Blade & Soul NEO

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Blade & Soul NEO is a multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by NCSOFT and was released on June 4, 2025. It received negative reviews from players.

Blade & Soul NEO invites you to avenge your master's death while uncovering secrets and meeting complex characters in a vast, immersive world. Explore diverse landscapes without stamina limits, utilizing agile Windwalk abilities to traverse forests, mountains, and deserts. Experience dynamic martial arts combat with upgraded visuals and fluid skill switching for intense battles.

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38%

Audience ScoreBased on 545 reviews

story19 positive mentions

monetization18 negative mentions

The combat system is engaging and fluid, providing a satisfying experience for players.
The graphics and visual design have been improved, making the game visually appealing.
The character customization options are extensive, allowing players to create unique avatars.

The game is plagued by frequent disconnections and server issues, making it frustrating to play.
The monetization model is heavily pay-to-win, with essential skills and items locked behind expensive purchases.
The skill book system is convoluted and relies on RNG, making it difficult for players to build their characters effectively.

story
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
75%
4%
The story in Blade & Soul Neo is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging revenge narrative and nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic kung fu films, while others criticize its outdated questing system and lack of new content. Although the storyline is generally considered decent and enjoyable, many feel it suffers from repetitive quest design and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the story has its merits, it may not satisfy those seeking a fresh or deeply immersive narrative.
- “The story starts strong with a classic revenge arc, but quickly deepens with rich characters and hidden lore.”
- “This game has some of the best combat systems you will ever experience, the story has been pretty good so far too.”
- “An enjoyable revenge story with memorable, badass characters.”
- “In this version, the quest line is 2006-2012 old, very slow (any Asian server in 2017 had a more modern questing system and is way more enjoyable than this).”
- “The story is goofy but fine; however, from release until now, there have been no story additions which are released in chapters.”
- “Sure, the combat's still fun, and the graphics look marginally better, but the storyline is still uninspired and dull; the voice acting and localization aren't great.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The graphics of Blade & Soul Neo receive mixed reviews, with many praising the updated visuals and art style, particularly the work of artist Hyung-tae Kim, which enhances the game's aesthetic appeal. However, some players note that character models feel dated and that technical issues, such as graphical bugs and performance problems, detract from the overall experience. While the game showcases improved lighting and effects thanks to the Unreal Engine 4, it struggles to fully meet modern standards, leaving some players disappointed.
- “The updated graphics engine delivers dazzling visual effects and smoother combat animations that make every battle feel fluid and cinematic.”
- “Beautiful graphics and scenery.”
- “The graphics look way more polished now too, which is surprising for an older MMO.”
- “Environments are adequate, though character models and the overall aesthetic show their age.”
- “Seriously, I thought this was supposed to have improved graphics; it felt like I'm playing RuneScape.”
- “It is a sad re-release with more (if you can believe that) additional anti-consumer changes and some minor lazy graphical upscale, cranked up the resolution but fixed none of its graphical issues.”
gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
78%
5%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique and engaging combat system that many players find enjoyable, particularly for casual play. However, it suffers from a lack of depth and variety, with limited class progression and repetitive mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience exacerbated by aggressive pay-to-win elements and poor dungeon design. While the core mechanics can be fun, the overall gameplay loop is marred by disconnect issues, a lack of meaningful content, and a heavy reliance on grinding for gear upgrades.
- “The game is overall fine; I think people are just haters and blowing valid criticisms out of proportion. It's a fun game with flashy mechanics.”
- “There aren't many MMOs these days that feel this hands-on, so if you're into fast-paced, skill-heavy gameplay, I totally recommend giving it a shot.”
- “Moving on, the game at its core has very fun gameplay, but the company behind it is just making bad decisions left and right, making it unplayable.”
- “Quests have been removed, core mechanics have been changed, and they've been replaced with some of the most aggressive pay-to-win systems I've seen in years—which is saying a lot, considering competitors like Kakao Games are in the same industry.”
- “The worst part was even if you wanted to play without these said skills you couldn't because unlike live that there is actually mechanics to clear dungeons on Neo they decided to remove all mechanics of dungeons and be straight up a DPS dummy on which because you don't have the skills you won't reach the minimum damage needed therefore you can't clear it and can't even farm for that RNG of a skill if you wanted to.”
- “Poorly managed game with constant disconnects, it will not be worth your time (especially money), combat itself is good but they don't utilize it since there is no arena so the cool combos you never need to use when you are killing DPS check bosses, bosses have barely any mechanics just gotta be able to do enough damage before the enrage timer.”
monetization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
38%
53%
The monetization in "Blade & Soul Neo" has been widely criticized as excessively predatory and reminiscent of outdated cash grab tactics, with players expressing frustration over the heavy emphasis on microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics. Many reviews describe the game as a blatant attempt to exploit nostalgia while offering a disappointing experience filled with intrusive ads and gambling elements. Overall, the monetization strategy has led to significant player dissatisfaction, with numerous users recommending against engaging with the game.
- “However, this free-to-play release adheres closely to traditional design, emphasizing progression through significant repetition alongside noticeable monetization.”
- “Despite the unfortunate mismanagement of the game and several fumbled re-releases, this game is still a piece of art and a valuable piece of MMO history, and also a sad lesson of immense potential that was never reached because of unfortunate monetization and design decisions.”
- “It is a monetization experiment wearing a fantasy costume.”
- “The old BnS was already a money-hungry game; this one is even worse. It looks like they heard all the bad monetization ideas from the last decade and said yes to everything.”
