KurtzPel Preview – Anime Brawler That Cuts to the (Grand) Chase

From Grand Chase to Elsword and now KurtzPel, KOG has always been known for its knack for anime-styled games and superior artwork. Its latest creation also works as an evolution of its mastery, both visually and gameplay-wise, as KurtzPel makes the jump to full 3D, with impressive characters to boot. If this sounds appealing to you, click the link in the video description to follow this game.

Fans of Grand Chase will be delighted to see that KurtzPel has some strong links to that game, with the main player organization being called Chase, no less. You will see some familiar faces from Grand Chase such as Lire Eryuell or Jin Kaien, while Crim Plie is obviously inspired by Amy Plie. This is some cool fan service for long-time fans of this KOG multiverse – let’s call it that way.

Before you jump straight into the game, KurtzPel starts with this mystical personality test of sorts. What is your life style, where does your energy flow, are you logical or emotional and so on. Based on the results you will be attributed a type – mine was ‘Genius’, but you can change it to Judge, Optimist, Leader, Supporter, Shy, Observer and more. These personalities will affect your character stance, hairstyle and voice, but once again, you can change all of this to your liking.

Character creation during the KurtzPel global closed beta is only available for the Human race. It is, however, quite in-depth, with the option to change body type and style, face, hair and features. This last one is strictly reserved for bust and hip tweaking, so feel free to go crazy with those sliders. The hair customization is particularly detailed, with front, back, side, and tail options, including partial dye – you will be able to get a unique character if you take the time to play with the customization system.

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Karma is a Weapon

Then it’s off to more serious things: the choice of Karma. Karmas are the weapons in KurtzPel, with four known so far: Sword Taliah (sword), Dance of Wind (longbow), Diabolic Witch (staff) and Blazing Fist (gauntlet). Each Karma has different attributes such as speed, endurance, physical attack and defense, among others. Obviously, you will have to pick the Karma that best suits your playstyle – the Dance of Wind if you prefer long range attacks, or the Sword Taliah if you like to go full-on berserk in the arena.

Eltheca is the home of the Chase organization – you are called a Chaser – and this is where you can access the training grounds, access missions through the mission map and upgrade your equipment. KurtzPel doesn’t feature levels per se – there is a rank for sure, but your character’s abilities evolve as you spend points to upgrade your equipment, skirts and shoes included. You can even dye a piece of equipment if you have the points to spare.

The mission map features history missions and real time missions. History missions are related to an NPC and will progress the story and reward you with affinity points and skills – more on that later. Real time missions require you to team up with another player to fight a boss through increasingly difficult levels.

Then you have the PvP aspect of KurtzPel, which is where all hell breaks loose, and skilled players will be put to the ultimate test. Some of the game modes currently available are Capture the Flag, Conquest and Deathmatch, all of them offering 2v2 matches. It takes quite a bit of practice and skill to master each Karma, with combos coming fast and furious as you learn all the intricacies – switching between your two weapons is crucial and will surely be a recurrent solution for the more skilled players.

Each Karma has a few special abilities called Karma Crystals, which you can use for more destructive results, but beware of the cooldown times. As you deal damage to the boss or other players, you’ll eventually unlock your Ultimate, or Unique Karma Crystal, which is a devastating blow that comes with a striking little cinematic to make any anime series proud. Use it with care and with the certainty that it is not going to waste.

After some missions you may be lucky enough to receive a piece of gear or a Karma Crystal, maybe even a new Karma weapon. Depending on who you were helping or after a PvP battle you may also earn affinity points if you choose the right answers. These points can be used to grow your relationship level with a given character, which in turn may yield you better rewards.

Great Balls of Fire

KurtzPel is quite stunning to look at – as soon as you get used to that running animation, that is. The character design is really accomplished, with some bosses that look better than others, but all of them have this distinct look and behavior that warrants some truly diverse fights – fighting the impressive Calamity is surely completely different from facing Dark Elf Karin and her oversized pussycat Black Fang.

Other boss raids deserve a mention, as they can be memorable, especially when you are playing in very hard difficulty. The Bellatos Lieutenant, with his larger than life sword, for example, or the Obsidian Fist Master, who is a definite pain in the neck, with his devastating fist attacks. But it is unfair not to highlight the rest of the cast, as they are truly unique and resourceful, as you will evidently see for yourselves.

Fighting these bosses is mostly a matter of moving around, choosing your approach as a team – if you are using a long-range Karma, deal damage from distance as you let your partner go in for the melee attacks. Or you can both choose to go for the bow (or the staff as well) and stay clear from the boss. It all depends on who you are fighting and which Karma you have at your disposal. Each player starts the battle with two lives and if both of you die, the battle is lost. However, you have a few seconds to revive a fallen partner without spending a life, but make sure that this is relatively safe, or it may backfire on you. Standing still helps you regain some health, but as always, be on your toes as you may be attacked at any moment. Every boss fight is exciting in its own way.

Here and there you will be treated to some impressive cinematic sequences, showcasing the work that has gone into creating this skilled anime style.

KurtzPel is a great anime brawler that looks stunning and is exciting to play, requiring a lot of skill both for PvE and PvP. Our only regret is that its story mode isn’t more fleshed out, with proper dungeons and mobs to go through. However, what there is is enough to keep you entertained for quite some time, as reaching the higher rank is a task for the most skilled players. Check the official website and the link in the video description to follow KurtzPel closely.