GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
xx Alien Shooter - Revisited
xx Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded
xx Altitude
xx America's Army 3
75 And Yet It Moves
79 ArmA II
xx Armed Forces Corp.
xx Astro Tripper
75 BattleForge
74 Battlestations: Pacific
75 Bionic Commando
78 Blood Bowl
59 Blueberry Garden
xx Book of Unwritten Tales, The
90 Braid
xx Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island
81 Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
80 Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, The
76 Chronicles of Spellborn, The
67 Codename: Panzers - Cold War
73 Cogs
64 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
70 Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
69 Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
41 Damnation
66 Dark Sector
89 Dawn of Discovery
82 DCS: Black Shark
53 Death Track: Resurrection
xx Delta Force: Xtreme 2
76 Demigod
xx Drug Wars
71 Elven Legacy
89 EVE Online: Apocrypha
81 Fallout 3: Broken Steel
78 Fallout 3: Point Lookout
77 Fallout 3: The Pitt
50 Fenimore Fillmore's Revenge
xx Final Fantasy XI: A Crystalline Prophecy
65 Flock!
80 Free Realms
72 Fuel
78 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
54 Gobliiins 4
63 Godfather II, The
72 Grand Ages: Rome
36 Grey's Anatomy
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
xx Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
xx Helldorado
xx Hinterland: Orc Lords
xx Humans, The
xx Hunter, The
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
72 Killing Floor
xx Larva Mortus
66 Last Remnant, The
20 Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
xx Light of Altair
75 Maw, The
79 Men of War
76 Mevo & the Grooveriders
xx Military History Commander: Europe at War
74 MLB Dugout Heroes
63 Monsters vs. Aliens
74 Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
72 Officers
xx Operation 7
xx Orb and the Oracle, The
78 Overlord II
80 Path, The
88 Plants vs. Zombies
xx Pool Hall Pro
xx Pro Cycling Manager: Tour de France 2009
79 Prototype
xx Railworks
xx Raycatcher
70 Restaurant Empire 2
xx Righteous Kill 2: Revenge of the Poet Killer
73 Runes of Magic
xx Samantha Swift and the Golden Touch
72 SBK 09 Superbike World Championship
xx Scorpion: Disfigured
64 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
74 Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper
77 Simon the Sorcerer 5: Who'd Even Want Contact?!
86 Sims 3, The
xx Smashing Toys
74 Spore Galactic Adventures
26 Stalin vs. Martians
xx Stateshift
68 Still Life 2
42 Stormrise
92 Street Fighter IV
71 Superstars V8 Racing
51 Terminator Salvation
xx Theatre of War 2: Africa 1943
xx Three Cards to Midnight
70 Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
61 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
xx Trine
31 Tunnel Rats
xx Up
61 Velvet Assassin
72 Virtua Tennis 2009
76 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 1: Fright of the Bumblebees
73 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 2: The Last Resort
75 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 3: Muzzled!
62 Wanted: Weapons of Fate
xx Warrior Epic
58 Wheelman, The
xx Women's Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey
72 World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
xx WSC Real 09: World Snooker Championship
77 X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition
xx Yosumin!
78 Zeno Clash

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Sword Of The New World: Granado Espada pc Game Reviews
Sword Of The New World: Granado Espada
Critic Score
Metascore: 66 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.0 out of 10
based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 40 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

