If you are familiar with Chinese actresses, you would have noticed that the new spokesperson is Fan Bingbing, 1 of China’s most popular actress who is set to star in Iron Man 3 (China version only) and the upcoming new Marvel movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Developed internally by Netease, the country’s 2nd largest online gaming company, Martial Soul Online is set to enter Open Beta today. First introduced last year, the game may look familiar due to its isometric view, but the Chinese wuxia setting really sets it apart.
Much focus is placed on “active combat”, especially on casting of skills. In the video below, you can see a character casting ice spikes in an open field, hitting the opponent for about 5 times. However, if the target’s back is an immediate wall, he will get hit for around 10 times.
Also seen in the video are how AI mobs react, be it getting thrown off a cliff or dying in different positions. All these animations are calculated according to the position and magnitude of the damage dealt. These are just a few of the many detailed combat examples found in Martial Soul Online.
Netease hasn’t really shown any efforts to expand overseas with their self-developed titles, and I can’t see Martial Soul Online doing the same as well. Being the 2nd largest online gaming company in China, any publisher looking to acquire this title will most probably be stumped by a huge license fee…
