Yesterday, Nexon launched its first mobile game of the year in South Korea, Counterside. Categorized as an “urban fantasy” RPG, we did not exactly know how the actual gameplay will be like before trying it out. In a short summary, combat for Counterside mainly takes place on a vertical map, with players situated on the left and enemy on the right. The main action here is to continuously summon characters and destroy the enemy boss. It is similar to a mobile game which we previously tried, thought that is a somewhat simplified version.
We are not sure if there is a genre name for this, but it does seem developers are in the midst of churning out more of such titles. That’s not to say players blindly summon characters (only one active) or normal units throughout the combat phase in Counterside, as there is indeed some tactical element. For example, a tanker (or defender) will rush to the front-line and soak up the damage. But do you need more damage or defense at that moment in time? Or should you wait for the points to regenerate for a bigger summon?
Counterside also utilizes a gacha system which somewhat irritates me. Players will not immediately get what they gacha for, but instead sent to a waiting room for the countdown. If you want to get your characters immediately, an item can be used to do so. While obtainable in-game, you can also buy the speed-up item from the cash shop in bundles… Is Counterside going to be Nexon’s messiah as the development team had hoped for?