A fantasy MMORPG whose story is modeled after Europe's exploration of the New World, this original title allows players to create and simultaneously control a family of characters utilizing the excusive Multiple Character Control (MCC) system. This fantasy adventure unfolds its luscious graphical style through a story comprised of thrilling missions and quests. Swept by an exotic New World fever in the 17th century, this fictional yet historical exploration of the new found continent includes features that are all-new and exclusive to the U.S. version of the game. K2 Network's version offers a new character customization feature with hundreds of costume options, while an improved control scheme and in-game tutorial makes controlling multiple characters familiar and comfortable (for MMO players). In addition, the game includes an all-new story with hundreds of new quests. Control three characters simultaneously - While most games allow you to level just one character at a time, Sword of the New World allows players to develop, mix and match a team of three distinct characters simultaneously. Get the best of both types of MMO worlds with Player vs. Environment (PvE) and Player vs. Player (PvP) combat fully integrated into gameplay. Sword of the New World also includes additional combat options, Family vs. Family (FvF) dueling and City vs. City (CvC) in specific arenas. Character classes include the traditional melee champ Fighter; the spell-casting Wizard, and the dual-purpose assassin and healing Scout, with more classes to be announced later. Each class can learn and perform unique stances and unlock advanced skills. [K2 Network]

PUBLISHER: K2 Network, Inc. / HanbitSoft
DEVELOPER: imcGames
GENRE(S): Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS: Thousands
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2007

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
PC Gamer
If you're tired of the grind, make your way to Granado Espada, where life is exciting, convenient, and most importantly, fun. [Nov 2007, p.70]
82
GamingExcellence
Overall, Sword of the New World was a fantastically fun MMO to play. While not as intricate as some other MMOs, the dynamic of having three characters to control instead of just one is a lot of fun and definitely gives the player a lot of things to do and learn throughout his/her experience.
Read Full Review
80
G4 TV
A compellingly good MMO at an amazingly attractive price.
Read Full Review
80
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
It's like candy for your eyes. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.56]
80
Worth Playing
Those who aren't wired for the Korean MMO experience of heavy grinding and repetition will probably find that level 1 to 20 is just enough to sate the urge to try something new. I personally think Sword of the New World is very well done for what it is, but I don't quite gel with the style of gameplay.
Read Full Review
75
2404.org
As MMO launches go, this one was pretty smooth. Yes, there are bugs and crashes and little twitchy things that can be annoying, but for the most part everything runs well enough to enjoy.
Read Full Review
71
PC Format
An elaborately realised world, with too little interaction to be truly great. [Oct 2007, p.60]
70
PC Gamer UK
The dark addictiveness of levelling is as strong here as anywhere. [Oct 2007, p.85]
70
Game Chronicles
My biggest issues with the game are the plodding pace in which your characters advance combined with the fact that you must be high level to truly partake in faction PVP. Flaws aside, the free-to-play model makes it easy to trade in your Arcanite reaper for pistol and cutlass, even if you plan on only vacationing for a short time in sunny Granado Espada.
Read Full Review
70
AceGamez
It contains some well-crafted elements, while the refined and altogether very usable MCC system makes controlling three characters a breeze, yet still manages to retain an incredible amount of depth, thus scaling exceptionally well with player ability.
Read Full Review
70
GameDaily
This game offers a beautiful, highly stylized, world to explore, but sacrifices meaningful interaction.
Read Full Review
70
Games Radar (in-house)
Even though the game is a bit rough around the edges, Sword of the New World: Granado Espada oozes with quirky personality that will appeal to fans of Asian-born titles, presenting a visual mash-up of anime and Baroque influences.
Read Full Review
70
PC Zone UK
Something about Granado Espada is fiendishly addictive. What stops it from being truly great is the fact that it's both simple and rather boring at times. [Oct 2007, p.83]
70
Gamers Europe
You’ll need a very forgiving attitude to begin playing Sword of the New World, because it still needs quite a bit of work.
Read Full Review
65
IGN
The story is engaging and the dialogue is casual, often goofy, but when you get down to it, so much time is spent in a monotonous grind that deep down you'll probably know there is more fun to be had elsewhere.
Read Full Review
40
GameSpot
Tedious quests and little payoff make this Korean massively multiplayer online game a real grind.
Read Full Review
40
1UP
Only a revisit after about six months will reveal whether or not Sword of the New World manages to reach its potential...if anyone's willing to wait that long.
Read Full Review
40
EuroGamer
This is thoroughly disappointing in some respects - not least because Sword of the New World is one of the most beautiful MMORPGs we've ever clapped eyes upon.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Nikolaus B. gave it a7:
This game has so much potential. The art is fantastic, and the multi character control can lead to tactical movement which could keep this game interesting for a long time; however the world falls short in it's quests. The quests are so bland and generic. (95% of the quests I have seen thus far have all been of the "Go kill this many of this" variety.) Simply writing in interesting quests would perk this game up so much. The other problem is the enemy re-spawn rate. The enemies respawn so fast that most tactical maneuvers will result in you getting flanked of ambushed by monsters you killed mere seconds ago. The character costume options present a nice variety, but there are no options in physical features. I feel like I MUST own a hat to hide the fact that my hair looks exactly the same as every other character of the same class. This game has so very much potential, and all of it's issues could be fixed in a simple patch, I'm ready to give it a 10 in a moment's notice. It's so frustrating when a game comes this close to being great. Atleast it's worth the $0 it costs to play.

