Stay terminally online long enough and you’re bound to get these weird game ads that keep making you wonder if people could actually do math. The cycle continues and the games change but it all stays the same up until I saw this weird game ad by Dragon Nest of all things.
I did a little bit of digging and apparently that old MMORPG from back then had a new mobile game and for something that should’ve been saved by the nostalgic grinders or something else like how cool it was to play it again, all I found was intrigue. A bugged out release, low app ratings, being unplayable and random crashes? The deeper you go down the rabbit hole, the worse it gets but how bad could it really be? Could the random redditor be telling the truth or was he just another troll? It’s a free game so why not try it out because emotions might’ve been behind it right?
What if your childhood fit in the palm of your hand?
I may not have been a Dragon Nest kid growing up but I still have fond memories of it being one of those games that you end up staring at for hours on end when you’re at the comp shop. The opportunity to experience your childhood again through the convenience of your phone was something you couldn’t pass up.
Booting up the game on your mobile device would give you a character creation screen featuring the 4 main classes of Dragon Nest namely the Warrior, Cleric, Sorceress and Archer. Each class had their own difficulty level with the Warrior and Archer being the easiest class and the other two classes namely the Sorceress and Cleric being for veterans and pros respectively. For the sake of nostalgia and genuine curiosity on the game’s combat system I opted for a Warrior to test out the game itself.
MMORPGs, Nostalgia, and Good Beats
The game brings you straight into the action with it’s quick tutorial showing the basics primarily through its combat. If I were to liken it to another well-loved game but from a different genre, it was like playing Diablo or other MMORPGs like World of Warcraft complete with movement, interaction and of course, a variety of combat options at your disposal. Being a warrior meant going to the front line and wailing on monsters as you saw fit and not gonna lie, I could genuinely see myself getting lost in the grind the same way I did back then if the Fatigue which was how the game limited what you could do in a day didn’t get in the way. Think about it like stamina in a gacha game, you could progress the story but once you hit that daily cap, it’s time to take a break. It doesn’t mean you’d have to stop playing but the game letting you go out and touch some grass is a good thing in this day and age.
One feature I appreciated in the mobile version was the intuitive skill system. Unlike the original PC version, the mobile interface allows you to easily customize and assign skills to a larger screen, making it easier to access what you need. You’d think a warrior wouldn’t have much in its arsenal but in reality it’s not that it was lacking in skill but that it had multiple passive skills to augment its combat prowess rather than active skills, attacks, or self buffs.
It truly shined on different classes like the sorceress or cleric where all the potential on their damage output was locked behind good skill placement and positioning as well as needing another assortment of skills to augment your damage. I had a dopamine rush seeing the combo counter go up, chaining skill after skill and hitting multiple enemies while dodging and weaving throughout this relentless assault. And speaking of dodging and weaving, having a dedicated dodge roll mechanic just spoke to me as it showed that like with modern day souls-likes, mastering this specific MMORPG would take time but boy is it satisfying when you do it!
Grind is Love, Grind is Life
Higher level content for Dragon Nest Rebirth of Legends revolves around the satisfying gameplay loop RPG grinders are used to, namely, hitting your dailies, fighting stronger monsters and of course grinding for loot to improve their current build. I opted to try out one of the “Hell Mode” dungeons which was an insane difficulty spike in itself and got a thrashing and even though it was quite humbling, it was something that got me excited. With the right party, drop luck and of course game plan, I knew it was something I could overcome over time.
Dragon Nest was generous in the fact that it actually gave useful hints on how you could improve and having a Power Up prompt was the biggest factor in that. There was equipment that you could get in dungeons of various difficulties, enhancement material to augment that equipment and heraldries which are items that give additional stats or abilities when equipped. There were even costumes which also boosted your stats! With the amount of options available, I knew the only thing standing in my way from conquering that hell mode was the grind and it had me hungry for more.
Final Thoughts
Having grown up with MMORPGs, I appreciate when mobile ports faithfully transition from PC—and Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legend does this well. I wasn’t expecting voice acting as well as an actual plot but color me surprised when I had to rescue a damsel in distress off the bat. I may not have grown up with Dragon Nest but the younger gamer in me would’ve been elated if I did play this in my formative years and even as I try it out now, the appeal is there.
Whether you’re a longtime fan, casual gamer or just looking for your next adventure, Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legends is the game you’d keep going back to and it’s definitely worth the shot. Between the fun combat and exciting gameplay loops, you’re in for a full game experience from character creation to end game PVP and more and having it all in the palm of your hands just makes it worth much more. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s some dungeons to raid!
Check and download the game here: Dragon Nest: Rebirth of Legends
Here’s a game code for some bonus freebies: SDN2025
Items: Magic Wand ×2, Copper Coins ×2000, Emergency MP Recovery Potion ×10
