One of the things that the developers really wanted to work on was getting rid of the grind. Grind is usually a mechanic used to make content last longer. In MapleStory’s case, they have almost too much content that players can’t really work through it all anyway, so Nexon came up with a plan to reduce the grind. The experience curve has been tweaked so now players will level twice as fast. They want players to be able to get to level 30, where the real fun with subclasses start, quicker.
Another big change comes with some graphics updates. No more will the game run in the old-school 800×600 native resolution. Players will now be able to experience MapleStory in higher resolutions. The developers have also revisited textures and sprites and have updated artwork where they felt it needed it. In addition, major changes to the UI will be rolled out. The windows will no longer be clunky and too big for the screen. Instead, everyone has been streamlined and made smaller, and works well with the higher resolutions. The 2D style of the game really works and the graphics upgrades just make it that much better.
Over the years, MapleStory has added and added content to the game world. As a result, the map has become something that looks tacked together. With Big Bang, the map will be upgraded, so all NPCs and quest locations will be visible on the map and it looks much better now. Questing paths have also been redesigned to be more obvious, so players won’t be confused about what they need to do next.
Skills for every class in the game have been redone. Dungeon parties are also getting a little love, as they want higher level and lower level players to be able to play together. So some dungeon levels have been expanded to include a higher level range. Loot distribution systems have been improved, so everyone will be rewarded as a result.
But this isn’t all. It’s not just about changing the old game, although that’s a significant part of Big Bang. The developers couldn’t help themselves and also decided they were going to add plenty of new content, outside of a fresh storyline. There will be three new classes added. The Battle Mage is primarily a class that can take on a strong defender role and will do a lot of Area of Effect damage, but it will be a class that can be soloed as well. The Wild Hunter is a very interesting class that will have animals that will do attacks for them, like a Jaguar they ride or a bird that follows them around. In addition to their Jaguar doing attacks, though, the Wild Hunter can do attacks themself while mounted. Finally, a class that a lot of folks will probably find very interested, is the Mechanic. The Mechanic, or mech, rides around in a mech. There will be four different mech types for players to choose from. Mechanics will be specialists of ranged attacks and can take an increased amount of damage as well.
A new town will be added, called Edelstein. The three new classes will all come from this town and form the basis of the resistance to the black mage. Edelstein is actually the home base for the black mage’s followers. During the day, the townfolk will be ordinary citizens going about their business. But at night, those citizens form an underground resitance and turn into superheroes of sorts. Along with the new town, 30 new maps are being added along with a ton of new quests.
Basically, MapleStory: Big Bang is not some little update to an old game. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a full on re-do of a game that is completely free-to-play, is one of the most popular F2Ps in North America, and which has so many unique elements that set it apart, like its 2D stylized platforming gameplay. When this update launched in Korea, they had over 400,000 concurrent users, which is impressive for a game as old as MapleStory is! Big Bang will begin rolling out this Winter. We have the new trailer for your enjoyment, so check it out and stay tuned as we bring more exciting news on this update.
Would you play? I'm playing now and enjoy it even if it is a grind-fest but I'm pretty excited for this