Elswords New Characer – Luciel .

There’s always an air of excitement when  a new character is released in an MMORPG. It means new skills, new abilities, and most importantly, new wardrobe options! Hell yeah! So when we heard that two new characters were being added to Elsword, we were understandably excited. Then it turned out that only one character was being added, and of course we made a sadface. Don’t worry, the developers cleared everything up, and it turns out that there ARE two new characters…well no…one. Right, let’s get right down to the details before you think we’ve lost our minds.

 

The Birth of Lu/Ciel 

With Lu/Ciel(Luciel) you get a package deal – two characters in one and you can switch between them at will. Each one comes with their own unique abilities, and most importantly, they each come with their own wardrobe options. So what does this mean? How do the two characters factor into the story? First of all, if you have never played this game, know that it is not a traditional MMORPG. It is a side scrolling brawler similar to Golden Axe, Chronicles of Mystara, etc. The developers that I spoke with described it however as the MMO version of Super Smash Brothers and in PVP it certainly is. Now, getting back to the concept of the two characters, Lu, and Ciel.

Lu was a high ranking demon lord, actually going by the name of Luciela R. Sourcream. She found herself in a political struggle for the vacant overlord position, but she was betrayed by her vassal. As a result, her power was sealed and she was bound in chains. Before her eyes, her life was dismantled, and all she had left, was time. There was so much time, in fact, that she barely remembered her own name. She used her remaining power to break the seal that had been placed upon her and escape to Elrios, but the use of mana caused her to take on the form of a child, which is what you see in game.

 

Ciel’s parents had been killed by bandits, causing him to take on the life of a street child. On the streets he learned what to do what was necessary in order to survive, and eventually, he became a famous assassin in the criminal underworld. His existence coincided with the escape of Lu, from the Demon world, and when he came across her, she had lost all of her memories – all but her name, of course. Ciel nursed her back to health, but as he was doing so, they both found themselves attacked by demon assassins, and Ciel was killed as he protected Lu, who immediately regained her memory. From there, Lu forged a contract with Ciel, not only making him her servant, but combining g their two souls into one. Ciel became a half-demon and changed his cause to match Lu’s. They travel together, in one form, until Lu’s mission in Elrios is completed.

 

Being Luciel

Now that you have a good, albeit abridged explanation of Luciel, how do the two characters work exactly? Playing as Lu gives you a number of great melee attacks as well as several combinations that will be useful in all situations. Ciel, on the other hand, is able to combine both melee and ranged attacks, making for a perfect, deadly combination if you know when to switch each character. As always there is a skill tree that you can develop for each character, ensuring that they are both efficient and deadly at their jobs.

Why can’t we all be Luciel? On wait, we can.

If you find yourself in a bind and are unable to switch between the characters in the usual way, then you can always use a manual switch, generally by starting a combination and finishing it as the screen instructs. Now if you really want some bang for your buck you can visit the cash job and buy a mount for Luciel that makes them more effective in combat, and most importantly makes them  move faster. Having the mount is kind of a plus, especially in towns where most people are still stuck using their own two feet to get around. A mount comes with bragging rights.

 

Accessorize

The cash shop contains a TON of different customization options for both Lu and Ciel. This is something that you are going to need, because the clothes you start your character with will eventually expire, usually at the most inopportune time, causing you to end up almost completely naked at random locations. When I dropped into the game a few days ago to do a dungeon I couldn’t help but notice nearly everyone who had created a Luciel character was stripped down to their underwear. That’s definitely amusing, but it also means a minor investment in the cash shop might be necessary if you want to retain the trademark badass look that Luciel comes with. Also remember that you’re accessorizing for two now, so make it count.

What do I absolutely love about shopping for Luciel? I found that the cash shop actually contained items that make a difference in combat. When you purchase any clothing for your characters they are typically socketed, meaning you can select an enhancement, like regeneration, extra armor, increase health, etc. All of this can be selected from a dropdown menu when you make the purchase, but you unfortunately can only select one enhancement per outfit item. So, for example, if you are purchasing a pair of boots, you can select your enhancement, but once you make the selection, it is permanent. If you want, you can select the same enhancement for every piece of clothing you purchase and become extremely proficient in only one aspect. So if you want to make Luciel a tank, then you can.

 

1^st Job

If you have played the game to any extent, you already know that every character is made to select a job at creation, but when Luciel launched, there was no job available. Admittedly, Luciel is cool enough on their own, but now they’re going to become even more badass with two jobs, one for each of the characters that you command. The jobs, as described by the Elsword homepage, are as follows:

Chiliarch
Weary from fighting off demon assassins
non-stop with Ciel, Lu recalls her ability to
induce fear in her enemies from the time
when she used to lead the demon army.·         Wields Terror Energy harvested from fear,
and uses them in various skills.·         Deploys one of 3 types of demon javelins with her ZZZX attack. Royal Guard
Now that Ciel has acquired great powers
from the demon realm, he pours all efforts
into helping Lu, so that she may win back
her throne sooner. It’s the least a butler
could do.·         Acquires a powerful new blaster in the
shape of a cross.·         Able to obtain his enemies’ soul energy to
amplify his own skills.

If you haven’t tried Elsword yet, you now have a great reason to jump in, create a new character, and help Lu in her quest to regain her land, influence, and standing. If you are already playing Elsword, then you have reason to create a new character and experience the game in an entirely new way. I personally had quite a bit of fun playing this game, and while it might be a simple side scrolling brawler, you shouldn’t underestimate the amount of content that it has. Sure you might not travel across sprawling landscapes or find yourself lost in a world that looks so realistic you could swear you’re actually there, and if you’re looking for the World of Warcraft experience, it certainly isn’t here. What is here, however, is a ton of ass kicking, great outfits, and two conflicted characters on a quest for greatness. To make it even better (yes, it gets better), Elsword features original animation and beautiful anime storylines for each of their characters. The imagination and talent that went into creating this new character for your enjoyment is immeasurable and phenomenal at the same time. If you can’t get enough of the Elsword story, make sure you check out the manga created exclusively for the game. Elsword is a world that expands far beyond the confines of the MMORPG world and collides with pop culture in a way that few other games can. The devotion, dedication, and attention to detail poured into Luciel and the rest of the game is second to none, from the models, the textures, and even the level design. The best part, is that the game is essentially pick up and play. You will find that you can easily hop in anywhere, taking Luciel through various dungeons, out into the wild, and of course, through the PVP arenas where you will compete with other players. There’s a lot to do whether you’re fighting monsters, demons, or buying the latest outfit in the cash shop. Take a look now, try the new job, and most importantly, kill everyone in the PVP battleground. They all deserve it. For some reason.