BnS NEO Divine Gems was a relatively unique MMORPG at launch, thanks to its wuxia fantasy elements and intense action-focused gameplay. Except for Tera, few MMORPGs featured dynamic combat with unique crowd-controlling abilities that let you stun, stagger, knock down, or even launch enemies and bosses like Blade and Soul. As a result, Blade and Soul enjoyed a strong player-versus-environment (PvE) and Player-versus-player (PvP) scene.

The game's graphics were another particular hallmark, thanks to the bombastic character designs by artist Hyung Tae Kim. That name might sound familiar to Nikke: Goddess of Victory and Stellar Blade fans, as that of the founder of the Shift Up corporation. Though Hyung Tae Kim left NCSoft in 2013, his art style still permeates every aspect of Blade and Soul’s visuals.

The current Blade and Soul has undergone many rebalances, content expansions, and even an engine upgrade to Unreal Engine 4 during its many years of service. Unfortunately, this expansive period (nearly 13 years in South Korea!) means there is a lot of content for newcomers and a distinct disregard for the early portions that made the game so intriguing at launch. Not many people run old dungeons or spend time in old regions a shame, considering those zones and challenges defined the title.

Neo essentially reboots the buy BnS NEO Classic Divine Gems game and starts everyone at square one. In it, you're a greenhorn Hongmoon student mourning the loss of your clan, and seeking answers to the massacre. Blade and Soul Neo launches with just two regions: the lush Viridian Coast and the arid Cinderlands. For comparison, the current version has seven regions. The story follows the original game's plot points fairly closely, but the development team is not committed to adhering to the current canon in future Neo expansions. This leaves the door open to alternative story beats, which is an exciting prospect considering that the current title's narrative has stalled considerably.