Black Desert Console – Is It Worth Playing in 2021?

The fantasy MMORPG Black Desert is one of the most stunning MMORPG’s you’ll come across, but you might be wondering if it’s too late to start playing, or if you’ve played before whether you should start playing again. In this article we’ll discuss why now could be the right time, as there are a number of new benefits including the first ever seasonal server on console, and the new class: Corsair.

I’ll start off with a run through of the basics like a brief overview of Black Desert’s plot, and some of the gameplay mechanics before I get into what’s new. So if you’re a veteran of the game you may want to skip down a ways, but if you’re new or curious about the game then read on!

Black Desert Console – Is It Worth Playing in 2021?

Black Desert Story & Setting Overview

The story begins with the Black Stone, an energy source that has now created a war between the capitalist Republic of Clapheon, and the absolute monarch the Kingdom of Valencia. With the help of the Black Spirit, a being who’s fate is a part of yours, you will discover the mysteries that lie in wait. This expansive world has a lot to discover with many rich and vibrant locations.

Character Creation

Character Creation is something I can easily spend hours and hours doing, and have done so when playing Black Desert. This MMORPG really kicks it up a notch when it comes to customization of your character’s look. Once you’ve picked your class, you can customize your character in quite minute detail. From hair highlights to how tall your character is, I don’t think I’ve played another MMO that gives you this much freedom and is definitely a major strong point of Black Desert. However, note that you cannot choose the gender of your character as this is based on the class you choose, but putting that aside, the other aspects of customization are quite substantial.

Black Desert Gameplay & Combat

Black Desert is one of those games where the combat is just fun, it’s fast and makes you feel all-powerful when you’re smashing through enemies. The game uses a combo action formula, meaning stringing attacks together to unleash some powerful moves.

Using a real-time combat system, it does remind me of the action combat found in The Elder Scrolls Online, but it’s much more combo-based, with a much faster pace. Your weapon choices are determined by the class that you choose, which will limit what weapons you gain. However, with so many classes available, not to mention versatile abilities, this is not missed greatly.

The game has what you’d expect in a multiplayer online RPG, with PVE and PVP content and even let’s dive into World Bosses as well. If you enjoy the quieter side of MMOs there’s Life Skills such as Cooking, Fishing, Farming and even Alchemy which all add to the immersive world of Black Desert. This really ties into the roleplaying aspect, and those who love these types of features will have plenty of choice.

As you level your character you unlock further abilities and can customize your moves, as well as gear such as armor and weapons to strengthen your combat. Each class has their own unique abilities, such as the Corsair who can use the power of the sea in combat. There are also ways to fine-tune your class abilities once you’ve reached a high enough level, allowing for further specialization.

Exploration, Exploration and Exploration

For any open-world game, exploration game is a huge factor and Black Desert doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The world is massive, with plenty of things to see and do, with some of the most intricate world systems I’ve seen including diving for resource nodes, weather and more. You can saddle up on horseback to travel across the world, taking in the beautiful surroundings and scenic views. You can even get your own carriage and horses if that takes your fancy.

One of the newest things added in the last Update was The Great Expedition. This allows players to use new Boats and to trade goods at special barter NPCs, for unique materials and a chance to make some serious coin. If you thought you’d only be exploring land, then think again, because you can spend a lot of time at Sea. This fits perfectly with the new Corsair Class.

One thing I wish more games did like Black Desert is provide an auto-path system. This is something quite unique where you can simply plot where you want to go and your character will automatically run through the world on its own. This makes locating Quests at the beginning very easy, and can be useful for newer players who are still trying to get their bearings. This simple addition allows you to do things such as sort out your inventory or chat with other players without worry you’re going to run into a building or get off track.

What’s New in Black Desert: Corsair Class

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let me tell you about the brand new class that joined the MMORPG on June 29th. The new Class is called Corsair, which is the 23rd Class in Black Desert, coming to all platforms, PC, mobile, PS4 and Xbox One. This pirate-based Class has the power of the ocean running through her, unleashing waves of attacks… literally, as she spins around enemies with her fluid water attacks.

Her main weapon is the Serenaca which is a composite sword that is rather wide-reaching with her agility. Corsair has a unique transformation which is a mermaid form, unleashing a tsunami of waves, crushing her enemies in the process.

Her skills include Smooth Sailin’ which helps her close the distance between her and her enemies. Wave Lash which extends her sword, cutting down whatever stands in her way, inflicting heavy Air Damage, then applying Down Attack damage that also causes a Knock Down debuff. There’s also Mareca: Sea Stroll, letting her surf her way towards enemies and when combined with Enhanced Skills, she can transform into a mermaid. Mareca: Jet Stream also takes the Mermaid form, but instead forming a huge tsunami that will chase her foes.

Why it’s a good time to return or start Black Desert

There are a few reasons why now is a good time to play Black Desert, so let’s get into those. One of those is that there is now a Seasonal Server for consoles, and the Seasonal Server provide players with special buffs and items which can only be gained on this server. These include more Progression Support Boxes, increased experience gain, and exclusive gear amounting to much faster growth for your character. And what’s really great, is everything earned by seasonal characters is maintained once the season ends.

I found by playing on one of these servers the character progression was much faster than when I’ve created characters previously, making it easier to get use to different classes, and made the leveling experience more enjoyable. And, if you’re curious about a particular class you can also create trial characters which will give you a good feel for the class as they’re already level 60, meaning you can even try out content such as PVP arenas before committing too much time to it.

Black Desert Deals

This brings us to our last point, which is that the game is currently on sale. The following are the discounts for each edition of the game running through Playstation Deals of the Week from June 30th – July 7th:

• Traveler Edition 55% off
• Traveler Item Pack 55% off (Does not include full game)
• Explorer Edition 55% off
• Explorer Item Pack 55% off
• Conqueror Edition 60% off
• Conqueror Item Pack 60% off
• All Pearl Boxes (1K, 2K, 3K, 6K, 10K pearls) 20% off

If you’re playing on Xbox then you’ll want to be on the lookout for the “Deep Sea Discount Sale” which runs from July 6th – July 12th, and features the following discounts:

• – Explorer Edition 50% off

Note that there is also free loot obtainable if you are an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber over the next 3 months including:

• Secret Book of Old Moon (7 days)
• Value Pack (7 days)
• Inventory +4 Expansion Coupon
• Artisan’s Memory x5
• Elion’s Tear x5

But wait there’s more! Prime Gaming Loot will be on until July 7th, allowing players to gain an Inventory +16 Expansion Coupon and 100x Cron Stones from watching their favorite Black Desert streamers.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a MMORPG that will get you into the game quickly, let you choose from a wide variety of classes and explore an immersive world Black Desert might be the game for you. Seasonal Servers will not only help console players getting their new characters up to speed quickly, it will allow veterans to create alternate characters that aren’t a chore to level. And all that is on top of the massive discount you can currently pick the game up for. There simply hasn’t been a better time to begin playing Black Desert on console than now!

Black Desert is currently available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One, as well as Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X through backwards compatibility. All platforms now have access to the Corsair Class.