[Participating in the Nexon PEAK Post Challenge]

So far, I’ve written 35 PEAK Challenge posts.

More than 80% of them have been about Elsword. Of course, it’s not the only game I play, but out of all of them, it’s still the one I love the most.

Back in 2008, what kind of game was Elsword, the one that first led elementary schooler Strawberry Warrior to Nexon?

The ‘Elsword’ that felt like a cute little board game

The first Elsword I remember was full of that charming, board-game-like feel.

Back then, the game usually ran on the difficulty settings Normal, Hard, and Very Hard.

It’s packed with nostalgic dungeons that are gone now.

For me, it was ‘East El Tree.’ Unlike the west side, I really loved its reddish twilight glow.

This is Bossmong, one of those nostalgic dungeon bosses.

I’ve always liked monkeys, but I remember Bossmong feeling just a little scary.

And among the Elder dungeons you could call truly foundational, the one that left the deepest impression on me was ‘Waterway’.

It was because, in order to get revenge on Elsword and his party,

Venders modifies his own body into a Nasod… and that shock, somehow,

feels like it reshaped my tastes too.

The influence Raven (he’s part Nasod too) and Venders had on elementary schooler Strawberry Warrior was honestly a frightening thing.

That Strawberry Warrior, who loved dim twilight light… revenge… and things like that, eventually grew to like deeper literary works too. I suppose that just means I became more mature ^^

Elsword had so many dungeons with cute(???) and varied charms like that, so what is it like now?

Fast-paced and full of life, ‘Elsword’

This is what Ruben in present-day Elsword looks like.

You can tell at a glance that the number of dungeons has gone down a lot, right?!

If the old Elsword was about giving players a wide range of experiences,

then I think Elsword now is about the fun of fast growth through quick progression.

Even the towns have been turned into field-like spaces where you can walk around freely, which makes them feel even more alive.

In the past, the presentation felt a bit more like a cartoon, but now it seems to have more of a living presence.

Ongoing enjoyment

Elsword is still receiving plenty of updates even now.

It has changed a great deal, but Elsword is still a long-running game trying to move in a trendier direction!

I truly hope many people continue to enjoy it so it can keep going for a long time.