Ragnarok Online Mobile Impressions

TOKYO--Most of the companies represented at the Tokyo Game Show are Japanese, but there are also a smattering of foreign legations from such exotic locales as Finland (Nokia), the United States (Microsoft), and Korea (Gravity Corporation). Gravity has been hard at work touting its entry into the MMORPG sweepstakes, Ragnarok Online, and their new mobile edition of the game is a vital part of that effort.

Ragnarok Online Mobile is one of the first cross-platform mobile games to make use of the "keyhole" concept--wherein a mobile game grants the player limited access to an MMORPG's continuum. In this case, the money that players earn in the mobile game can be transferred to their characters in Ragnarok Online, and vice versa. This is admittedly a pretty humble usage of the keyhole ideal, but it's impressive nonetheless; Gravity has taken a bold step in an area where other companies--including the mighty Square Enix--have delivered nothing but speculation.

We didn't have a chance to check this functionality out firsthand, because Ragnarok Online Mobile is currently available only in Korea. Still, the game looks slick, even when denuded of its online features. You view the majority of the gameplay from an overhead perspective, maneuvering your character and swinging your sword in a manner that's highly reminiscent of the old SNES adventure classic Secret of Mana. By contrast, all town-based activities are controlled via a static system of menus. We played the game on a variety of handsets, and it ran admirably on all but the superminiature Motorola model.

According to Gravity employees, the company is currently in negotiations to bring Ragnarok Online Mobile to other territories, including the US, Europe, and Japan. If what we've seen so far is any indication, the game could prove to be a hit in all three markets--and could even earn Gravity some new Ragnarok Online converts.

For more updates, be sure to check GameSpot's coverage of Tokyo Game Show 2004.