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target="_blank">Dream of Mirror Online (DOMO)
inserts players into the
midst of Chinese mythology. The Kunlun Mirror, an ancient artifact
designed to record the events of the human world, no longer reflects
our reality accurately. Calamities in real life become horrible
monsters in the world inside the mirror, and some of the Mirror Kings
who guard that realm are missing. Each player is a human called into
the mirror world in an attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearing
Mirror Kings and to prevent the destruction of the mirror itself
because the real world dies if something destroys the Kunlun Mirror.
DOMO is commendable for a number of reasons. It offers a plot
that takes gamers off of the beaten path, features a nice multi-class
system, and delivers a lot of gameplay elements at good quality without
costing players a penny.
Gameplay - 75 / 100
DOMO offers the choice of four races at character creation:
balanced humans, dragon-descended Shura, self-absorbed Sylph, and
energetic Sprites. Customization options include the usual handful of
faces, hair styles, and skin tones in addition to gender. Less typical
modifications affect height, weight, breast size, and zodiac sign.
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DOMO will
take you places you've never been.
All players start as commoners because the classes come at
level ten, a common design among Eastern MMOGs. In the case of DOMO, it
works well because of the multi-class system and the number of possible
skill combinations that arise from the ability to access primary and
secondary skills from up to two other classes. The twelve jobs differ
slightly from the norm but cover the basic archetypes. Each falls into
a category of melee damage, ranged damage, healing and support, or tank.
Melee damage classes include martial artist, blademaster, and
thief. Martial artists use their training for barehanded fighting.
Blademasters do big damage with blades at the expense of defense and
evasion. Thieves are the standard slippery brigands who sneak in for
quick strikes at opportune moments.
Ranged damage jobs are the hunter, merchant, wizard, and
shaman. Hunters track animals and use bow attacks. Merchants gain
access to special item-making abilities and can throw money to hurt
enemies. Wizards command powerful AoE spells that require consumable
foci. Shaman call upon nature to deliver magical damage in small doses
quickly.
Healing and support classes consist of the doctor, fencer,
musician, and dancer. Doctors handle the healing. Fencers attack with
precision to disable enemy attacks and spells. Musicians use songs and
music to buff the party. Dancers debuff the enemy with capers and fan
attacks.
The only tank is the mercenary. Mercenaries employ Formation
skills to maximize party effectiveness while keeping foes aggression.
DOMO features all of the customary MMOG features: harvesting,
crafting, auctioning, combat, and spell craft. The quests are above
average in that they extend to unusual topics, such as investigating a
murder in the city or having to build something. DOMO also mixes in cut
scenes to engage the player. The major failing is the lackluster combat
system. Because each class levels independently of all of your other
jobs, expect to spend a lot of time in combat, grinding the same mobs
repeatedly. Dont look for many frills; DOMO tries to incorporate a
combo system that is a little too unreliable and requires a good bit of
luck.
Graphics - 82 / 100
DOMO presents the world inside the Kunlun Mirror through
beautiful cel-shading. The decision to use cel-shading establishes a
sense of identity among competitors, allows the game to run smoothly on
lower end computers, and ensures DOMO will continue to look just as
nice two years from now. Spell and combat skills dazzle gamers with
flashes of light and particles flying all about the screen.
My only complaint about the graphics in DOMO is that the
cel-shading basically turns the game into a cartoon, which can turn off
adult gamers. It may seem unfair to praise the developers for their
gorgeous graphics and slam them for it all at once, but I cant help
but feel the community trends toward the young and immature side partly
because of the art design.
Sound - 70 / 100
Music and sound effects in DOMO are suitable in most cases.
Western gamers may delight early on at scores that make use of Eastern
string and wind instruments. Despite distinct background themes, nobody
will be dying to download the soundtrack. Its just different for a
while until you get used to it. It is worth noting that cut scenes
successfully add drama or humor with the music and sounds.
Multiplayer - 77 / 100
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Make good
friends and DOMO will be loads of fun.
The most notable gameplay systems of DOMO all work to
encourage player
interaction and to build community in a way that relates to the story.
Each player can have five different types of relationships, most
notable among them falling in love. Based on your avatars zodiac sign
and age, he or she will be attracted to certain members of the opposite
sex (I have found no evidence of homosexuality in DOMOs mirror world).
Youll be walking around in Eversun and suddenly hear your heart
pounding. A sparkly trail will point you off in the direction of the
person responsible for causing your cardiac abnormality, and you can
take it from there.
DOMO also features an in-game instant messenger that makes
private chat a breeze. Its a cool system, unlike the usual whispers
found in MMOGs. You can add friends and block enemies, just as you
would with your real IM on your PC.
With so many components designed to get players to interact
with one
another, its a shame the community isnt better. At the risk of being
crucified for generalizing, Id say most DOMO players are 12-15 years
old based on their behavior. Players will steal mobs, spam chat with
nonsense, and behave like middle school students in general. That
doesnt mean everyone who plays DOMO is a miscreant; Ive met several
dozen very cool gamers in DOMO, many of whom have offered to group with
me or have me in their guilds just because I write for Ten Ton Hammer.
Value - 82 / 100
I appreciate any game that can offer as much as DOMO does for
free. The title is above average in value because it runs smoothly,
provides all of the basic systems along with a few unique ones, and
tells a gripping story.
Lasting Appeal - 77 / 100
The bland combat engine and wacky community will scare off a
few gamers early on, but those who play DOMO to level twenty will be
hooked. The key is finding a good guild and learning from those who are
willing to share their wisdom. DOMO has too many intricate pieces to
teach them all in a tutorial.
Conclusion
Dream of Mirror
Online is the kind of F2P game I wish more gamers would
try. People who can appreciate the beautifully rendered cel-shading and
a story that greatly varies from the traditional will not be
disappointed. The multi-class system means any group of people make the
ideal party so long as you keep one job from each archetype leveled.
The multiplayer features are unique, too. Most importantly, youll find
yourself eager to explore the world inside the Mirror of Kunlun.
Overall 74/100 - Pretty Good
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