Gravity has once again looked at our collective bank accounts and nostalgia-induced trauma and said, “One more time, for old time's sake.” The newly minted Steam page for Ragnarok: The New World is listed as Coming Soon, promising a “next-gen” experience that feels suspiciously like the ten other times we’ve been promised a next-gen experience. For the veteran player who was just a high school student clicking Porings in the 2003 Ragnarok Online (RO) and is now a lawyer reviewing the fine print, this journey from RO through RO2: Advent of Valkyrie and Ragnarok M: Eternal Love has been essentially "Stockholm Syndrome: The MMO."
The legal department of Gravity Game Vision Limited would like to clarify that "The New World" is a trademarked subtitle and not a legally binding guarantee of an actual new world free from the max ASPD grind or the crippling clinical fear of a +9 refinement failure. Per the "Safe Refine+15" clause, the developers are essentially settling out of court with our collective trauma, promising that the "Hammer and Anvil" can no longer hurt us or our precious gear, a move that is 10% consumer protection and 90% "we know you have PTSD." In a breakthrough for the "I have a mortgage and a law firm to run" demographic, the game officially supports offline auto-battling, which is a polite way of saying the game understands you’re too busy being a functional adult to actually play it, so it’ll just grind while you sleep and dream of 2003.
Despite the "new" coat of paint and the ability to ride an MVP boss like a suburban SUV, the core remains the same. You will pick a Swordsman, you will sit at South Gate, and you will argue about stat builds like it’s 2003 and your dial-up just cut out. Since the game still remains listed as "Coming Soon," it means you can't just abandon your real-life responsibilities just yet. This gives you plenty of time to prepare for your transition from being a tycoon in Prontera vending stalls on your PC to standing in line at the grocery store. It’s the same Ragnarok we’ve been playing for 23 years, just with better lighting and a slightly higher chance of retaining your sanity, pending the final review of the End User License Agreement's "Zeny-to-Sanity" exchange rate.
If you are ready to sign your life away once more, you can currently find the game on Steam to add it to your wishlist and secure your spot in the queue. Mobile adventurers can also head over here or to the Google Play Store to pre-register, ensuring the app is ready to drain your battery the moment it goes live. Pre-registering now usually nets you some shiny "Early Bird" digital trinkets, which is basically the gaming equivalent of a signing bonus for a job that pays exclusively in nostalgia.
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