At Gamescom we had the pleasure again to check out what NC Soft has in store for us in the near future. We got invited to check out an exclusive overview presentation of the Korean MMORPG Aion 2 on Gamescoms Wednesday, highlighting what the Western release has in store for us and what adjustments and changes we can expect compared to the Asian release of the game over a year ago.
With the game’s global launch on PC via Steam and NCSoft’s own platform PURPLE, set for October 5th across North and South America, Europe and the Rest of Asia, the development team gave us an extend look at the game. They walked us through several different PvEfeatures and modes of the game, answered our questions about the game’s mechanics, monetization and demonstrated exactly why they believe the sequel to the beloved Aion 1 will reclaim and maintain the franchise’s spot at the top of the MMO market. From what we saw, Aion 2 isn’t just relying on the name and nostalgia, it is pushing the visual boundaries of what an open-world MMORPG can achieve, built around a modernized and dynamic combat system.
A World Without Boundaries: Spectacular Skies with the Power of Unreal Engine 5
As the presentation begun, we were led into a small side room of the B2B NC Soft booth and had the pleasure to sit down with multiple Western and Korean designers of the game. In front of us a massive OLED TV. Back in the day the original game was known for how good it looks, but the sequel expands on this on a whole other level. I think I have never seen an MMORGP looking so beautiful. Thanks to the OLED, the visuals looked clean, sharp and the colors just popped out spectacularly. Combined with the incredible environmental art and effects design, it was a sight to behold. The development team really utilized UE5s features here to make Aion 2 one of the best-looking games, I have ever seen.
The presentation showed lush, hyper-detailed environments, with phenomenal draw distances. Standing on the edge of towering cliffsides, you could see floating landmasses, massive storm clouds and deep shadowed valleys, all within the player’s grasp. The world emphasizes the seamless movement across land, sky and sea. According to the developers, if you can see a peak on the horizon, you can fly to it, land on it and explore it. The dynamic lighting system was particularly striking, casting realistic shadows that shift in real-time and is constantly being affected by player effects and spells.
Mastering the Skies
Flying is not only for movement in Aion 2 but is a center piece of the gameplay. From high-altitude skirmishes against massives bosses to massive player versus player battles, Flying is an integral part of the experience. Of course, fashion is also an important part and there are dozens of different wings you can equip your character with, but those also have minor stats. And flight speed, manoeuvring and dodging is important in combat to avoid projectiles, damage zones and other things.
Ground Combat and Classes
Back on solid ground, Aion 2 shines with its new revamped combat system as well. The game comes along with a classic tab combat mode, similar to the first game, but also with an evolved more action orientated mode where you actively have to aim at the enemies in front of you.
During the presentation I saw a single boss fight encounter by a Sorcerer character, that actively dodged damage zones, projectiles and was basically dancing around the boss while casting spells to finally beat it. Not only did it look spectacularly good, but it also felt like a very active fight. They noted that it’s more of a decision-based combat system and you can chain skills together in the right moments, depending on your class.
Talking classes, Aion 2 uses the holy MMO trinity of Tanks, Healers and Damage Dealers. The lineup includes Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Chanter, Cleric, Sorcerer and Spiritmaster. During dungeons the synergy is evident. The Gladiator jumps in front of the group and cleaves its way through the enemies, while the Sorcerer is laying down explosive spells, the Chanter is providing buffs and heals, and the Ranger is doing DPS on critical targets first.
Dungeons, Raids and PvE Activities
No MMORPG is complete without its PvE content and so they also highlighted it in the short gameplay presentation we got. The developers proudly stated that the game will launch with hundreds of solo challenges and group content like your 5-player instanced dungeons and 10-player group raids.
In the presentation they showed us a glimpse at the solo challenges, which will net you proper rewards, so if you do not have enough time or do not like group content, you can still level up and power up your character.
Then they showed us a couple of incredibly vast and beautiful dungeon environments, including a boss that showed some familiar gameplay mechanics, but was imposing thanks to its size.
What impressed me the most was the raid, however. It is nothing special for a raid to have 10 or more players, but the example they showed made player split up into two groups to fight two different bosses in two different arenas as the same time, only to come back together after these bosses. They emphasized that players can basically choose which encounter or mechanics they like more or can do better and go there. An interesting idea and I am curious how they will mix this up in further content.
I haven’t looked much at the post launch content of the Korean version of Aion 2, but talking to the developers at Gamescom, they explained that they have around one and a half years plus post-game content of the Korean version for the Western release. They explained however, that they are not aiming for version parity as fast as possible, as they see this disparity more as a luxury. They can carefully look at what worked from the start, take in improvements and even mix up certain content releases, depending on what Western players wish for the most.
Final Thoughts Before Launch
As the presentation drew to a close, I was more impressed by Aion 2 than I expected. The game might be the best-looking MMORPG out there and from what the developers showed and explained, there is a healthy balance of short and long engaging content for the players. I didn’t even mention things like the collectable mounts or the impressive character customization, but the combination of modernized combat, classes and the twist on arial combat sounds and looks impressive and fun.
I hope Aion 2 finds its long-term fooding in the west. You can try it out at the Launch Scale Test starting on September 17th, giving players a chance to stress-test the servers and experience the next generation of the world of Atreia first hand. And then it’s only a short wait, until Aion 2 launches globally on October 5th, 2026. And with everything we saw at Gamescom, as an avid MMO fan, you want to be there and check it out.
