[GAME MASTER]Silkroad

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[GAME MASTER]Silkroad

Role-playing games are one of the most popular genres when it comes to online PC games in Korea. Sad to say, however, many of the available RPG games have formats and stories that are all too similar.
These days, Chinese characters, stories and settings have become popular in RPG games. As can be guessed from the title, “Silkroad” allows the gamer to explore and seek adventure along the famous trading route.
But it isn’t much different from other RPG games, at least when played by an unexceptional player like myself without much time to spare.
Because there are so many games with similar characteristics, I didn’t expect much from “Silkroad” when I started to play, basically assuming that it would be the same as all the others.
Indeed, there weren’t many surprises when it came to the gameplay. The graphics, however, were exceptional, probably the best among the games of this sort that I’ve played.
The game is very similar to the “Lineage” series, except that the characters seemed sexier. The game is restricted to players who are 19 and older, so feel free to speculate about what the characters’ costumes look like. You start the game by creating your character and dressing him or her up.
Because I’m not a good player, I started wandering around looking at the beautiful graphics instead of chasing down monsters. The backgrounds were beautiful to admire, but you have to be careful when you start wandering, because you might end up somewhere you aren’t supposed to be.
Once your character is created and armed, the method of play is much like those of other RPGs: you track down monsters and destroy them to build your strength and experience, so you can reach higher levels. I found a variety of monsters, but defeating them was always pretty much the same experience.
In many games like this, one has the disappointing experience of spending three or four hours “upping” one’s level only to find that your skills haven’t actually improved much. This happens in lots of games, and players like me just get bored after playing a couple of times. With “Silkroad,” though, you see a clear difference at each new level.
Once you reach a certain stage, you can choose your guild ― merchant, thief or hunter. Members of the three different classes are encouraged to fight one another. This is a little different from other games, since players usually choose an occupation before starting out.
When creating a character, you do choose a weapon, and when you reach the “occupation” level, there’s a vast array of newer weapons to be purchased, pillaged or stolen. Unfortunately, I was not able to reach this level.
A better player told me that as you rise in levels, you can roam from country to country on the Silk Road. This may be why people keep playing this game, even though the format is pretty average. I lost interest after a couple of hours, but judging from a friend of mine, who was anxious to choose a job and move to another country, it seems that the meeting of West and the East is an interesting thing for dedicated gamers. After roaming around China for a while, I decided to stick with games that I’m already familiar with.


by Joe Eun-hye
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