Born Again Online review -"An engaging rogue-like MMORPG with an old-school feel"

• Challenging hack-and-slash combat.
• Vibrant old-school Graphics.
• Frustrating yet satisfying permadeath mechanic.

Born Again Online is a pixelated rogue-like MMORPG from Unnamed Studios. In it, you become a mighty warrior, battle foes, and ultimately die, only to be, you guessed it, born once again. The game offers beautiful retro-style graphics, intriguing environments to explore and tons of baddies to fight.

The game’s retro art style evokes a sense of nostalgia while making it stand out from the majority of mobile MMOs on the market. The bright colours and pixel graphics combine to create a compelling aesthetic. It's complimented by the simplistic soundtrack you'd expect an old-school RPG to have.

Permadeath: a Frustrating yet Fufilling Mechanic

Born Again Online uses permadeath, meaning when your character dies, they really die. There are no checkpoints or previous saves to load. Rather, you'll be taken back to the character creation screen, where you can choose to create another warrior and start over again.

Like all games that feature permadeath, Born Again Online isn't for everyone. Dying again and again, forced to start back at level one, isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you've got the patience to learn from each death and enjoy a good rogue-like, then you'll enjoy what the game has to offer.

As a fearless warrior, it’s your duty to defeat the many enemies throwing the Outer Realms into chaos. You'll battle everything from rock creatures and spiders to kings and deities as you bring order back to the land. After completing the tutorial, you'll find yourself in the Spirit realm. From here, you can enter gateways to the various outer realms. Each plays host to its own brand of foes for you to take on. When you die, you'll return to the spirit realm, which acts as the central.

Play as a Warrior, Spend Money or Wait

While the game features classes other than the warrior, unless you want to shell out real money for the medallions to buy them, you won’t be able to unlock them until you gain enough honor. Earning it can be slow-going so don't expect to start unlocking classes within the first few hours. Being forced to grind it out as a warrior can really be a turn-off if you feel you are best suited to playing as a mage, ranger, or other class.

Combat in Born Again Online can be quite challenging. When enemies spot you, they'll swarm. When starting out, you'll want to try to lure enemies to you one at a time. Otherwise, you may not survive. Luckily, your health regenerates when you're not in combat, so sometimes running away is your best option for survival.

The controls are a little clunky. It always feels as if my character is moving a little too slowly. It's not an issue of lag; rather, the player movement speed just feels a little off. This can easily be overlooked; however, aiming your attacks can also be challenging. I often found my little warrior slashing at nothing as enemies attacked him from behind due to the sensitivity of the joystick. Still, combat becomes immensely engaging once you get the hang of it.

Beyond Combat

While combat is the main focus, there is more to Born Online Again than battling enemies. As you explore the vast world of Born Online Again, you'll uncover mysteries and treasures. You'll loot new armor and weapons from fallen foes, which you can then equip. Different armor and weapons have different properties, so be sure to equip that which best fits your gameplay strategy.

Born Again Online is an utterly challenging MMORPG that melds hack-and-slash combat with rogue-like mechanics. Permadeath can be both a blessing and a curse—it's frustrating to die all the time, especially since your new character will be at level one. However, it’s a badge of pride to keep a character alive long enough for them to reach a high level.

The retro pixel art gives the game a retro vibe, yet for an MMO, it feels fresh. If you enjoy games with rogue-like mechanics, fast-paced combat, and the looming threat of permadeath, then look no further than Born Again Online. However, if you're prone to frustration, you may want to pass on this one.