Mabinogi is a game that has been live for over 20 years. How do you remember a game after two decades? Even comparing memories from just a year ago, everyone's recollections differ—and for Mabinogi, everyone truly remembers something different. Mabinogi is precisely that kind of game: the memories you hold and the image of the game itself inevitably vary from player to player.

Still, there are constant elements that everyone feels in common—the game's atmosphere, the aesthetic feel of its graphics, or its background music. The aspects that players loved or found memorable linger as nostalgia. Mabinogi Eternity accurately captures that essence, bringing those sentimental touches to life in full force.

🧚  Powered by Unreal Engine! Graphics and Atmosphere Preserving Original Nostalgia

Right from the start, things were a bit bewildering. I expected a look at the early story, but suddenly an Elf and a Giant popped up beside me, and the Goddess who once closed her eyes and whispered "Can you hear me?" was absent. Yet, Nao was right there in the Soul Stream, welcoming the Milletian just as before.

Switching to a modern engine naturally made the graphics look distinctively better. Even so, Mabinogi's signature visual identity remains intact despite using state-of-the-art tech. While clearly upgraded, it felt as though great care was taken to ensure it didn't transform into an entirely unrecognizable game.

The color palette feels much brighter than the original. While it doesn't ruin the game's overall atmosphere, it can look a bit hazy in some ways, which might draw mixed reactions. If graphics settings provide options to adjust this, it should be easily acceptable, so it doesn't seem like a major issue. In conclusion, the atmosphere easily earns a passing grade.

Although it may be too early to pass judgment on direction or cutscenes, the cinematic cutscenes shown in the alpha build were not awkward or off-putting. Personally, seeing NPCs accompanied by nostalgic illustrations felt great, especially since improved character modeling drastically reduced any visual disconnect.

There are clear improvements, of course. Characters' fingers now move independently, clothing details sway dynamically, and hair—previously blocky—is finely detailed and sways smoothly. As a result, character vitality and clothing textures feel vastly superior.

Overall, regarding graphics and atmosphere, adopting a modern engine resolved limitations that plagued the old engine, while intentionally restraining flashy new effects that could disrupt the game's tone. It preserves the sentiment that Milletians love without undermining the game's identity.

✨  Familiar Combat and Progression Systems, with Some Improvements…?

Honestly, judging combat based on this build is virtually impossible. For starters, the alpha build provides full hit-stagger resistance as a bonus, so motions aren't interrupted, and your character won't fall down even when a wolf pounces with a bite or a Smash. Experiencing the rock-paper-scissors dynamic of classic Mabinogi combat was out of the question. Progression was also extremely fast; after Rebirth, playing for just an hour or two easily brought characters close to the level 200 cap.

Nevertheless, the progression system itself does not stray far from traditional Mabinogi. I focused on Magic during this playtest, trying out Bolt spells, Ice Spear, Thunder, Fireball, and later Meteor Strike. Here, too, the original flavor is well-preserved, and control responsiveness felt largely unchanged.

The sensation of Fireball soaring, swooping down, and exploding with a "boom," or Thunder strikes raining down, felt very similar. One feature worth noting is the dash skill. Pressing Space performs a quick dash that functions as both an emergency dodge and an engage, appearing to grant brief invincibility frames. It proved quite useful in battle, and being available across all Talents seems like a welcome addition.

Graphics for dungeon monsters were also improved. Perhaps because it was a test server, even the highest-difficulty dungeon could be soloed without much trouble. Thus, rather than allowing deep analysis of combat flow and mechanics, it felt more like a quick preview of "how it feels," which was a bit disappointing.

Additionally, a targeting system feature was added showing who currently holds monster aggro, which should prove quite useful during party play. The Succubus Queen in Rabbie Phantasm was set to simple attack patterns, and with Nao Resurrections available, it could be cleared solo even without knowing mechanics—making combat difficulty impossible to judge.

Ranking up skills still requires training, though training requirements were set very low for the test. It also still consumes AP to rank up skills. Talents were similarly offered just enough to give a taste. Furthermore, pets could not be summoned inside dungeons, and Mimics could not be detected using Windmill. Come to think of it, monster power ratings relative to character Combat Power were not explicitly stated, shown only through simple icons and colors.

