➤ Black Desert Mobile, the review 🎮

We are now used to seeing the games that we least expected to see proliferate on these platforms transposed to the mobile version, so it is not surprising that we are faced with a Black Desert Mobile review. The game in question, developed by the Korean team Pearl Abyss, represents one of MMORPG best known and most played of the moment, beyond the historical titles, and although it is a genre that seems little led to a portable reduction, the operation took place with some success. On the other hand, especially in the Asian area, there is a clear tendency to transpose games that meet great success on PC to mobile platforms, regardless of how complex the use may seem. The result is bizarre paradoxes such as the fact that these titles are often played in mobile version on PC through systems such as BlueStacks, taking advantage of their being free-to-play and the additional advantage given by the use of mouse and keyboard in the face of a ' already simplified interface of its own.

After seeing the mobile conversions of Lineage 2 and PUBG, a portable counterpart of Black Desert was at least due, considering the success of the game in recent years. It must be said that, although it is not really a conversion but a general re-adaptation, Black Desert Mobile manages to reproduce in a small way the characterizing elements of the original, which have made it successful on major platforms. First of all the combat system, particularly dynamic and action compared to the standards of the genre, but also the quantity of interpretable classes (although linked to the sex of the character), the diversity of settings and the amount of secondary and collateral activities that can be carried out within the game world, beyond the typical quests and fights. All these features are found in large part within Black Desert Mobile, only of course you must also take into account the distortions typical of these operations: the uncomfortable interface, the automation of the gameplay, the heaviness of the graphics on less performing devices and an inevitable tendency to pay to win. In the end, the balance is not disastrous but the negative elements rather hold back the potential of Black Desert Mobile.

An MMORPG in your pocket

The first thing to hit is thecharacter editor, which re-proposes the incredible completeness and quality of the one seen in the PC version, being able to act on practically every possible aesthetic parameter. The classes, as we have said, are linked to the gender of the character, so the choices on this front are limited and in general you have to work a little to be able to obtain truly original results and different from the presets, however even with little effort it is possible to pull out. something pleasant, as long as you appreciate the graphic style with a somewhat oriental taste.

The complexity of the world reproduced in 3D is impressive, perhaps even exaggerated: the amount of elements displayed puts a strain on mobile hardware and often forces you to act on the settings to reduce detail and resolution but clipping and pop-ups are a constant risk. A problem of the graphics is given by the dynamic modification of the level of detail and resolution that occurs by enlarging the frame, so that when more elements appear on the screen, everything becomes a bit confused and jammed, with evident aliasing, while with the frame very close you can see a much better image quality, but with such a camera (which moreover does not automatically rotate in a logical way) it becomes really difficult to play. In short, from a technical point of view we are faced with an admirable game as regards the scale of the world represented and the detail staged, but also problematic for its difficult management by portable hardware and for a choice of graphic filters and effects that tend to weigh down the image too much and also make it difficult to interpret. This last aspect is evident during the fights, when the effects of the blows and special abilities go to practically cover what happens around the character.

From the point of view of the gameplay, Black Desert Mobile follows the excellent characteristics of its older brother, offering a good variety of quests and alternative activities, as well as a rather fun dynamic combat system, even if here it is a bit tormented by the aforementioned display problems and by a control that with the touch screen is obviously not at the levels of the controller or mouse and keyboard. Of course, in a game of this kind you cannot expect an extremely accurate design for each quest and in most cases these are limited to being simple actions in function of the grinding, but the activities to be carried out are still so many as to make it difficult. get bored, at least in the early hours.

Those who want to dedicate themselves with commitment to Black Desert Mobile obviously face the game in a different way from the standard player: in a MMORPG of this type the grinding is a natural element and therefore the presence of theautoplay, which in fact allows you to automatically complete quests without ever having to intervene in the game. Such an option seems abhorrent to the standard player, but is actually useful for those who intend to "make a career" in the world of Black Desert. From this point of view there is also a certain amount of pay to win, an inevitable implication in a title of this size but distributed as free-to-play: the game offers two different types of subscriptions capable of providing game materials and content that guarantee constant progression, but at a cost that becomes considerable. However, the game hardly faces blocks to be removed only through micro-transactions, so the spendthrift approach depends above all on the player's propensity.

Comment

Tested version Android, iPad 4.1.20 Digital Delivery App Store, Google Play Price Free Resources4Gaming.com

7.0

Readers (9)

7.7

Your vote

It takes a certain predisposition to fully appreciate Black Desert Mobile, as always happens with MMORPGs. The game allows a gradual entry and is therefore open to different types of users, but it is clear that the commitment required to fully enter the mechanism presupposes the dedication that only the fan of the genre can guarantee, also from the point of view of expenses to be face that they are not compulsory at the base, but can become one if you want to progress seriously. Obviously, the small reduction affects important elements such as the interface, the control system and even the graphic structure compared to the original version, however it is to be appreciated how the contents and the characteristics of the gameplay have not been sacrificed in the operation. Ultimately it is a game suitable for those who do not disdain grinding and tackle MMORPGs with a certain dedication, but also others can have fun in the first hours of introduction to its various features.