- “What was already a greedy, soul-sucking corporate husk of a cash grab has further devolved into complete base debauchery where the pay-to-win experience seeps into every crevice possible.”
- “This is a giant nostalgia bait cash grab, very heavily monetized and falsely advertised as a classic experience that plays nothing like the original release did.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with players noting that it requires an immense time investment and often leads to repetitive gameplay, primarily focused on farming the same dungeons for extended periods. Many feel that the game is designed to push players towards spending significant amounts of money to progress, especially for free-to-play users who struggle to find parties and face long wait times. Overall, the grinding experience is described as tedious and frustrating, with a high reliance on RNG and minimal rewards for the effort put in.
- “For long-term players, this game requires a significant time investment; you can't play other games without feeling like you're wasting your progress in this one every hour you're not grinding.”
- “The grinding aspect of the game is rewarding, as it allows you to steadily improve your character and unlock new abilities over time.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding system encourages exploration and experimentation, making each session feel meaningful and engaging.”
- “This game is not pay to win, it's literally pay to play, and not in a good way where you pay the same decent amount every month like a subscription. You will have to pay astronomical amounts of money that increase with every update unless you're okay with playing the same 4-5 dungeons on repeat for many months on end before finally you can change those 4-5 dungeons for new ones that you can again, play on loop for even more time. This loop goes on forever, and the amount of time you will be grinding the same dungeons will only increase as you fall further behind. If you're free to play or believe you can invest this same sum of money every month, you will quickly fall into another category of players that are basically in hell; they can't do anything, it takes ages for them to find any party for the previous dungeons, and you will wonder aimlessly around the map for hours, hoping some endgame player will take you to a mid-game dungeon that, if only run once, is useless as you need to grind them for hours daily to expect a decent drop at the end of the week.”
- “After you finish the campaign is where it's mostly just grinding.”
- “At this point, your gear progression as a free-to-play player will be so slow that you are stuck grinding even older content.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
47%
33%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its stable performance across various hardware, allowing for smooth gameplay. However, many others report significant issues, including low frame rates, stuttering, and persistent bugs that hinder the experience, particularly in certain areas. Despite past promises of optimization patches, players in North America and Europe feel neglected, as they continue to face performance problems reminiscent of the original game.
- “A notable positive is stable performance across a range of hardware, ensuring accessible and smooth gameplay.”
- “In the year of 2016, we had rumors from the Korean side of things that we'd be getting an optimization patch, all Asian territories got this optimization patch which curbed many of the still present crashes and glitches.”
- “Bring game from 2016, put in new engine so it has better performance, done.”
- “The downsides include poor performance and difficulty moving around in certain spaces and areas.”
- “Pathetic performance, game running at very low FPS despite graphical settings; it's the same trash as the old version, I don't know where the 'remaster' is.”
- “Currently pretty much unplayable, with constant disconnections and/or stuttering, even when not many people are playing the game.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is generally praised for its stunning soundtracks and atmospheric quality, contributing significantly to the overall experience. However, some users noted issues with cutscene audio, where tracks played unsynchronized, detracting from the storytelling. Despite these flaws, the music remains a highlight, complementing the game's impressive visuals and environment design.
- “It has a wonderful story and mind-blowing music as well as some of the best environment design I have ever seen in a free-to-play MMO.”
- “Gorgeous visuals, with the UE4 engine putting out absolutely stunning graphics, a great music track, and excellent audio.”
- “++Eargasm-tier soundtracks composed by NCSound's Taro Iwashiro.”
- “Cutscene audio is broken, with the music in cutscenes playing the same track twice but unsynced, so you have to listen to this horrible sound while taking in the story.”
- “Music is aight.”
- “Still recommend due to the world design, OST, and graphics.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability remains a significant issue, with persistent crashes, glitches, and performance problems that have plagued it for years. Despite an optimization patch released in Asian territories, players in North America and Europe continue to experience the same issues, including buggy cut scenes and freezing during gameplay. Overall, while the game runs slightly better than its predecessor, the improvements are minimal, and many fundamental stability problems remain unresolved.
- “The same crashes and glitches, as well as the awful spaghetti code, were still present in the game.”
- “After so many years, we still have the exact same glitches and problems 10 years later.”
- “It really keeps things interesting when you're mid-fight and the game freezes for a solid 10 seconds every 20 seconds.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development in this game is highly praised for its extensive customization options, which are notably superior to many other free-to-play titles. Players appreciate the high-quality graphics and animations, contributing to a vibrant and immersive environment that enhances the overall experience.
- “You can play with character design, and to be honest, not many free-to-play games have so many options like this one (at least from my experience).”
- “Graphically, character design is fairly good compared to most other MMOs I've played.”
- “Every environment feels alive, lighting is cinematic, and character designs are next-level.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of Blade & Soul (BNS) is praised for its fantastic environments and rewarding combat, creating a positive and welcoming experience for players. While the voice acting has received criticism, the overall story and community interactions contribute to a vibrant game atmosphere.
- “I’ve met a lot of friendly players over the years, and the overall atmosphere of the game remains positive and welcoming.”
- “Of all the MMOs I've tried, I think BNS has the most rewarding combat. The game's atmosphere and environment are all fantastic.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a sense of frustration regarding the emotional investment in the game, as the promise of free access to new content feels misleading. The pressure to spend money to engage with fresh updates creates a disconnect between the game's initial appeal and the reality of its monetization strategy.