🍃  'Life Skills' Remain Central, with Some Quality-of-Life Touches… But?

Life skills are an indispensable part of Mabinogi, and Eternity provided a brief taste of them as well. Almost all life skills were provided at Rank 1. In this test, crafting via life skills was mandatory to enter high-difficulty dungeons, so players had to engage with them whether they wanted to or not.

Certain gathering skills offered faster gather speeds and higher yields at higher skill ranks. Material crafting like Refining and Weaving allowed bulk crafting or automated batch creation. The process of reaching work-in-progress phase before executing the finishing step remained identical, though the finishing process was strictly automated this time.

Overall, life skills will likely involve tedious repetitive grind in certain sections. Still, effort was made to minimize this by introducing quality-of-life features. While life skills granted no bonus stats, using them required equipping the corresponding gathering kit. However, coupled with the revamped bag UI, finding items was somewhat cumbersome. It would have been easier to spot if shading or highlighting had been distinct, which was a minor disappointment.

The inventory system was also updated so each item takes up only a single grid slot. Veteran players who remember stuffing bags inside bags will find that system replaced by a weight limit. During the test, weight was barely a concern, but some players might feel disappointed upon seeing this change.

Crafted equipment is currently tied to RNG, categorized into quality tiers. The highest quality is Master grade, and in the test version, crafting lower-tier gear was offset by a system allowing exchanges via tokens. In practice, performance gaps between tiers for the same item were larger than expected.

The dye system could also be tested in a simplified form, and surprisingly, players could specify exact target colors. Milletians who memorized RGB values for their signature colors could immediately input them to attempt dyeing. However, selecting 1 out of 5 ampoules or maximizing pickup chances still required manually playing the minigame. In the test build, dyeing with the cloth palette was possible regardless of material, such as silk or metal.

Attempts were made to preserve Mabinogi's charm while adding quality-of-life options to reduce friction in life skills. Nevertheless, community reactions to life skills will likely be divided. While difficult to evaluate based on this brief preview, future tests will likely bring substantial feedback. As a side note, Simon's iconic shoulder sway animation is gone.

🌱  20 Years of Memories and Romance: A Game to Watch

Before concluding, it is worth noting that this 'alpha' test felt like a traditional playtest. Many recent game tests have shifted into promotional events rather than genuine testing, abandoning the classic progression from alpha to closed beta to open beta. Seeing Mabinogi Eternity stick to a true, traditional alpha concept was actually quite refreshing.

Even on day two, new features appeared that were absent the previous day, along with visible fixes. From day one, developers communicated in real time via live stream to discuss player feedback and confirm development direction. Hence, feedback and gameplay data from current testers will be crucial as the development team reviews them to solidify the game's direction and momentum.

Player evaluations of this game are bound to be polarized depending on perspective: viewing it as a remake attempting to capture the nostalgic feel of classic Mabinogi, or judging it as a completely new game built on a modern engine.

Evaluated from the latter perspective, most players would likely conclude that it falls short. However, considering the project's purpose and initial intent, judging it that way feels somewhat nonsensical. That said, optimization was a slight disappointment even in this test build. Running at maximum settings on a setup with a 9800X3D, 4080s, and 32GB RAM felt generally smooth, but maintaining a rock-solid 60 FPS proved slightly elusive.

From the former perspective, however, I would give it high marks. As a test build meant to validate the direction set by the development team, it served its purpose well. That does not mean the game itself was flawless, but rather that presenting a test build of this scope at this stage was a great move. It felt like asking players, "We are trying this approach—what do you think?" While Mabinogi's core vibe is well preserved, player feedback will be vital regarding modern reinterpretations of its systems.

Mabinogi Eternity is a romantic endeavor. It incurs higher costs, involves complexity, and faces many potential pitfalls, yet it strives toward the goal of recreating Mabinogi's gameplay and charm in a new engine to deliver the graphical overhaul Milletians desire. This alpha test successfully retained Mabinogi's unique spirit, even offering options to set background music to classic versions, serving as wonderful nostalgic touches.

Based on this test, I hope Mabinogi Eternity matures into a great project that lives up to Milletians' expectations. It promises to be exciting to follow moving forward.