Few games have the effect that Black Desert Mobile has had on our team. We’re on the brink of frenzy with BDM and we can’t wait to tell you about every single reason why. We actually wonder whether it’s possible to do it in one article. We’ll try, though, just for you. Before anything else, you should know that BDM has not yet been released in Western markets.

We can’t possibly imagine why this is the case, since Pearl Abyss, the app’s developers, announced their plans to go worldwide almost 6 months ago. Long story short, you can only play the game in Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. We’re getting by with the Korean version, for now. If you also want to try it out, all you have to do is follow the instruction in our guide to playing Black Desert Mobile on BlueStacks. It comes with a translation aid to boot!

A Character by Any Other Name

As you would expect form any good MMORPG, BDM has a strong class system, as well as a deep character customization screen. We have to admit that we’re quite partial to these. Being able to tweak the smallest details on our avatar’s appearance gives us probably more enjoyment than it should. One thing is for certain, though: the creation process gives us time aplenty to be immersed in the world of Black Desert.

Aside from being able to select face presets, you can play with the color, size, and shape of pretty much anything on your character’s body. Now, this is what we call creation. The range of options is so comprehensive that, soon enough, it’ll be Sims-like quality. We spent a good 40 minutes deciding on what’s what.

Quick Class Overview

With no less than 12 classes, the choice of what you should go for this early on can be quite overwhelming. In this section, we’ll give a short overview of what each class does, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

Dark Knights- They primarily excel at DPS and have good defense, combo, and control potential, which makes them quite versatile in both PvE solo and PvP situations.

Strikers- These were made for combo and control, so be sure to watch out for them if you’re ever 1 on 1. Their attack, defense, and evasion are also powerful, so don’t underestimate them.

Rangers- You won’t be seeing any of these in the frontline anytime soon. They compensate a severe lack of defense with amazing evasion, great attacks, and some control. They also have good combo potential.

Warriors- With plenty of defense and combo prospects, these are your main tanks. Don’t be misled, though: they can pack a serious punch. Basically, the male counterpart to Valkyries.

Valkyries- They are every bit as good as Warriors, only with better defense. The trade-off with them is maneuverability, speed, and combo proficiencies. Unless you’re specifically looking for PvP, it’s not such a big deal.

Sorcerers- If you want something that can easily CC, combo, as well as dish out plenty of DPS, these should be your go-to choice. We have to admit that we haven’t played many melee casters in our gaming career, so we’ll be trying one of these out really soon.

Witches- Nobody dishes out strong AoE attacks like they do. Despite having a bit more defense than Rangers, they won’t hold their ground for long in the frontline. Not a good choice for 1v1 PvPs.

Play Black Desert Mobile on PC

MaeHwas- Experts at melee combat, these fighters will control, combo, and attack the living hell out of anybody who gets in their way. Their weaknesses are a lack of evasion and defense, which shouldn’t be a problem if you can lock your enemy down.

Giant/Berserker- Pretty much self-explanatory. Big guy, large weapons, huge damage. Great attacks and similar defense, but little combo, even less evasion, and absolutely no control.

Beast Masters/Tamers- The hit-and-run combat style brought to perfection. They attack, combo, and evade, but offer limited control and almost no defense. Also, you get an awesome pet.

Blade Masters- Your favorite melee burst damage dealers. Tremendous amounts of attack and control paired with strong combos. Pick them if you want an easy life while grinding PvE content.

Lahns- Last, but certainly not least, these martial artists approach fighting in a dance-like manner. Their Crescent Pendulum dishes out massive damage in medium and close range. Their superior maneuverability, as well as combo potential are not to be trifled with.

A High Level of Gameplay

The level of gameplay you should expect from Black Desert Mobile is nothing short of PC quality. There is a great story behind each quest, particularly the ones that belong to the main storyline, although you might find it hard to understand if you don’t know any Korean. Still, we managed to get by with the BlueStacks real-time translator. It gets the job done.

You’ll complete a variety of tasks, all the while getting familiarized with the playstyle of your particular class. We’re beyond satisfied that we’ve chosen Lahn: her dance and pendulum swings are nothing short of mesmerizing to watch in action. The fact that she dishes out a lot of DPS certainly helps with getting that gratification from culling a score of mobs heading towards you.

The character progression system is definitely something to look out for. Not only can you improve each skill, but you can also awaken your class, as well as switch the affinity of certain abilities. For instance, you might decide, before a particular challenge, that more control or a bit more DPS is needed. Consequently, you can play with the active statuses in the ability screen to get the desired balance between control, evasion, defence, attack, and combo.

Naturally, there’s an item-forging system that’s just as intricate and fun. Theorycrafting buffs will definitely have their fair share of it in BDM.

Save the Date

We advise you pre-register for BDM’s global release on their English website. Although there’s no definitive date as of yet, we have a feeling that it’s going to be soon. Very soon. And when it does hit the market, we’ll make sure to have an update at the ready for you.

The registration won’t take more than 1 minute to complete and you’ll most likely benefit from awesome goodies once you play the English version for the very first time. Until then, we have some leveling to do!