Aika : Open Beta First Impressions

Aika is currently in the Open Beta phase of its western development and is the newest MMO to be published by Gala-Net (gPotato). Combining a slew of traditional MMO facets with some of its own improvisations, Aika could wind up being one of the more impressive free games on offer. I'll be honest here, going into my first play session with the game, I was initially about ready to write it off as yet another Asian import with little value other than a pretty (if uninspired) art style. There were a lot of signals that immediately told me to run screaming, but being a brave gamer I stayed and found more than a few reasons to be intrigued by the title. Mind you I've only played a few hours so far, so take this all as merely my first impressions and not a final review.

The game begins as any other: with the task of selecting your class and personalizing their looks. There are six classes in total that run the gamut of traditional fantasy roles: fighter, paladin, dual gunner, rifleman, warlock, and cleric. I don't think the specific styling of each class needs to be explained, with the exception of the dual gunner. Unlike the rifleman, the DG specializes in middle (not long) range damage and damage over time abilities... plus they just plain look cool wielding two guns. I selected the traditional fighter because I am a boring guy like that, and I was off into the starter zone (of which there are two to choose from).