I'm [Taking Part in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]!

Hello! It's 블링!

This time, I'm sharing my all-time favorite game recommendation!

There's something I've been telling friends and people I know for years...

And that is...

"When it comes down to it, the game I've had the most fun playing is DNF."

That's what I always say!

It all started right after I finished my military service, around early 2020!

It's already been 6 years...

Right after I was discharged in late '19, a friend who'd been playing DNF since high school

encouraged me to join, saying the level cap had just gone up to 100,

and that there couldn't be a better time to return. That was all it took to get me back into DNF!

DNF when I started was... how do I put this...

A dopamine explosion!? That's what it felt like!

Let me tell you what DNF was like back then *_*

1. The Era of 'Neo: Awakening' for Every Class

For players burned out on level 95's 'Tayberrs' and 'Fiend War/Prey-Isys' raids, the biggest draw that brought them rushing back was Neo: Awakening.

• Spectacular Cutscenes and Visuals: Every character got brand-new artwork and a dazzling animated cutscene lasting 6–7 seconds. They were an absolute treat to watch.

• Staggered Updates: Starting with Female Slayer, Neo: Awakenings rolled out for every class at roughly monthly intervals. You'd eagerly count down the days until your class's turn, but there was tension between players too, thanks to the gaps in class performance.

Seeing every class get new awakenings, cutscenes, and artwork really won me over!

I remember leveling so many characters because every class cutscene made me want to try that class!!

2. The Arrival of 'Mythic' Rarity and Brutal 'Hell Farming'

If I had to sum up the level 100 season in a single term, it would definitely be 'Mythic items.' Farming back then was a mix of extreme randomness and huge dopamine rushes.

• Mythic Rarity: These were ultra-rare pieces of equipment ranked above Epic, and you could equip only one (top/bracelet/earring—choose 1). The drop rate in Guide of Wisdom (the level 100 Hell Party) was brutally low, but seeing a rainbow orb as you entered the dungeon or watching the pillar flash was an incredible thrill.

• Dopamine and the Power Gap: Having a top-tier Mythic like '군마갈 (War God's Last Desire)' or '심연 (심연을 엿보는 자의 수식)' made all the difference to your character's performance—and whether raid groups would let you straight in.

• More Varied Set Combinations: Alongside the existing 5/3/3 setup, we got 'mixed sets (3/3/3/2),' where pieces like a top, necklace, and sub equipment formed a single set. That brought the number of possible builds into the hundreds.

Those old Hell runs really knew how to deliver a dopamine rush...

With all that farming coming down to pure luck, the rush of pulling a Mythic from a rainbow orb

is something I'll never forget!! I can still remember that anticipation as I farmed Hell, run after run +_+

3. Raids and Dungeons That Made the Adventure Complete

During this period, compelling stories and well-crafted dungeons that adventurers could really lose themselves in

were added by the handful!

• The Oculus: The Sanctum of Resurrection: Introduced very early in the level 100 season, this dungeon sent you down into the abyss to stop the Grim Seekers' plot. Its quest awarded a so-called 'Ditto Epic' that you could transform into another piece of Epic equipment without relying on luck, making it a standard stop when gearing up.

• Sirocco the Intangible Raid: This raid earned praise for visuals inspired by Apostle Sirocco's inner world and flower motifs, along with '무의 궤적 (a system that slows down attack patterns).'

• Ozma of Chaos Raid: The finale of the level 100 season introduced a Sanity system and adjustable difficulty up to tier 3. It delivered edge-of-your-seat tension and all the satisfaction of learning and beating a proper raid.

My gear wasn't particularly strong, so I used to envy the people who were already tackling the higher-end raids,

and I still vividly remember the thrill of getting my first clear with my friend!

I really loved playing those raids!

When I think back to DNF in 2020, I remember the whole roller coaster of emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, delight—all thanks to that purely luck-based farming!

With players getting that excited and that frustrated, I think it might have been the most intense season in DNF's history!

I kept playing through the 중천 and 천해천 seasons myself, right up until early this year!

DNF was still DNF, after all...

Every Hell run had me feeling half excited, half worried!

I had a really good time with it for a while! ㅎㅎ

I'm enjoying MapleStory at the moment, but I'm hoping DNF keeps giving us good things too

and catches my interest again!

That's it for today's post! I'll be back next time with a new topic!

블링, signing off!