Mortal Online 2 Impressions – A Ruthless New World

Survival MMOs are far from the easiest games to dive into and have a wonderful time. The memories of my journey in Mortal Online still haunt my dreams, with the words “ruthless” and “overwhelmed” coming to mind. I recall it being one of the most unforgiving games in a genre that isn’t easy to begin with, and its sequel has just launched. Mortal Online 2 once again embraces the hardcore nature of survival games, offering a vast world that is yours to explore, as long as you don’t fall prey to other players in the same pursuit of power.

Mortal Online 2 features full PvP in the open world, which means that you shouldn’t become too attached to your possessions since you may lose it all at the hands of a single bandit, a ferocious player, or even by falling to your death. As I’ve seen a few other players say, only bring what you can afford to lose.

Before you enter this brave uncharted world, you must create your character, choosing between humans and a few other inarticulate race names such as Tindremene and Sarduccan. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it in no time. The next step is to allocate points to various attributes such as age, strength, dexterity, and psyche, among others, and to tweak a few physical traits, choosing from a lean figure to a decidedly out of shape character, a small number of hair choices, and a few other options.

Part of the uncompromising nature of Mortal Online 2 is the option to have full nudity, so you should be prepared to see a lot of dongs running around, adventurers fighting zombies with everything out in open air. Oddly enough, these up-and-coming warriors can afford a sword or a hammer but aren’t too preoccupied with having a few rags covering their private weapons. It doesn’t go to the extreme of other games such as Rust, where you can customize your stuff, but it’s there. Jokes aside, it’s a mature touch in a game that clearly isn’t for everyone.

While Mortal Online was free-to-play, Mortal Online 2 is a full-priced game that requires the payment of a monthly subscription. It’s a business model that is certain to fuel some debate, but it can be plausible. This feels like a game for the most devoted players, fans of hardcore survival adventures where the thrill of exploring the immense world comes with a requirement of being extremely persevering, for patience comes with rewards such as discovering beautiful landmarks, new cities of infinitely distinct cultures, and dungeons filled with riches and dangers. It’s not a casual experience that grabs you during the first hours; it’s far from those run-of-the-mill free-to-play games that are meticulously designed to instantly suck you in and reach out into your wallet to buy crucial boosters that would go against the very nature of this game. In other words, you should know what you’re getting into even before you purchase the game.

In the world of Nave every player starts in Haven, a region that is as the name implies: a haven for everyone, or at least in theory. Despite the many dangers and treacherous grounds, player versus player isn’t active, which means that the starting area is player versus environment alone. However, everything else can kill you and you can still lose your loot, although you are able to retrieve it if you retrace your steps and pick up the bag from where you died. Sometimes it’s not that simple due to the sheer size of this region alone. Dying inside a dungeon such as the Fabernum Tower, a creepy and labyrinthic underground complex where the mere sight of one enemy is enough to make you turn around and run like hell, can make recovering your loot a daunting task.

The Fabernum Tower is one of the first dungeons that you’re going to find, set inside a castle ruin with stairs that keep taking you underground, as if you’re descending into the pits of hell. The atmosphere is great, the long corridors greet you with countless cells that surely harbor many terrifying tales, and the less is more approach here is glorious – the sense of dread when the first bandit shows up to face you is even more effective.

Despite the complex mechanics that make Mortal Online 2 a game that requires your undivided attention, Haven works as an extensive tutorial to ease you in. From crafting to fighting or trading, there’s a lot of effort into how you fit in this world, instead of being thrown into the wild. It may be optional but should be considered mandatory because it’s an adventure in itself, offering many hours of exploration before you decide to leave Haven, never to return – once you’re out into the full loot and full PvP world, there’s no coming back.

It's important to hone your battle skills because every fight matters. Every enemy, either AI-controlled or human is able to take you down. The idea is there: you can attack using different directions, and you must anticipate your rival’s swings and block accordingly. It’s not always easy to react swiftly, especially knowing that a couple of misplaced blocks could cost your life and hours of loot. However, I’m not entire sold on the fighting mechanics; it feels clunky at times and will hopefully become more responsive in future updates. The hardcore nature of melee combat doesn’t mean that it can’t be more fluid and satisfactory.

I have my doubts on the death system as well. When you die, you must roam the land in spirit form and find a priest to resurrect you. This means that I can continue exploring the land, especially a dungeon, in spirit form – thus safe from harm –, killing the element of surprise. I can find a lever in a dungeon, take notes on the directions that I need to follow, and sometimes it almost feels like cheating – you can even make town discoveries in spirit form, finding a priest in a new place and resurrecting there. If this feature is a positive or a negative, that’s up to each player to decide, but it does feel at odds with the unforgiving world that you set out to explore.

Nave does look good, though; it’s an extremely beautiful, huge continent, the first of many that are already planned. Some of the vistas can be breathtaking, and the many cities and regions offer enough diversity to motivate exploration and a sense of awe at every new discovery. There is a lot of running or horse riding to do, however, and in a sense the world does feel empty. Many mountains and forests await your excruciatingly slow running pace, but sometimes you’re rewarded with grandiose sights that seem inspired by The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Much like another survival game that I’ve enjoyed a lot, Outward, and despite the obvious differences, the seemingly empty worlds harbor many great locations and enthralling dungeons.

Mortal Online 2 isn’t for the faint of heart, in case you didn’t get that already by the full PvP and full loot description splattered in all communication about the game. But those looking for a brutal, tough, and uncompromising experience will find themselves at home. If you are always up for the toughest challenges in gaming, spending some time in Nave may just be what you’re looking for.