Is Black Desert Worth Playing? | January 2024 Edition

[@Jonlaw98]

Happy Holidays to all of you and your families!

[@OrtiJohn]

One thing that not many people talk about is BDO's flexibility. Being mostly solo I can just start and stop grinding whenever I need to do something else. There aren't many MMOs that are playable for people with fragmented schedules.

[@turtlepowerftw3524]

Exactly why I love it. I consider bdo my “home” game. I go play other games all the time. Often I’ll play bdo for like an hour or so then go play other stuff

[@CrasherrPM]

same bro, bdo is so flexible, people miss understand the fact that people on the omega end-game grind 10 hours a day and think they need to grind 10 hours a day and give up, while i know people that grind maximum 3 hours a day if they have free time available and have 740 gs just because they never stopped playing, bdo is actually a very nice game to casual people, and nowadays you don't even need 740+ gs to feel good on the game, with 700 gs you can farm most spots and with the balanced gear you can do pvp whenever you want

[@AonyjsViolmlar05]

I know BDO graphics is good but "MMO that are playable for people with fragmented schedules" Guild Wars 2 has that minus the bdo graphics and rng gear enhancement.

[@SorcièredesMarais]

Does Black Desert allow you to collect loot regardless of the level difference ? I've played Archeage for a while and quit because once your character is 3 levels above whatever monster you are fighting, there be no longer any loot dropped from said monsters. I like Guild Wars 2 also, since it doesn't have the same restriction as Archeage - every area drops loot no matter what level you are - 🌈 ! @@AonyjsViolmlar05

[@GAMEGOD501]

😂😂😂I just tried to play this game😂😂 spent 20 mins just to figure out a name because the game won't let me put anything in because of duplicates 😂😂!!and I mean everything I used was taken even 123456 was taken!!I just deleted the game lol I was trying to test it out but I didn't make it past the character creation screen

[@eninja8152]

I think its important to note if you only play like a few weeks or months then take a break and come back after a month you get not only the free value pack but you get a bunch of events that just hand you value packs old moon kama buffs etc. Basically i have been playing since 2016 as well on and off and i have very rarely had to actually purchase a value pack bc there is always a event just handing out the bundle of all 3 buffs.

[@arronmiller7229]

makes a video about a game and shows you a single shot of the game. amazing.

[@krysxmoon]

Sorry that you need pictures to comprehend explanations💀

[@Yuikiiz]

Lvll 66 here. Take my advice if you plan to play this. "DO NOT ENHANCE YOUR GEAR WITHOUT A BACK UP" never risk it

[@Taneth21]

BDO is like the PoE of MMOS. You need a PhD to fully grasp PoE. Same with BDO. The "thrown with the sharks" UI plus the insane learning curve scares most new players. But if you push through a little longer it will be the best mmo you will try.

[@neoconker2k8]

I would say yes as a console player since beta on and off . I will always take a break but I will always come back. It's unique in it's own way.

[@micke7261]

I love BDO! Since WoW, which I played for 4 years, no game has captivated me so much :) Those who say that BDO is only about grinding mobs get maybe 10% of the fun from the game ;) When I grind, it's never just for silver, I mainly choose spots where there are some items I need. Sometimes I can spend weeks leveling certain life skills, and recently I'm slowly getting ready to build my first ship. BDO is so varied that you really can't get bored :) Slow progress makes success more enjoyable and appreciated, especially with such enchanting (a few days ago I used the last corn stones to get the second BS weapon on PEN ;)).

[@yeehbee]

Same, I used to think it was about mob grinding until I figured out how to lifeskill in this game. Now it's all I do most of the time.

[@Shaddowxxi]

I've been thinking about getting back into it after being away for roughly a year. Its just so much to relearn that I used to do without thinking about it lol. Especially playing Tamer and Archer x.x

[@JoeBobTheTROLL]

Before the cron changes yes but afterwards no. It takes way longer for players to hit end gear than ever before even tho its faster to get mid range gear than before.

[@layunin2941]

The thing that always keeps pushing me away after playing a few weeks of BDO every year or so is the VP. The game is unplayable without VP and if you argue this you are basically saying that you are happy inconveniencing yourself in every aspect of the game.

[@Ralpo.]

They need to make money somehow, i see that VP as a decent thing, not that expensive, the usual MMO SUB.

[@eleosiluvatar7828]

I've read some comments and it's true that as I new player, I have tried like four times to get into the game but always bounce off because I don't know what to do. There is so much stuff going on on my screen, so many items in my inventory I don't know what to do with them, then all the rewards and boxes to open....then I just log out and uninstall.

