Fans show eternal love for online RPG game Ragnarok as it goes mobile

November 6, 2018 - 5:02 PM
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Ragnarok M: Eternal Love
Screenshot of Ragnarok M: Eternal Love (Photo from Ragnarok Mobile PH Facebook page)

Ragnarok M: Eternal Love, the mobile app based on the popular Ragnarok Online game, has drawn applause and curiosity from fans of the original massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

The latest game from South Korea-based developer Gravity Interactive has been a hit since its launch in the last quarter of 2018. It climbed to the second spot in the free games category of Google Play Store with already over 1 million downloads and an average rating of 4.6 stars.

Following its success in Southeast Asia, pre-registration for “Ragnarok M” in North America, South America and Oceania will reportedly start later in 2018 and is expected to launch in the said regions within the first quarter of 2019.

Ragnarok M has retained the MMORPG’s art style, maps and player interface but has enhanced its graphics to meet mobile gaming standards.

Fans have given generally favorable reviews for the newest incarnation of the hit game.

Players have started to circulate tips and leveling guides to help others get the best out of the experience.

Migration to mobile

Mobile versions of the most popular MMORPGs have resulted from the growing popularity of the mobile gaming market. The popularity of mobile multiplayer online battle arena games has led some gaming journals to predict that the growing epsorts industry will soon be dominated by competitive mobile gaming.

Dragon Nest Mobile, the mobile version of Dragon Nest MMORPG popular in Southeast Asia, was released in April 2018. It has received lukewarm reviews despite retaining the original version’s general look and feel.

However, not everyone is pleased with the idea of hit PC games migrating to the mobile market. Blizzard has received extreme backlash from fans of its “Diablo” series after it announced the release of “Diablo Immortal,” its first foray into the mobile multiplayer genre.

Several fans of the long-running series have voiced their disappointment, saying that they had expected “something major” such as a full-fledged new installment on the PC platform. A growing discussion on Reddit calls the move “a slap in the face.”

The announcement at their recent Blizzcon event was met with silence from fans, with one asking the developers if the announcement “was an out-of-season April fool’s joke.”