Vindictus is a F2P (free to play) hack 'n slash MMORPG that, put simply, is actually worth the effort of playing. Nexon's games tend to be rather hit and miss, while carrying a long standing tradition of grinding. Vindictus takes their standard formula and brings it to a whole new level. As Vindictus hit the states last October, this is a BTLN (Better Late Than Never) review.

Character creation is surprisingly deep for a free to play game. New players select one of four (as of this writing) archetypal characters, and then customize their appearance. Only a fraction of the options are made available for free, with the rest purchased with NX, Nexon's currency. That said, there are still plenty of free options. Hair style, skin and eye colors, height, and for females, the bust, are all adjustable. Height actually does play a minor role in combat, with taller characters having longer reach but are slower, but the difference is negligable. Under armors, tattoos and necklaces can also be purchased in the NX shop. Thankfully, these items grant little advantage over free players, only boosting Luck in a few cases.

The four playable characters all have different functions and styles in combat. Lann, the speedy, dual wielding warrior dodges and weaves to avoid attacks while dealing physical damage. Fiona is the standard issue Tank character, using her shield to take massive blows and deal damage in return. Evie is the spellcaster, capable of healing/support, burst damage with spells and even some more close range damage if she opts to use a scythe. Karok is a towering man capable of grabbing bosses and having his way with them, the brawling character. There is a fifth character planned to be released eventually, Kai. Each character has access to secondary weapons as well, such as spears and chain hooks, utilized for restraining enemies and dealing pinpoint damage.

The reason you're playing Vindictus however is the combat. If you've ever played Monster Hunter, you'll be right at home with Vindictus. All actions in combat rely on the player's stamina. Running, dodging, blocking and using smash attacks utilize stamina. Running out of stamina is a terrible prospect, leaving the player open for precious seconds. This adds a balancing act in combat and making each encounter intense. Early on, little teamwork is required, as it's possible to brute force your way through most of the scenarios. The game quickly begins getting harder, with enemy patterns needing to be recognized and knowledge on how to capitalize on each situation becoming vital to success.

Stories, Vindictus' quest lines, are presented in an episodic manner. The standard plot missions are enjoyable and varied, with each new boss being an exciting challenge. The side quests are where the grind really comes into play, having to rely on sometimes comically low drop rates to gather items. This is alleviated by Oaths of Honor, optional bonus challenges built into each mission. The EXP growth rate is about what one would expect from a Korean MMO, early levels going quickly and requirements growing exponentially thereafter. Thankfully Nexon didn't make it as bad as many of their other games, where the experience required became comical.

The visuals are splendid for a F2P game. The game itself is built off of Valve's Source engine, which shows with the destructible environments and physics. The required specs for the game are low, as most Source games are, with the higher end displays looking fantastic. The different mission locales all have their own feel to them, and the character illustrations have personality all their own. I will however critique the audio, or rather, the lack there of. Much of the time spent in Vindictus will have no audio playing at all, with sounds beginning in boss encounters, and not much outside of that.

Aside from the audio, there's a lot to love with Vindictus. What have you got to lose? Play it here.

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