Published on March 1, 20200

Is Dragon Raja Better Than Black Desert Mobile? The Two Best Mobile MMOs Compared

Welcome to a spot of sound controversy and debate, as we try to answer the question that is going through many players' minds: Is Dragon Raja better than Black Desert Mobile? This is definitely a though one, considering that this is a face-off between two of the newest mobile MMORPGs, and also two of the best ever made. As technology moves on and so does player scrutiny, every MMORPG for portable devices has to step up its game and deliver a complex, entertaining experience that goes beyond the usual grind, as well as funneling players down a path where the cash shop is the only option to win. Apparently, times are changing and better games are coming, so let's compare the two best mobile MMORPGs and see how they fare.

Is Dragon Raja better Than Black Desert Mobile? | Which MMORPG is the Best?

At first, this comparison may seem a bit excessive, but the overall question is mostly about which game you should be playing, how different they are, and which features pull you more to one game over the other. Let's pick some main topics and see how each game performs, hopefully helping you make up your mind.

Graphics

Mobile games have made amazing progress in the last couple of years. Unreal Engine 4 is the main culprit for the graphical advances, with developers delivering great-looking games that aren't excessively demanding on hardware.

Dragon Raja offers a spectacular mix of western, eastern, and fantasy elements. It's a weird mix that could easily crash and burn, but it looks amazing and sometimes channels games like Blade and Soul and Final Fantasy. It's great to be a part of a vibrant world with different architectural styles, providing enough variety to please the eye and not get tiring after a few days worth of gameplay. The characters also look fairly diverse and while it's up to personal taste, the art style is mostly great and delivers enough fan service as well – we know that it matters for some of you.

Black Desert Mobile is a stunning achievement for a mobile MMORPG. The sprawling world is extremely detailed and there is so much diversity that it's impressive how they managed to put it on a phone. You have much sightseeing to do, although you must be a fan of the generic fantasy tropes that this game abides to. Character design and animation is some of the best yet, if not the best, so you can't go wrong with Pearl Abyss' masterpiece.

Verdict: Very different styles, but both games look amazing.

Story

Dragon Raja story is adapted from a Chinese novel and I have compared it to playing a lead role in an X-Men movie. It's all about these students that are powerful dragon hybrids and have to face the return of mighty and devastating dragons. In the meantime, there is room for drama, jealousy, many text messages, Luminous being quite the buffoon, and egos battling for superiority. Sounds like college life, really, and it's a ton of fun, despite some glaring translation flaws.

The Black Desert Mobile story is mostly about the black spirit and how your destiny is entwined with this being, but it isn't as engaging. It feels more like an excuse to keep you grinding than an actual, entertaining narrative. It's not surprising if you decide to stop paying attention to it before the first hours of gameplay are past you.

Verdict: Dragon Raja offers a much more compelling, fun narrative.

World Interactivity and Quest Diversity

Let's not beat around the busy here – Dragon Raja beats Black Desert Mobile and every other mobile MMORPG where it comes to world interaction. Even irrelevant actions like sitting, reading, using the swingset, or taking extremely pretty photographs all over the world gain another meaning when you are so limited by other games. Dragon Raja feels like a playground, with a roller coaster, carousel, giant Ferris Wheel, and so much more. It's a joy to discover these actions and picking your jaw from the floor when a few days later you realize that you can run on buildings. There is so much to surprise you in this game.

Black Desert Mobile doesn't break any new ground in this aspect. The addition of a city building mini game with the camp is worthy of praise, but world interaction doesn't go beyond what you have to do, like gathering or fishing. You surely can't go on a stroll to the beach with your pet and take pictures, or choose a Superstar and Chef career.

Verdict: Dragon Raja wins with its remarkable freedom of choice.

Grind

Dragon Raja doesn't escape the grind, but I feel that the story is catchy enough to keep me doing so, even when you hit that time where you must level up to access the next part of the narrative. I don't think the grind is abusive, considering that there are so many dailies for you to focus on and win EXP: bounties, quizzes, PvP, PvE, even car racing.

On the other hand, Black Desert Mobile is mostly about grinding. It may come with some of the best action combat ever made and amazing looks, but it's a big grind for sure.

Verdict: Dragon Raja offers you many daily ways of leveling up, while Black Desert Mobile is a more monotonous, grind-focused affair.

Combat

Black Desert Mobile wins this one hands down. It's not that the Dragon Raja combat system isn't good; it is, and the class balance and visual flair is top class. However, the variety and sheer playability of Black Desert Mobile's combat remains unrivaled. Thankfully you can't rely on that auto option for some dungeons and boss battles, so you are forced to see for yourself just how good it is. Yes, we live in a weird world where we have to praise a game for letting you play it…

Combat in Dragon Raja feels a bit more floaty, less polished, with less punch, so to speak. However, it isn't lacking in effects and style, especially considering that the classes are very original – that Soul Dancer is quite an ingenious idea.

Verdict: Black Desert Mobile features a better combat system, but Dragon Raja's action is also very good.

Is Dragon Raja Better Than Black Desert Mobile? | Final Thoughts

It's impossible to straight up say that one of these is better than the other. However, were we pushed into a wall and forced to say it anyway, we would pick Dragon Raja over Black Desert Mobile. Visually, it's quite refreshing and offers an open world that is a pleasure to explore, if you can ignore all those clipping issues. Besides, it brings unprecedented levels of interactivity for a mobile MMORPG, and dare I say PC and consoles as well.

But in the end, it's the story and freedom that seal the deal. I'm really enjoying my time in Cassell College with my new mates and I can't wait to see where it goes. I'm guessing that Luminous is going to win the heart of NoNo, leaving the egocentric Caesar to ponder over his selfish attitudes, but this is just speculation. Well, it's time for another round in Salon of INT.

Dragon Raja official site: https://dragonraja.zloong.com/
Black Desert Mobile official site: https://www.world.blackdesertm.com/