MapleStory Cygnus Knights Edition Review

By , on July 27, 2011


MapleStory Cygnus Knights Edition
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • Warm, pleasing visuals.
  • Optimized level up system.
  • A lot of content.

CONS

  • Repetitive gameplay.
  • Finicky movement control.
  • Text box errors.

VERDICT

Fans of Maple Story or of grind heavy RPGs will feel right at home with this well made adaptation.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

For those of you unfamiliar with Maple Story, it's a free to play Korean MMO that's been around for the latter half of the 2000s.  Cygnus Knights is the 2nd release of a single player version of the franchise for mobile devices, allowing play with two characters through a world full of endlessly respawing monsters.

You can play either as Mikhail the Soul Knight or Oz the Flame Wizard, essentially giving you a play choice between melee combat or magic (although it takes a bit of play to earn your magic powers as Oz). The two are childhood friends being trained in their respective classes when they're thrown into a greater struggle via a mysterious silver hair cloaked figure.

If you've played Maple Story before, the gameplay is pretty much the same. You accept 'kill monster' and fetch quests in towns, and you travel around grinding on monsters for loot, cash and experience. The game comes with customizable hotkeys to make play easier, and for those not wanting to worry about where to place their experience points every time they level up, the game comes with an optimized option where the points are placed automatically.

Visually the game is top notch, with beautifully drawn, and iconic characters and monsters on lush backgrounds, with every piece of weapon or armor being displayed on your character adding to a sense of progression. The sound effects suit the mood of the game, and while the music is nice enough, the tracks are very short, and the endless looping can become mind numbing. Even though there is no online play, the game still features a shop where you can buy enhancements with real money, and a mailbox system so friends can stay in touch while playing through the game.

Maple Story is well translated to the iPhone. The only major problem with the port is that the touch screen d-pad is finicky, which makes jumping on platforms and climbing vines troublesome. The ultimate judgment call comes down to if you enjoy grind heavy RPGs or not. If so, Maple Story Cygnus Knights definitely warrants a look.

Screenshots

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