MIA Online is a recent new mobile MMORPG which entered Open Beta published by Cubinet Interactive. A Southeast Asia-based company, there is a focus on the local region of players even though the game itself is open to all countries with an Android device. MIA Online doesn’t introduce any ground-breaking features nor systems, and at first look actually looks quite outdated. But given the many features it has, it is definitely worth a quick look.
The Bad
Graphics: Yes, with an abundance of quality games with high-end visuals powered by Unity 3D and Unreal Engine 4, MIA Online looks like a game from the 90s. While modern gamers might be turned off by it, there is actually a positive. This means that many old low-end phones can play MIA Online (with a stable connection), increasing the population!
Note: I primarily played MIA Online on the PC emulator, BlueStacks, for recording purpose.
Sounds: Other than the background music, there is little to no sound effects for combat, such as attacking or casting spells. You can literally turn off the sound and listen to your own personal playlist, and it doesn’t make a difference. This is an extreme letdown for me. Note: The music in the video above is a custom one after removing the actual music.
VIP System: Yes, just when we thought that the trend has moved on to loot boxes (or gacha), the VIP system has made a comeback in MIA Online. There are actually still mobile games which use this, but they have discreetly removed the word “VIP” and instead use top-up tier levels to give out goodies for spending players. Gamers who like to get benefits for spending will still like this VIP system, while others will dread the Buy-To-Win elements. However, most PVP takes place in big groups, so being solo-strong might not matter at all.
The Good
PVE Features: As you might have seen in the video above, there are party dungeons, open world bosses, guild dungeons, festive events, etc. There are various other PVE features which were not included, so you can expect even more when actually playing the MIA Online. Some might even feel there are too many things to do after the daily refresh!
PVP Features: 3 vs 3 Arena, a regular tournament system for 1 vs 1, Team Battlefield, Nation Warfare, etc. The list just goes one! Almost every map is a PK map, hence players from the 4 different nations can sneak in and gain some kills for points as well, 24 hours a day 7 days a week! Ok, this might not be for everyone, but it is definitely something refreshing given that most mobile MMORPG games these days provide very limited PK.
Other Features: You can expect tons of other basic MMORPG features such as mounts, costumes, weapon skins, a card upgrade system, mining, marriage, guild house, and many more. There is a full list of activities to do, as seen below, along with a schedule for all events. It is certainly very impressive given that MIA Online is a mobile game, not PC!
The Verdict
Conclusion: Like many other games, MIA Online has both good and bad sides to it. If you can get past the 3 major downsides mentioned above, along with some small bugs, you will enjoy the abundance of features available found in major PC MMORPG titles. You either really like MIA Online, or you will totally hate it for its old-school feel. Once again, there is no such thing as the perfect game, it is up to individuals on how much of the negatives they can stomach. Do look forward to the upcoming launch of MIA Online for iOS devices!
