And here's a First Look Gameplay Vid:
AIKA Online is a MMORPG that is set in the past. Boasting awesome graphics for a MMORPG, AIKA Online features some of the most innovative game play elements that I’ve ever see in any MMORPG that I’ve ever played for the past 10 years
.Featuring some intensive PvP (e.g nation wars) and even a daughter system (you get to own a loli, how nice), what more can be wanted from such a game?
Of course, most seasoned MMORPG player would know that AIKA Online hails from the GREAT SOUTH KOREA, where most of the MMORPGs we play today started off from there. Most seasoned MMORPG player would also know that any MMO games from Korea would probably mean hours of mindless grinding just to get the level you want.
However, I must say, AIKA is a refreshing change from the usual mindless grinding for EXP. The quests in AIKA is probably one of the fastest and easiest way to gain levels in the game, and they aren’t that difficult to complete.
AIKA also provides plenty of eye candy. Each skill is executed in a very flashy and memorable fashion. Each skill also comes with a particular SFX where your character is shouting the skill’s name.
~What my character looks like in the game~ (I'm on PvE server, Alethius Nation, name is Romarr)
Quests in AIKA provides both money and EXP, that means that you should do quests to increase both your levels and your wealth. Although playing in a total foreign environment brings about a sense of confusion, there’s nothing much to be worried anyway, since there are plenty of guides around to help out in whatever you might want to do. The maps are also very detailed which is a very nice bonus.
Other than quests, there are two very prominent features in AIKA that I think it’s absolutely worth mentioning. AIKA brings players on about a massive PvP battleground, which can also be called as a nation war, which will allow as much as 2,000 players (maybe even more!) in a single battlefield to duke it out and reign supreme for their own nations. They also recently added an arena feature which is also pretty fun.
~Preparations before the great battle…~(got from the interwebz)
~Onwards to ownage!~(got from the interwebz)
You can almost imagine this as a massive PvPing event too… except there are always perks in winning these nation wars for your own nations!
And now to one of the more significant feature that exists in AIKA Online, the daughter system! I suppose you guys can probably make out what does this means anyway…
~The evolution tree of your… well… daughter, err.. Pran
.~Upon reaching the Lv7 milestone, you’re entitled to keep a nymph (no, not that kind of a nymph…
) which will “evolve” as you level up. The nymph is called a “Pran“ has it’s own set of skills and experience bar, but you’ll get both Pran EXP and your own EXP whenever you successfully kill a monster.At the moment, the Pran 3 stages of evolution. Prans starts off as a Fairy, and as you continue playing the game, it’ll gradually level up and turn into a Child (your own personal loli, and no, you can’t do that with her), and finally at the third stage, at level 20, a teenager with her own personality!. Of course, each additional levels would bring about more skills that she can use to improve your overall character stats.
~A picture of my Pran(She's still a child, 14 more levels till she becomes a teen
) Her name is Aliciia~Of course, people would probably say that this is just some kind of a pet system that exists since Ragnarok Online when they introduced their own Cute-Pet system. This is partially true in a sense, since the Pran exists to help and aid you in your coming battles, however the claim is only half true.
The Pran system has a intimacy level which determines how well related you are with your Pran. The better you’re related with your Pran would mean that she would be more open to you, have conversations with you more often, aid you more often in your coming battles.
Prans will often engage in conversations with the player, and in the course of the conversation, there would be some options available for the player to choose. The options will either increase/decrease/nothing the relation level with your Pran(One time she asked me If I liked Xbox360, PS3, or Wii best and I chose 360(What else?
) and she got mad at me 
). So, in a sense, it can be considered as a mini-visual novel at that too.
~Note: Pran looks like my Aliciia, but this is just a pic I took from the web
~The Pran system also allows you to customize how your Pran looks like. Prans have their own inventory, which allows you to equip some adorable costumes or dolls on your Pran. Your Pran’s hairstyle can also be customized to some of the pre-sets that are available!
The Pran does some cute emotes too, such as dancing while you’re talking to it, and cheering on while you’re attacking the monsters. Depending on what your answers are when your Pran asks you a question, or how you act in the game while having your Pran out, her personality will be one of the following when she reaches her teenage phase : Cute, Athletic, Smart, Hyper, Sexy/Sassy, and Evil/Fallen.
ex: Killing members of your own nation in PvP will result in your Pran thinking that murdering comrades is okay and will develop an evil personality.
Here are some voice clips of what each personality sounds like:
Cute Pran Voice
Athletic Pran Voice
Smart Pran Voice
Sexy/Sassy Pran Voice
Evil/Fallen Pran Voice
If you want to see how they're animations are like when cheering, idle, etc visit this site(voices are in korean though):
http://aikadatabase.com/pran.php?cs=3
The Pran is indeed a very cute addition into the whole game.
~One of the many ways you can customize your Pran.~
However, one very big disadvantage about the game is that your gender is class-locked. Yep, that means if you want to play a certain class, you’ll need to play the assigned gender. Of course, the developers aren’t that unthoughtful to make up for it.
For example, there are two ranged classes in the game, namely Dual Gunner and Sniper. Dual Gunner is a dual pistol user who fires projectiles at a high speed, and is a female. The Sniper is a rifle user who fires damaging projectiles, and is a male. Although both are ranged classes, both have some different skills, and their playing style would be slightly different from each other. Although I still wish I can play as a dual wielding pistoler guy rather than one big gun
Other than that, AIKA is a pretty solid game to play. It has good graphics, good sound, cute and nice-looking models/environments and I strongly urge you to play, cause this game is one of the BEST FREE MMORPGs i've tried, and that's out of 14!(Yep i have way too much free time!)
