also thought that the character animation was generally excellent despite being a pre-alpha test. There were almost no parts that felt awkward. However, I think it will basically be a faster-paced action game than a typical Soulslike, so I think it would be good to exaggerate the visual effects and sound effects a bit more. It's a bit bland right now.

The combo system seems to be generally divisive, but I think it was well brought as a combat system that symbolizes Mabinogi. Of course, the boss patterns are so tight that most people only use 1-hit and 2-hit smashes, so it seemed to have room for improvement. I was also generally satisfied with the boss fights. They were generally honest and had some moderately deceptive parts, which I liked.

Fiona and Lishita, Compared to the Original Mabinogi?

Noeul:As someone who played the original Mabinogi as Lishita, especially Spear Lishita, I feel a bit complicated seeing that Gliding Fury has changed. It seems to have changed so that I can use it more often and proactively, but isn't the feeling of getting a critical hit the charm of Lishita? However, please consider that there are some parts that have been somewhat glorified in my memories (laughs). In fact, I died a lot back then. Anyway, considering the direction of action that 'Vindictus' is pursuing, I don't think the current method is bad.

Fiona also felt like she had changed to suit 'Vindictus'. Personally, I thought the guard counter felt pretty good. But it was too weak, and the disadvantage of being difficult to respond to when the boss's unguardable pattern appeared was clear. So, everyone didn't use guard counters and just dodged with rolls. It seemed necessary to either buff the guard counter a bit more, or allow it to lead to a heavy stander in the guard state, and allow the heavy stander to block unguardable patterns.

Fran:I didn't raise male characters when I played Mabinogi, and I don't think this trend will change even if 'Vindictus' is released. So, I only played Fiona in this pre-alpha test, and I was generally satisfied because it reminded me of the original in many ways, from the still powerful Amaranth Kick to the overall visuals.

However, as mentioned earlier, the guard counter and roll seemed to need more improvement. Even though she's a character designed for guarding, I felt that it was much more beneficial to dodge with rolls than to guard. If I played guard, I often got hit by unguardable patterns that appeared by chance, but if I dodged with rolls, I could avoid most of them. From that perspective, I didn't think it was 2% enough to bring out Fiona's strengths.

Haco:I had mostly the same impressions as the other reporters. In the case of Fiona, I didn't think she made good use of the fact that she's a character who can guard. The feeling of the guard counter was certain, but I didn't think it was necessary. The timing was tight, but it was weak, so it felt like high risk, low return. Usually, a counter should be high risk, high return, but something was wrong.

Heavy stander is also a problem. In Mabinogi, I could lead to a heavy stander from the guard state and respond to various situations, but in 'Vindictus', the keys were completely different, so I had to release the guard and use the heavy stander, and I often got hit in the meantime. Even if I use the heavy stander in time, it's a problem. If I don't match the timing, my health will be depleted. It's better than just getting hit, but it's ambiguous in many ways because it's better to use guard than to use heavy stander by matching the timing. So, I often dodged with rolls, and overall, I got the impression that the guard itself was incomplete.

In the case of Lishita, it felt like he was faithful to the dodge + normal attack, which is the basis of Soulslike combat. However, like Fiona, I felt that Gliding Fury was slightly off. It doesn't link to 1-hit smash, 3-hit smash, or Double Crescent, so even though it's changed so that I can use it more often and proactively, it was quite difficult to use in boss fights. And even if I use Gliding Fury, there's a problem that the camera turns greatly after using it. In conclusion, I thought it was necessary to refine the edges that suit each character, whether it's Fiona or Lishita.

Rubik:I had a lot to say, but the other reporters have already said it all, so I don't think I need to say more. I haven't played the original Mabinogi, so I can't compare it clearly, but I also agree that Fiona's guard and Lishita's Gliding Fury need to be improved more effectively and intuitively.

Keyboard + Mouse vs Controller

Noeul:I've tried both keyboard and mouse and controller. I usually play these kinds of action games with a controller, but 'Vindictus' felt more comfortable with keyboard and mouse. In the case of the controller, I thought the UX needed more improvement. In the case of Fiona, I can guard with LB and use a guard counter by pressing the strong attack (Y), but the problem was that I was using skills with LB + XYAB, so I often used skills unintentionally. So, I felt that the keyboard and mouse were a bit more intuitive.

