
This previous weekend didn’t see me contact Aion in any respect for Select My Journey – partially as a result of I’ve had some tasks line up in entrance of me, however largely as a result of I apparently have a determination to make.
You see, I had just about forgotten that there are two variations of this MMORPG to play when it ended up profitable within the polls. There’s the usual Aion Retail, after which there’s Aion Traditional, and since I haven’t touched this sport in in all probability over a decade now, it appeared like I wanted to do a little bit of analysis. And that’s with out even mentioning the Korea and Gameforge editions of the video games, all of that are in varied levels of sync with one another!
For context, the final time I performed Aion was someday after it launched. I feel. It’s been actually so lengthy that I can’t recall the final time I used to be within the sport, however I’m moderately positive it was in the course of the earlier a part of its life. I feel I performed it twice. Each instances I used to be the light-winged faction. No matter they’re known as.

I do vaguely keep in mind the sport being… fantastic. I’ve distinct reminiscences of being form of underwhelmed that wings have been a glider and never a mode of flight except I went into the RvR zone. In any other case it was a serviceable and fairly WoW-like that was… fantastic. It was fantastic. Not memorable however inoffensive as effectively. I feel my reminiscences are muddied as a result of I hadn’t actually made up my thoughts about Korean MMOs on the time.
After all, the years marched on and my pursuits diverted to different titles, each for this column and in my private life. However considering again on all of it now, nothing in regards to the authentic Aion struck me as significantly terrible.
So think about my shock when my preliminary digging into Retail Aion instructed that it had devolved right into a pay-to-win hellscape – in the event you assume Reddit is to be believed, anyway.

9 instances out of ten, the time period pay-to-win is swung round like a weapon at something that MMO followers don’t like, as if it have been some energy phrase that might seal it from the larger gaming consciousness if it’s repeated by multitudes. And likewise these opinions have been coming from Reddit, which I usually ignore out of hand for probably the most half anyway. However then once more, this accusation was leveraged in opposition to Retail actually, actually often.
As I stated, it has been a really very long time since I performed the unique MMORPG, so I haven’t actually tracked this sport’s progress. And positive, I in all probability may have requested our professional in regards to the sport, however one thing tells me she desires to form of transfer on from that sport. Or that she wholly has moved on. So all I actually needed to go on was the grumbling of what seemed to be long-suffering followers of the sport by the years, and the frequent criticism is that it developed an excessive amount of. The sport is just too busy. The fight is just too frantic. The leveling is just too quick. The endgame is pay-to-win.
Those self same scorned gamers, for the file, all appeared to recommend that Traditional was the fitting true approach.

As soon as once more, my misremembered time within the sport form of twists my assumptions right here, together with my practically quick mistrust of oldsters presuming that the nice previous days have been the perfect days and progress is at all times dangerous. However but once more, I used to be confronted with a wealth of opinions claiming that Traditional was… proper. This was not the sport essentially hitting the reset button; it has apparently achieved simply sufficient to modernize the unique expertise with out upsetting what made the unique good. Apparently.
On the similar time, I’ve learn some impressions that instructed that that is an try at apples to oranges. Each video games have their strengths and weaknesses. Each have their very own distinct gameplay sensations. Each aren’t the identical however parallel.
All of this can be a long-winded approach of claiming that I can just about see either side of the arguments right here from what I’ve discovered. By way of the lens of somebody who hasn’t performed this sport in about 10 years or so, it’s form of arduous to affiliate any form of reminiscences of the way in which issues have been, however then I additionally actually can’t wholly ignore the quantity of people who find themselves banging the Traditional drum. However then, like Billy Joel sang, the nice ol’ days weren’t at all times good and tomorrow ain’t as dangerous because it appears. Proper?

Clearly this has been coming to the purpose when I’ve to decide. And naturally which means I’m asking you pollsters to assist me out. Both approach, that is going to be a themepark expertise and so my decisions are in all probability a bit restricted, nevertheless it’s good to kind this out first. Is it time to check out the brand new or ought to I head again to the brand new authentic? Which model ought to this month comply with by on?
Which model of Aion ought to I play?
- Aion Retail. Let’s have a look at what’s really completely different. (0%, 0 Votes)
- Aion Traditional. Hit the reset button. (0%, 0 Votes)
Whole Voters: 0
Polling will wrap up on the traditional 1:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 14th. And this time, I’ll guarantee that I really play the sport that I’ve been assigned to play. It’s only a query of which one, clearly.