[@skylan4641]

My family name is Shiroma, if you wanna add me! I’ll help you as much as I can

[@krysxmoon]

​@skylan4641 that's nice of you :3 I'm thinking about hopping on

[@skylan4641]

@@krysxmoon if you do decide to feel free to add me! 🩷

[@hargrovema63]

I love BDO, but at times it does feel very repetitive. At that point, I'll step away for a few months and focus on other games to refresh myself. If I didn't, I would have stop playing long ago, because I don't have the time that this game requires to stay competitive.

[@CageFT]

PlayStation has it 80% off.. $6, $30 normal.. the superDdooper ultrarad delux edition is usually $99 (($30 sale til Jan 6 24))

[@jugg9140]

the pop-ins graphic is the reason i don't get into it, but i might give it a try again and try to ignore it

[@Jezza_One]

It largely goes away at the remastered and ultra graphic levels otherwise it drives me crazy.

[@331baller]

Did they even implement a form of fast travel? I loved playing this game, however spending an hour or two to sailing/riding from one side of the continent to another was not possible for someone who can't sit down and play for hours at a time.

[@Jonlaw98]

Yep, magnus is the fast travel

[@triple1]

@@Jonlaw98 A newbie here. I just discovered magnus in game. We still need to travel to the nearest well and sit through the animations going in and out, is that correct ? Immersion wise, not a bad idea but i'm afraid of it will get old.

[@outdoorsnevada4138]

Thanks for this video. Have not played yet but looking into it. Very informative video

[@KhalUsi]

kinda much at the beginning but you get easy into it

[@Josh-99]

Yes, it's worth playing. There's only one really true pay-to-win aspect: buying costumes and melting them down for Cron Stones for free taps on high-end gear. It's LUDICROUSLY inefficient and a MASSIVE waste of money, and I really wish they would remove it from the game because the sole purpose of the system is to create whales. Even then, you really can't "pay to win" in this game because, like Guild Wars 2, there is a hard cap to how powerful your gear can get and you cannot faceroll someone who is competent in PvP. Beyond that, you don't really have to grind endlessly to progress in this game. I personally only enjoy doing that for a few hours a week at most, and I still have a very progressed combat main and a SUPER progressed lifeskilling alt. I honestly feel like BDO is in the top 5 MMOs on the market, which are: WoW, FF14, GW2, BDO, and ESO.

[@pozisus7712]

wish bdo has build variety like ESO.

[@nickp4084]

Yeahhh...I absolutely HATE that gear progression system. Grinding for crafting/upgrade materials. I don't find that gameplay loop fun at all. Looking for an mmo but so many seem to be like this now. It all seems so pointless. Why do I need better gear? To grind the same mobs faster to upgrade the gear to grind even faster to upgrade the gear....? Am I getting better gear to complete more difficult content? Or just complete the same content faster?

[@Rhylee-m9v]

Depends on if your a PVP player or just simply doing PVE.

[@Ynbreezey12]

​@bartsimpson8962 doesn't really answer the question. PVE or PVP, the point of grinding is to get better at grinding, which isn't good content.

[@Devatach]

Just looking into this game as the next play. Thanks for your review this looks good.

[@pedromoreira6218]

so i heard that they are adding Dungeons as some sort of endgame is that out yet or is there a time for when its coming out ?

[@PLazz257]

I never understood "End Game" term in BDO. Isn't it just me hitting harder since there aren't motivations to get such good gear score when there aren;t much group content

[@Ynbreezey12]

Exactly. The grind is literally who can hit harder to grind even more.

[@yeehbee]

@@Ynbreezey12 The end game daily grind for me is usually working my trading routes, tending to my farms and managing my worker empire lol. It gets addicting af, especially when you can turn in big profits.

[@GuiGHRP]

Amazing content Jon.

[@leadpipejustice9253]

PvE is about as intense as mowing your lawn

[@Ghost-tt8ji]

Very amazing work brother. Thank you for the very details information.

[@aiyu_abea]

love your vids

[@redriverlures]

They only 2 things I don't like are too fast pvp with many grab classes, and very slow progression . Enchancing has to be a bit easier

[@KhalUsi]

PA is taking all CC´s away in pvp btw

[@redriverlures]

@@KhalUsi grab will stay I guess

[@KhalUsi]

@@redriverlures but they said knock down and grab etc :/ thats why i hate it cos i play Berserk xD

[@redriverlures]

@@KhalUsi didn't watch the whole video to be honest

[@jagrandom641]

Slow and steady progression. This has its own advantage. Compare it to many MMOs like FF14 and WOW where you lose all your progress with the new expansion. BDO progression is more appealing to many players.

[@Giesie223]

And what do i do when im Homeless ?

[@aaron43]

I get bored of dailies. I know you don't have to do them but feel like you should. Also just grinding and then comparison to average player using garmoth with that class. Then my job making it feel like i am not involved with the community, guild.

