Is Black Desert Online Worth Playing In 2019?

So back in November last year I did a video titled “Is Black Desert Online Worth Playing In 2017?” Since 2018 is finishing up and we’re beginning 2019, I wanted to take the time to run through the game again and see how it’s doing going into 2019.
Now I would like to preface this video by saying that this video is sponsored, however, that won’t stop me from giving my honest opinions on the game. I’ve never been one to bite my tongue and sometimes that leads to a large influx of dislikes.
What can you do.

If you want to download Black Desert Online, I have a link in the description that will give you a 7-day free trial of the game. So hit that up if you’re interested.

Anyway, I’ve played Black Desert on and off since it launched. I was one of the first people to purchase the game for my sister, Wiggy and I because we’d been playing TERA for a long while and needed a change of pace.
BDO looked like it would offer us the change of pace we needed, providing better action combat, flashier graphics and a large, new world for us to explore.
And while we’ve had our ups and downs with the game, we’ve found ourselves coming back to it every few months to see what’s new. What’s changed.
So naturally when Pearl Abyss announced the new Drieghan expansion, I couldn’t help but have my interest piqued once again. I figured I’d jump back in and see what the new expansion and new continent was all about.
Then I learned that they were also releasing a new Archer class, so opted to wait and try both at the same time. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone.

The new Archer class was actually released just last week and I have to say, it’s probably the most fun class outside of the Striker for me.
It’s very fast, very mobile and probably allows for some of the most effeminate male character creation in-game currently. And I know how much women are into that – that’s why Korean dramas and K-pop is so popular.
Knowing this, I went for one of the prettiest not-at-all-Legolas-inspired male archers I could.

Black Desert, with the addition of Archer has 17 unique classes: Archer, Warrior, Ranger, Sorceress, Lahn, Berserker, Tamer, Striker, Musa, Maehwa, Mystic, Valkyrie, Kunoichi, Ninja, Dark Knight, Wizard and Witch.
Some of the classes, like Kunoichi and Ninja or Musa and Maehwa share similarities but each class is still different enough to warrant a separate class.
The game, to date, is still probably the most visually stunning MMO on the market.
They released a Remastered version of the game recently that made it look even better and even went so far as fixing some of the optimization issues that plagued the game but hands down.. there isn’t a better looking 3D MMO out there.

The combat, as I mentioned earlier is real-time action combat. Unlike most MMOs that allow the player to turn on and utilize multiple action bars, BDO actually gives you a few slots to toggle specific skills to or line with potions and buffs.
Therefore you’re required to actually learn your rotation and skill combinations otherwise.. well, you’ll end up sucking. Which I do because I’m old and my memory is terrible.
I mean don’t get me wrong – it isn’t bad. It just sets the skill-bar a little higher and requires you not only focus a little harder but also take the time to commit the combos to memory.
Thankfully each class plays very differently, making for a lot of replayability. Although I cannot fathom someone having and simultaneously playing 16 different characters to a competitive level.
Memorizing 16 different playstyles and sets of combos would.. oh, man, I don’t even want to think about it, actually. Nevermind.

The amazing combat and breathtaking graphics aren’t all that the game has to offer though. Honestly, neither are the selling point of the game nor are they the most discussed.
The most important aspect of BDO is actually.. you guessed it.. the story! – I’m kidding. The most important aspect of BDO is actually its character creator.
Never have I had such control over my appearance in an MMO.
You have the ability to individually change lengths of your characters hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, change the entire body and facial structure by dragging their face and body around.
I know a lot of players that just spend hours in there attempting the perfect character. They never succeed, obviously, but that’s what multiple character slots are for.

Then.. comes Life Skills. Professions consisting of Gathering, Processing, Cooking, Training, Fishing, Hunting, Trading, Farming, Sailing and Alchemy.
Life Skills can be developed through the accumulation of experience points, just like leveling your character. By earning experience in each individual Life Skill they will slowly advance through various ranks.
One of the aspects that most interest me in BDO is that you can play in two very different ways.
You can play it like a traditional MMO – grinding out monsters for XP, leveling, powering up your skills and earning gear.
Alternatively, you can play the life of a crafter or gatherer – you can play in a way that all but avoids combat and grinding monsters for XP. Something I believe was only doable in one other MMO: Mabinogi.
It’s.. interesting. Fascinating, even.

The only thing that I think Black Desert Online lacks is dedicated instances, like dungeons and raids.
But, a lack of instanced-off content like that is also what makes Black Desert so different.
You don’t have to worry about being late for raids, taking time off, making time in your schedule, and you can play it completely casually without worrying about not obtaining raid gear.
I’m personally a fan of running dungeons and raids, but I can see the appeal of not having to worry about remaining up-to-date and falling behind.

Honestly, I feel like Black Desert Online is a very fun, highly entertaining MMO.
Every game has their good, their bad. No game, no developer, no publisher is infallible.
People will always find fault with different parts of different games, and no game will ever please everyone.
I find the graphics to be stunning, but I know some people disagree and hate the way the graphics just “pop-in”.
Some people find the game to be pay-to-win, when others argue that it isn’t at all.
At the end of the day, I have fun playing it. If you’re having fun, then that’s all that matters. What other people believe, whether correct or incorrect is irrelevant.

The game, to me, is beautiful. The combat, although difficult, is very satisfying the more you take the time to learn it. The amount of classes and therefore the replayability to me is high enough to warrant multiple alts.
The new Archer class? Definitely one of my three favorite classes in Black Desert, and that’s saying something as I have immense amounts of fun on at least 5 others.

So, is Black Desert Online worth playing going into 2019? I definitely believe so.
Would I recommend someone who has yet to play the game play it? I would. I’d forewarn them of the difficulty but let them know that mastering it provides quite a bit of satisfaction.

Once again, though, Pearl Abyss has been kind enough to provide players that are interested in the game a 7-day free trial for anyone that signs up using our link in the description.
This link does not benefit us – we don’t earn anything from it. It is 100% safe and will merely take you directly to a free trial of the game, allowing you to play completely, 100% free for an entire week.
You can, I guess, consider that a thank you for watching the video.

Anyway guys, that’s about it for me. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you all next time, peace!

IS BDO WORTH PLAYING GOING INTO 2019? A 2018 FINAL IMPRESSION