Tree of Savior is a massively multiplayer RPG developed by IMC Games (Granado Espado), headed by Kim Hakkyu (former CEO of Gravity). The game is an attempt to evoke the feelings of classic games like Ragnarok Online and Arcturus while implementing modern design trends. Gameplay focuses primarily on combat and exploration in segmented areas that make up the game world, with quests to guide you and instanced dungeons designed for party and guild play. Character customization is mostly driven by an extensive unique class system allowing you combine several of the 55 currently implemented classes to achieve your desired skillset, with more on the way.
Available Now on Steam!
Website: https://treeofsavior.com/
Platform: PC
Regions: International, following regions restricted from access: Korea/Japan/Taiwan/Indonesia/China/Hong Kong/Macau
Release Date: March 28 2016, 11PM PST (Founder's Server DLC), May 10 2016 (F2P)
Model: Freemium ($18/month premium account + premium items)
Developer: IMC Games
Publisher: IMC Games
Gameplay
The game uses a fixed quarter view camera that follows the player as they move around the world, similar to games like Diablo. Several control options are available, including keyboard-only, keyboard and mouse, and gamepad (kb+m still required for UI functionality). The method used is solely up to the player, although some may find each option more comfortable for different class builds.
Combat is the bread and butter of the game, with most of the content being geared to you smashing hoards of monsters until either nothing stands in your path or you have simply moved on. Most class abilities are geared to hitting multiple foes at once and the developers have made sure that it feels satisfying. Basic attacks are equally as potent in a lot of cases and must be used for full effectiveness, especially early on. Skills follow modern design, with most having cooldowns in addition to their SP cost and occasionally cast times, although some may be used repeatedly until their charges deplete with the game's Overheat system and some are simply limited by the quickness of your fingers.
Exploration is also encouraged with bonuses for completely discovering the various zones, hidden treasure chests containing prizes and unmarked quests to provide you with context and EXP. A ranking system is also in place that monitors which players have discovered and dealt with the most.
World
The world is divided into several individual zones separated by small entrances and exits. The world branches out from the two starting cities available, although in most cases you will want to stick to the main road to avoid being outclassed by the foes that await. Zones are ranked on the world map with stars; the more stars a zone has, the higher the rewards and steeper the death penalties.
Each zone is littered with NPCs, monsters and occasionally even strong field bosses. While you can choose to endlessly hack away at monsters, the NPCs tend to provide quests that grant EXP that you wouldn't want to miss out on. Some are related to the main storyline and are clearly marked, but most are not and must be actively sought out if you wish to reap the rewards. Quests tend to be the standard fare of killing monsters, acquiring drops, gathering items from predetermined locations, but Tree of Savior really loves to throw instanced boss fights at you. Tons of them! They don't tend to be the most difficult fights in the world, but they can be quite drawn out if you are playing a supporting or defensive style character.
Instanced dungeons are also available and designed for party play. They tend to be the fastest way to level and grant wonderful rewards but are limited in how often they can be ran per day. Party matching is available and encouraged (via an EXP bonus).
Customization
An area that Tree of Savior excels at is in the customizability of your character's abilities. Besides allocation of the core 5 stats, the game boasts an impressive class system that lets you mix and match skill sets to your heart's content. However, be forewarned that class selection is permanent, so a bit of planning is encouraged.
The class system has you start as one of 4 base classes: Swordsman, Wizard, Archer or Cleric. As you progress you will gain Class Levels, allowing you to spend points to decide which skills you desire. There are no complicated skill trees or requirements. After reaching CLV15, you will ascend a Rank and have several options available to you. You can choose a new class from the classes you have unlocked (unlocking a new set of skills to learn), or power up an existing class (unlocking some new skills and raising the level cap on existing) by entering its next Circle. Most classes have a maximum Circle of 3, but differences can be noted below.
Most of the options are presented to you at the time of ranking up, but some classes are hidden and must be sought out or have complex requirements. In addition to the skills learned, many Attributes are available to customize and improve skills for different situations. Equipment customization is also available in spades, with refinement, gem socketting (including rare monster specific gems that enhance certain skills), Awakening bonuses and more.
Visually, your character can take on the outfit from any of the classes he or she has taken at least once Circle in. A limited number of hair styles is available, with dyes that can be acquired in game and additional hair styles in the shop. Skin colour customization is not available at this time.
PvP
While PvE content is currently the main focus of the game, the developers have implemented a number of PvP options. Balancing specifically for PvP has not occurred, so expect it to be a tad unbalanced until that happens.
Friendly duels are initiated by a chat command. Both players must accept for a friendly match. The arena has 2v2 and 5v5 modes with standardized gear. Players are ranked and top players can show off their rank next to their name, but there are no tangible rewards.
Lastly is war between guilds. In order to establish a guild, a player must become the Swordsman class Templar and pay a hefty sum. Templars are able to construct bases of operation in the world to grow important materials, speed up crafting and breed special mounts. To stop other guilds from gaining advantage with their tower, or simply for pleasure, you can wage war! This essentially boils down to open world PvP (with the exception of towns and instances) where you can destroy the enemy's Guild Tower and their hunt their members for a period of time. This system is still being tweaked, so keep an eye out!
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is composed of tons of high energy and melodic tunes composed by several groups including the legendary SoundTeMP! The entire OST is at your fingertips just by downloading the game client in your Steam folder (Steam\steamapps\common\TreeOfSavior\release\bgm). I'd honestly give it a listen even if you aren't interested in the game, it's that good!
You can obtain access by buying either of the DLC packages currently available on Steam. Each tier grants access to the game before it launches as F2P, but also comes with additional goodies worth much more than you are paying. The image below outlines what you get with each package contains (note, option #3 is no longer available). The companion is available in game for regular currency, but the remainder are cash shop items. Please refer to the section below this for more information.
TP the premium currency available in Tree of Savior. It is available at the rate of $9.00USD per 100TP. Up to 5 TP can be generated over time without paying anything. Here are a list of some available items on the shop:
- Talk to every NPC you find! Unmarked quests are common, and provide meaningful EXP cards. If you find yourself having to grind early on, try looking for more quests
- Fully exploring maps and killing a number of the same numbers also grant EXP cards
- You can travel between both starting areas to do quests on both sides
- Early on, make sure to bring SP potions to boss fights or they will drag on
- In parties of 4 or more, having 1 of each base class provides an experience bonus
- There are experience penalties for hunting monsters more than 5 levels lower / 10 levels higher
- Official FAQ
- ToSBase - Fan site with database information, skill simulator and more
- Disckzee's Dismount-only Skills List - Useful when planning out for mounted classes
- Vyne's General Mechanics Guide - a comprehensive guide to the underlying mechanics of the game
- Gwenyth's Class Changes - for people who played last in CBT and want to get up to date