[@brewwarriorgames2742]

One of the reasons I quit this game in the past was because PVP became non-consensual. Has this been changed? I absolutely HATE pvp and I just don't understand making PVP something a player can't avoid. I remember there were several instances of trying to complete story quests and getting ganked out in the open world, then being unable to finish pve story content. There were even situations where there were walls of players waiting outside safe areas waiting to gank pve players. This was many years ago so I have no idea how it is now.

[@skylan4641]

No it hasn’t changed but I will say pvp isn’t as bad anymore especially questing zones I’ve played since 2019 and have only been pked maybe twice and once was when I was afk fishing 🤣 if that’s your only reason for not playing I would highly recommend giving it a chance!

[@Goncalo911]

U have season channels now where PVP are not allowed . Many stuff changed.

[@JiesellTVMotoboink]

Go play barbie. Pvp is important.

[@hawlkman]

They deleted my account so I will pass on it, seems scummy as hell imo.

[@icephoenix3302]

Is BDO worth playing on console (mainly Xbox)?

[@nickjordan8996]

BDO is awesome, heck yah it's worth it.

[@SideFlame]

100 dollars? Friendly for new player? 100-200 dollars, reasonable??? jfc BDO players are delusional

[@socialkruption]

He never said you had to spend $100 off the bat. Even Guild Wars 2 which most people think is one of the best friendly mm for monetization will have you spending $50 - $120 if you want the complete package of story line, storage and builds.

[@manifestTAL]

I'm 32 and I have 15 years of experience in MMO games. BDO is by far the best game

[@danck941]

Doe this MMO have player housing?

[@Jonlaw98]

Yes, but its not as good as like FF14 or ESO if thats what you're wondering.

[@danck941]

@@Jonlaw98 What's it like then?

[@ApoRekt]

Bro, 24k hours means almost 3 years of non stop playing... If you are 30, you've spent 10% of your life playing this one game... Kinda sad

[@Jonlaw98]

Playing a video game you enjoy is sad? Weird take lol

[@YourLocalStormcloak]

“time you enjoy ‘wasting’ is not wasted time” - forget the dudes name but good quote

[@Noelyllek]

it's too repetitive, every new season it's the same thing. There's not really any change. It's like playing every season of Diablo 3 lol. Having the best stats in mounts is the only interesting thing, There is no real evolution and that's a shame

[@drobovictor2098]

not worth.

[@yourjabo]

Killing mobs a lot burn me out and I quit 😅😅😅

[@xpatches13]

I love your content; I'm sorry, but this next part is not directed at you specifically but at the real state of the game from a new player’s perspective without gear. I submitted the below to a GM first, who cleared it of any false claims. Attention all gamers! It is crucial that you are aware of the false claims being made about Black Desert Online (BDO) as a viable MMO. Let me be clear: it is not. Although the game's mechanics allow for a quick start to the endgame, it will take you a lengthy 6+ months per piece of endgame gear, meaning you will likely never see endgame if you purchase your gear with the in-game currency. This is due to the game's 13 slots that require a PEN ranking, which is the endgame. Furthermore, the game is heavily based on gambling, making it a genuine possibility that you may never reach the endgame if you are unlucky in going the primary route of enhancing your gear, as it is very likely you will fail the enhancement and have your gear reduced in rank or destroyed! But that's not all. The game also has severe penalties while grinding mobs, making it even more difficult to progress. The complex crystal system in the game also allows you to break your crystal(s) on death, potentially setting you back 1-20+ hours of grinding and up to a month in waiting for the market to replace crystals that you will be unable to get on your own. Finally, there are several Pay to Win mechanics sold in the Cash Shop. While BDO's super small community is actively trying to get them to change some of these glaring issues, so far, the Developers have stated they are not interested in changing gambling, pay-to-win items or mechanics designed to stop your progression and likely even regress it. Don't be fooled by false claims; choose a game that values its players. For several years, the majority of the small community in BDO has been imploring Pearl Abyss to reconsider the current system whereby accessories are destroyed upon a failed enhancement. We have fervently requested that gear not suffer a permanent decrease in stats as a result of a failed enhancement, and have pleaded for a mechanism to protect the crystals, which are essential for endgame activities, from destruction due to various factors such as desync, lag-spikes, and PVP feeding to mobs. Regrettably, Pearl Abyss has consistently declined all of our appeals. We urge players to select a game that prioritizes the well-being of its community, which the developers of Black Desert Online clearly do not.