Nick B. gave it a6:
This is a game which is utterly beautiful but falls flat on so many levels for the American audience. Not a bad game in some respects, but suffers because it will be judged relative to the competition:very limited character customization, but what few options you have are very nice looking (unless you want a heterosexual, masculine-looking hero, in which case look elsewhere); gameplay: a terrible grind, but if you are accustomed to such, or enjoy it, then that's not a problem. Gameplay at low levels is almost autopilot, but it does get more complex later on. The multi-character control system is neat, but the characters themselves lack distinction and it's not very easy to manage multiple characters. Storyline hints at greatness but falls flat all too often, and some quests are enigmatic and poorly localized. Music is purely awesome one minute and the worst Asian pop music the next. Overall, this is not a bad game by any stretch, it just looks worse in comparison to other titles. Worth checking out for an idea of what Diablo would be like with multi-character MMO play.

Meestyk gave it a6:
Dull! Very Dull! Can you say repetitive over and over again? That's killing things that keep respawning right in front of you over and over. One another thing reminds me of Evercamp (tm). They claim they ban BOTs users, but there must be plenty of them playing this sort of game. This is the kind of game you can go to sleep and wake up and your guys are still there grinding like there's no tomorrow! Slow grind you bet! Play this only if you're a boring person who enjoys boring games. Graphics don't make a game. A good story, gameplay variety and choices. About choices, you only have about 4 different toons faces (male/female) for the 4 classes. That's it. Utterly boring. The only upside is that you can play 3 toons at once instead of the usual solo toon, your alter ego. Those who gives it a higher score than what I give are truly desperate.

Kevin Y. gave it a9:
An amazing MMORPG that has a very unique gameplay style, along with incredible graphics and music. Also, it is now free to play, which makes it even more incredible.

Joni S. gave it a7:
Brilliant graphics, brilliant music, decent effects. Gameplay is rather straightforward, multi-character control or no, and despite a glowing beginning to this game, the game eventually degenerates into the level grind typical of most Korean MMOs. Some of the most annoying things about this game include a cumbersome chat interface and a decreased need for other people to party with since you have the three members of your family to control, this game is more for the power-leveler rather than the social RPer. Also (as of this comment at least), the horrible translations. I play the North American version, and in it, most of the higher level NPCs have some of the most annoying Chingrish I have ever seen in an MMO. Not to mention what I personally affectionately dub the "Scout-lag".

Curt G. gave it an8:
I have only been playing On-line for about 4 years. Most time spent on WoW (3 years) So my perspective is limited. Having said that, I came to play for a change of pace. I found the game delightfull in just a bit spartan. I would have enjoyed a bit more virsatility in charicter and clothing selection. But my overall opinion is that of satisfaction. It is well worth the vaey small price they charge for the game.

Jaruri gave it a10:
The game has clean graphics, godly music, and good effects, though there is the occasional crash or failure, this game is still GODLY.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use