Games like Blade & Soul NEO

Steam reviews

What players say

Mixed: players praise the combat and art, but many criticise pay-to-win monetisation, grind, connection errors and a dwindling player base.

Many players praise the real-time action combat, which feels fluid and rewarding compared with tab-targeting MMOs, and the remastered visuals, costumes and character customisation. Some enjoy the story, the fully voiced quests and the nostalgia for the original Blade & Soul. Against this, many players describe the free-to-play model as pay-to-win, with paid skill books, gacha-style randomness and market purchases giving spenders an edge. Some say progression depends on heavy grinding for gear and dungeon loot, and that the endgame is tied to group content that new or solo players struggle to reach. Many reviewers also report login and connection failures, crashes on startup and long loading screens, and some say the population is now small. Many reviews from players who joined through the Steam release are more negative than the older helpful reviews, although we cannot judge recent trends from this set.

Who it suits

Suited to veterans of the original Blade & Soul and to players who enjoy action combat and a story-driven MMO, and who can accept spending money or long grinding.

Who should skip it

Players who dislike pay-to-win systems, repetitive grinding or connection troubles, or who want a populated, solo-friendly endgame should skip it.

Short vs. long playtime: Players with under 20 hours mostly do not recommend the game, citing login failures and monetisation early on, while players with 20 hours or more are split, with long-time players praising the combat and criticising grind and pay-to-win.

Summarised by AI from 80 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.