The adage that looks can be deceiving holds true yet again when applied to developer Nexon’s newest MMORPG, AxE: Alliance vs Empire. With aesthetics on par with the best of games on mobile, AxE at first glance appears to be a welcome addition to a genre that has of late been inundated with middling entries seemingly concerned only about their pay-to-play mechanics. But delving just a little beneath than the surface in AxE reveals that, despite its impressive graphics, the game fails to separate itself in any meaningful fashion from the middling tier of MMORPG’s on the market.
Upon starting the AxE, Nexon has players immediately choose whether to side with the Darkhaan Empire or the Galanos Alliance. The descriptions of the two factions’ ideologies when they are pledging allegiances are exceedingly facile and fail to divulge the game’s backstory in a manner that allows players to make informed choices. In the world of AxE, there are two gods: Benuv, who created a “realm of order,” and Kaidan, who created a “realm of chaos” and initiated the bloody Mythic War. To stop Kaidan, Benuv sealed himself in with Kaidan in the distant Realm of the Gods. The Darkhaan strive to open up a passageway to this disparate realm in the hopes of resurrecting Benuv, while the Galanos attempt to thwart this plan because they believe revivifying Benuv also opens up the possibility of bringing back Kaidan.
Depending on which faction players choose to join, they will have access to different character skill sets. Teaming up with the Darkhaan enables players to become a Valkyrie, Warrior, or Mage, while picking the Galanos offers players access to the Archer, Titan, and Blademaster types. AxE doesn’t allow players to do much to customize these presets, so the whole process of choosing a character doesn’t take all that long.
After players begin the game in earnest, one thing becomes abundantly clear: Nexon does not care if they actually play the game or not. Looming in the bottom left corner of the screen at all times is a large Auto-Battle button. Having an auto-battle feature in itself is not theoretically a bad concept, especially as AxE can become a bit of a grind given its mission structure. However, it feels as though Nexon subtly indicates that auto-battle should be the primary mode for players to utilize while spending time in AxE. Enemies still attack when players are in conversation screens or in any of the menu screens, so doing anything but turning on auto-battle puts players at a big disadvantage.
In terms of the main story, players take the mantle of the Seeker, a Quests become monotonous: the game rarely strays from the formula of having a player go to a certain area, defeat enemies or gather items, and then report back to a base for a reward. Rewards range from in-game currency to weapons and armor. The weapons and armor in the game feel like a miss, as there does not appear to be any special bonus associated with any certain item. Each weapon received will only up a player’s attack or defense and has no individual perks beyond unique aesthetics.
In addition to an overarching storyline in a vast fantasy world, AxE offers the modes players have come to expect from MMORPG’s. With dungeons, PvP, guilds, daily quests, and more, AxE has a wealth of content to offer players. However, it feels like a miss that Nexon did not synthesize these modes into the game’s actual open world and only has them accessible through a menu. In fact, despite boasting an open world rendered rather beautifully for mobile, AxE does not provide much incentive for players to explore its setting outside of missions. Besides engaging with a wide variety monsters, there’s a paucity of activities to do in the open world.
Stunning aesthetics aside, Nexon’s AxE: Alliance vs Empire fails to live up to its billing as a deeply immersive mobile fantasy game. Its world and lore are intriguing, but it punishes players for not engaging in auto-battle. If one wants to watch their hero character slog through an endless procession of unengaging quests in a medieval fantasy world, AxE would be a good game to pick up. Otherwise, other MMORPG’s might prove to be more appealing options.
Check out the AxE: Alliance vs Empire Worldwide Release Trailer:
AxE: Alliance vs Empire is available via the App store and Google Play. You can also find out more information on the official website.
I'm a recent graduate of Columbia University. Gaming has been a passion of mine my entire life; I enjoy everything from RPGs and FPSs to stealth and narrative-driven games. I love the deeply immersive quality that good video games inherently possess, and am looking forward to highlighting games worthy of acclaim. When I'm not studying or reading, you can catch me playing games like Uncharted, Dishonored, The Witcher 3, and Far Cry.
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