“I wanted to create a low-barrier multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that even someone who has never played a game would say, ‘I want to try this game.’”
On the 17th, I personally experienced Nexon's 'Mabinogi Mobile,' which, as described by Kim Dong-geun, the representative of DevCat, was an MMORPG with a low level of difficulty suitable for beginners. Its charming design and automatic movement and hunting features made it perfect for newbies who felt intimidated by the dark world view and complex controls of MMORPGs. The appearance of characters and regions from the original Mabinogi also stirred nostalgia, demonstrating Kim’s affection for the original work.
◇ Automatic play with 'compass feature'… beginner-friendly 'MMORPG'
On the first screen, players can choose a class, which acts as the character's ‘job.’ They select one from warrior, archer, wizard, healer, or bard and then choose a gender. While starting at the 'Apprentice' level, they can eventually change jobs later. Players then customize their characters according to their preferences. I selected 'Apprentice Wizard' as my first class and created a character with pink split hair and green eyes—something difficult to attempt in real life.
As the game begins, the character 'Nao' appears, embarking on a journey to find lost memories. Nao is also a character featured in the existing Mabinogi intellectual property (IP). The story kicks off as players ride alongside Nao to reach the old village of Tir Chonaill. Guided by NPCs (non-player characters), they hunt down wolf packs in hunting grounds and defeat monsters in dungeons to level up. In the process, collaborating with other users to defeat enemies can yield additional rewards. Also, with just one click of the 'compass' button, the game can be played automatically, making it easy for beginners to grow their characters. Players can also enjoy life-sim content such as fishing and cooking while feeling the 'romance' and 'leisure' that Mabinogi Mobile promises.
Mabinogi Mobile has few so-called ‘pay-to-win’ elements. 'Pay-to-win' refers to MMORPG features that induce in-game purchases by significantly increasing stats depending on item composition. While players can purchase lottery-like items to acquire desired costumes or pets and dye them, these do not have a meaningful impact on combat. However, to match items from hats to shoes in the same category, players may need to attempt the lottery about 10 times, making it difficult to consider the lack of monetization altogether.
◇ Graphics that disrupt immersion are 'disappointing'… mobile controls are difficult
Attracting new users who are not existing Mabinogi players may remain a challenge. The graphic quality was lacking enough to decrease immersion compared to other MMORPGs. The character movements and expressions, as well as the background graphics of towns and forests in the game, were excessively simplistic. Nexon reportedly spent eight years developing Mabinogi Mobile, with investments exceeding 100 billion won. This amount equals the development costs of triple-A games from other companies, yet the visuals were sparse.
Mobile controls also require improvement. Nexon explained that users can enjoy the game anywhere without location restrictions on 'Mabinogi Mobile.' However, after experiencing both mobile and PC versions, the character's response time on mobile was slow, and adjusting the direction of movement was challenging, thereby diminishing immersion.
Kim remarked, “Mabinogi Mobile is a game made through a new attempt called a joint venture,” adding, “There were many trials and difficulties, but I think you will feel new aspects as well.” He further stated, “Please think of it as there is a genre called Mabinogi, and a new member called Mabinogi Mobile has joined.”
Mabinogi Mobile was officially launched on the 27th of this month. The mobile version can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.