[@KhalUsi]

1. So you new with no gear but having a opinion? How many hours you spend in BDO so far? 2. I am playing this game for arround 840 hours ( most of that time is lifeskilling afk while going university ) and i already got to 286 AP. 332 AP is the highes one i saw so far but dont know how high the AP can go. 3. Pvp is also possible with equated gear in the Arena. it depens what fun means to you as a player ^^ i started as Lahn ( 286 AP ) and play my 2nd class Scholar now (231 AP) and i am not finished at all. in all other MMO you just press 1-2-3-4-5-6 and thats your skill rotation but in BDO you are acrually fighting ^^. this is not a story based game you can play through! just go an grind ^^ whats the point of beeing able to reach the real endgame in 6 months? your pve feeling will not change that big ^^ the mobs just looks little different :P. ppl should stop playing like they working on a fulltime job. just go online, grind, do your lifeskill while sleeping or working or university it doesnt matter :D JUST HAVE FUN and if you cant enjoy the beautiful combat on PVE you probably shouldnt play MMO´s in the first place ^^. if you´re looking for a fast end game idk go ego shooter or story based single player games ^^.

[@kurugaming300]

You just only looking at the bad side without even considering other good sides of BDO. With the recent update, there's a lot of free items that are newbie friendly including mid-game gears like the TET Blackstar and Dream Horse. You don't have to get end game gears right off the bat, it's called "end game" gears for a reason lol. You actually have to work for it and that's one of the great experience in BDO, the fulfillment and satisfaction from getting end game gear that you worked hard for. If you want easy game, BDO is not for you. Don't tell other people not to play game just because you can't progress in it.

[@colladottv]

yeah do not listen to this dude

[@mr.playthrough3306]

It is a free to win game. There will be a lot micro transactions. I bought the game recently for $40. And it has not been a month and I can say I am bored of it. The enhancement system is very complex and it's all over the place. It's been about maybe 2 weeks or 3 weeks since I bought it and now I just left it. Can't get back that $40 but l did experience. You have one the same gear unless you buy outfits with real money or stalk the central market. Your gear wear so fast and getting around is a chore in itself. Horrible with the getting around part and the inventory is another issue. Maybe one day I will go back to it when they ready to have a decent MMO.

[@KhalUsi]

@@mr.playthrough3306 40? I payed 1 lol

[@IcyBenjis]

Honestly no, its my favorite game but this game is trash, its way too grindy and you will not have a fun time PvP unless you spend $10,000 first 2 months just to catch up to the upper 50% of the playerbase. You wanna grind? Good now youre gonna die to people 100x youre strength bc thats how gear works in this game and newbie spots give just as much silver as end game spots. Wanna party? Too bad most of the game is spent solo. Wanna start the game? Get ready for over 100hrs of questing before you even think about doing anything else. Wanna progress a main character? Great itll take at least 2,000hrs of grinding for some gear thatll still get you 1 shotted by other players everywhere regardless of skill because gear check. Tbh vets just recommend you play so they can have more players to farm. Everything is literally based on Korea and no other region matters to the devs so games region biased even though the main place where games released got literally slaughtered by foreigners because they don't play their own game. Classes are ABSOLUTELY UNBALACED if u make a Maegu with end game gear a striker can run up, slam his face on the keyboard and instantly annihilate you. Though you could make silver overnight? Sure pay another $50 + 100hrs n till you profit in any 1 of 10 life skills. Even then profits abysmal till max efficiency. I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone who wants to maintain their sanity or some sort of consistency in life. Its actually bad. You can play 50000 hrs and some nub with 1% luck can pass u in 5,000 hrs of gameplay and wipe his ass with your account regardless of what you know about the game because RnG is a fucking joke. Fuck this game.

[@shawntan7952]

Not sure what game you are describing. Aside from the grind spots which they buffed a ton in tl cost, I never encounter the kind of drama you encounter.

[@jagrandom641]

I dont know man, I have been playing since 2018 and your long paragraph just isnt accurate lol

[@GalacticUnderwear]

It's a paradox to declare this game your favorite and trash it in the same breath, similar to professing your love for a book but using its pages to start a bonfire.!

[@gavinbuck8130]

@SilentSensei Being bitter about what other players are getting doesn't make the game trash, it's a beautiful game, runs really well on my mid-spec pc, questing has been great, combat has been fun and all for £1. When I've finished questing and reached a brick wall with solo bosses and gear I'll stop playing, I have 100s of games in my library so I won't stick around in BDO if it stops being fun. :)

[@Berelo320]

rrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@WonderfulWino]

im a new player. Im on week three. I got some super advice you can give to a new player. DO NOT MAKE YOUR FIRST CHARACTER IN BDO A SEASON CHARACTER. It is the WORST thing the game did to me.

[@nesouas3642]

SHIIIT too lateeee what do I do now?

[@WonderfulWino]

@@nesouas3642 i hope you like the class you picked :D I picked what turned out to be the #1 class in the list of worst classes, the corsair.

[@Drathan311]

Why? Explain please.

[@WonderfulWino]

@@Drathan311 make a season char, you are stuck playing it. make a non season character and the game has only shown you how to get handouts.