After several months of waiting, Philippines has finally a PC version of the PSP game, Bounty Hounds Online and it is published by one of the country's biggest MMO publisher, Playweb Games Inc (Level Up! Games). Did it live up to the hype? Or did it flop badly? We'll see from this small review from the first impression of the Philippines CBT. Please take note that all observations are based on the Close Beta Test of the game. Things may change in the final output of the game.
First of all, if you are expecting that this game is the same with its PSP variant, you're in for an interesting read. It is unfortunate that Bandai Namco and XPEC Entertainment, the developer of the game, did not push through the adventure theme of the PSP version. Everything was ported to be a generic point and click MMO with some interesting features here and there.
When the Bounty Hounds team from Playweb Games (AKA LEVEL UP! Games) came here in Davao, the presentation of the game was great. Ryan Sacares, the game's brand manager, even showed me the gameplay and it was quite good to say the least. But I was not holding any judgement until I have actually played the game.
Despite the heavy installation file, the game was really amazing to look at. The option to turn on the anti-aliasing was a great touch for people with good video cards. When you first immerse yourself in Clear Sky, the world of BHO, you'll immediately be tossed into the game and you will be starting the beginner's quest. Even though I love the guide window to pop up ever so often, there is a slight learning curve to the game especially when you get to research and development and of course the Combat and Tactical Units otherwise called as CTUs.
The thing I like about the game is they really take care of their newbies. The items giveaways from quests were really nice and it helps you get established. I like the part where the game gives you a 5-day fast newbie hover board to make travelling less tedious then gives you a permanent hover board but a bit slower. Also, this game is not a blind hack and slash game. You have to read the quests sometimes in order to understand it. There is an auto-path system that you can use in order to go to the quest locations and a highly informative map that will inform you whether there is an NPC that needs help.
So far, the game shows promise. I like the overall feel of the environment of the game also the tech themed "magic" or bio energy is really quite awesome to behold. The gameplay is nice but it needs a little bit of serious research in order to build a powerful pet that will match your play style. But I wonder, why did Bandai Namco and XPEC changed the battle system of the game? In my honest opinion, I think it would be better off being an Action type game but I guess they have their reasons.
Will I recommend the game? Yes, it's worth to try. If you love Sci-Fi themed MMO's, it's one of the awesome F2P games in existence and being made by a company that has brought you Dragon Ball Z Online (Bandai Namco) and published by a company that is a veteran when it comes to MMO publishing (Playweb/Level Up!).
