Ragnarok Online 2 manages to give you a run-of-mill, free-to-play experience you can find in 100's of other games.
I remember playing the original Ragnarok Online, and at the time, it was among only a few options to play for an MMOPRG, especially as an anime theme. The 2D isometric camera view and cute colorful graphics set it apart from other games. Nowadays, there are literally 100s of MMORPG's with the anime theme using cute-colorful graphics. Yet, the original Ragnarok still stands apart.
Excited knowing how iconic Ragnarok is, I was pleased when I spotted number two on Steam.
Technical Issues:
The first thing I ran into was spending over 2 hours getting the game to even run. Many people, myself included, are/were having an issue with "PhysX." It has to do with the game running on an older version, and so you have you find a workaround to even get the game to run. Once I had the game running, textures were not loading, apparently you have to turn the "sun light" off in the settings.. FPS also spikes all over the place, regardless of your beefy gaming rig and the games simple textures. You may be able to run Far Cry 3 on max settings, but Ragnarok Online 2 will give you a run for your money!
Gameplay:
There really is not much to say here... run around and do quests killing monsters. Familiar monsters can be found from the series, but the nostalgia is the only thing remotely interesting. All of the gameplay (crafting, skills, equipment, etc.) is as basic as video games get. Cards and gear is nothing more than X stat. Crafting is nothing more than playing, "find the shinies" and hitting "craft all." The cash shop appears to be avoidable, but people who are a fan of the franchise and love collection outfits, expect to be herded into spending money here.
Graphics:
The graphics are simple, but appealing. If you enjoyed the art style of the original, I am pleased to say gravity did an OK job of re-creating the same cheerful experience.
Overall:
The game is very average. Some may say it is good for a free-to-play game, but in a world where Rift, Tera and Star Wars exist as free games, it is hard to justify playing this over the competition.