Fran:I felt like I had to play this style of game with a controller, so I did it with a controller. Overall, it wasn't bad. Parts like the interaction being the right trigger based on the Xbox controller were a bit unfamiliar, but I adapted to it more easily than I thought.

Haco:I only proceeded with keyboard and mouse. I usually play Soulslikes with a gamepad, but I chose keyboard and mouse because I had memories of playing Mabinogi with keyboard and mouse. While playing the game, it was difficult to erase the feeling that it was developed mainly for gamepad rather than keyboard and mouse. There were many parts that were uncomfortable with keyboard and mouse. However, if the key layout function is supported, I don't think most parts will be a big problem.

Rubik:I played with a controller, and it felt familiar because it was a standard layout commonly used in most action games. One awkward part was that the execution key to kill groggy mobs was RT, which was a bit awkward.

'Vindictus', Which Wants to Go a Different Path from Mabinogi, Were There Any Disappointments?

Noeul:The online game Mabinogi and the single-based 'Vindictus' have different overall level designs and directions, so I can't compare them directly, but I'm a bit disappointed that part destruction and various gimmicks using auxiliary weapons are missing. Throwing a spear to destroy a part or two people hooking Laghodessa's front legs to knock it down are representative gimmicks, but 'Vindictus' is single-based, so it seems difficult to implement gimmicks such as hooking, let alone part destruction. At least, I hope that various auxiliary weapons will appear to add depth to the combat.

Fran:I can feel that they want to make it a game with a different sensibility from the original, so I think it's difficult to compare it directly. Personally, I thought there were more parts that I was satisfied with compared to the original, such as the cutscene direction and map design. Oh, this is a really personal wish and disappointment, but as Lin was my main character, I hope they will definitely release Lin in the launch build.

Haco:I think I should compare it to early Mabinogi rather than the current Mabinogi, but I think it's difficult to say that the current 'Vindictus' has captured the sensibility of early Mabinogi, even if there's nostalgia. More than anything, the online game Mabinogi and the single-based 'Vindictus' are bound to be different. It might be different if multiplayer comes out, but even if it does, I don't think it will feel much different from Mabinogi. If I had to say, I think it would be closer to the multiplayer system of Soulslike than the multiplayer of Mabinogi.

Rubik:As mentioned earlier, I haven't played Mabinogi, so it's difficult to compare it to Mabinogi.

'Vindictus', I Look Forward to a Better Future

Noeul:In fact, I thought it would be very rough because it was a pre-alpha test, but from the overall visuals to the combat system and cutscene direction, there was nothing to criticize considering that it was a pre-alpha test. However, I guess it couldn't be helped that it was bland because the growth elements and content were limited, as it was estimated that the goal was to verify the direction of the combat system. Nevertheless, I liked the boss fights quite a bit, so I think I'll do it again if there's another test.

Fran:I think it's still too early to evaluate the game. However, the fact that they publicly released the pre-alpha test through Steam can be read as an intention to increase expectations for the game until its release, and I think it has shown a meaningful result to some extent in that respect.

Users who have played or are playing Mabinogi are interested in 'Vindictus' in terms of the revival of the familiar IP of Mabinogi, and users who were not interested in Mabinogi are also showing interest in 'Vindictus' as a new Soulslike genre that has been attracting attention recently. In that sense, I think it was a successful pre-alpha test. I want to send my strong support for their future endeavors.

Haco:I'll postpone the evaluation until later, as I can't predict how it will change in the future. But I think I'll buy it if it's officially released. I have memories of Mabinogi and I like Soulslike, so I can't help it. Personally, if there's anything I want more, it's that the multiplayer function will be added, and it's a game that I can recommend to people around me, so I hope I can enjoy multiplayer together.

Rubik:It's difficult to evaluate easily because it's a pre-alpha test stage, but if they prepare content such as action, dungeon composition, and boss fights based on the current combat system and make it a game of about 40 hours, I think it will still be a decent work. Of course, this is only if things that are naturally thought to be included in other action games are all included.

Webzine InvenReporter Yoon Hongman
2024-03-20