Bless Unleashed
Bless Unleashed is a free-to-play 3D fantasy MMORPG that reimagines the ill-fated Bless Online into a more action-focused experience. It leans heavily into real-time, combo-driven combat and sends players across a large open world packed with regional questing, field bosses, and dungeon runs, while also carrying some of the rough edges that come from its console-first roots.
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Publisher: Valofe Playerbase: Low Type: F2P MMORPG Release Date: August 6, 2021 Pros: +Striking visuals with strong world design. +A serviceable main narrative, even if it follows familiar fantasy beats. +Action combat built around readable combos. Cons: -Pay to win. -Class-locked races. -Clunky UI and controls designed for consoles. -Lack of endgame content. -Forced PvP. |
Bless Unleashed Overview
Bless Unleashed drops you into Lumios, a sprawling medieval fantasy setting where dragons, ancient monsters, and interfering divinities are part of daily life. Your journey moves through multiple zones and settlements as the central conflict builds toward a showdown with the Dark Goddess Lumenas, whose influence drives much of the game’s PvE content.
At the start you pick from five archetypal MMO classes, each built around a distinct rhythm in action combat: Berserker (heavy swings and disruption), Crusader (durable frontline), Ranger (mobile ranged pressure), Mage (spell bursts and control), and Priest (support and recovery). Your race selection is tied to your class, with Humans, Elves, Ippin, and Varg available depending on what you play. Progress is driven by quests, gear upgrades, and learning how to time dodges, blocks, and chained attacks, especially when the game pushes you into tougher encounters like field bosses, instanced dungeons, and competitive clashes with other players.
Bless Unleashed Key Features:
- Classic heroic conflict – travel across Lumios, pursue revenge for the tragedy on Telarion Island, and confront Lumenas and the zealots who serve her.
- Combo-Based Combat – fight in real time by linking attack strings to trigger specific combo routes and follow-up skills, rewarding timing more than hotbar rotation.
- Instanced And Open-World PvP – queue for structured modes such as the 15vs15 Red Basin Battlefield and the 3vs3 Warlord’s Arena, or engage in open-world kills with penalties attached.
- Join A Union – align with one of three Unions to gain perks like buffs, passive traits, faction missions, dedicated rewards, and access to a Union merchant.
- Player Housing – manage an Estate where you build structures, collect materials, and raise creatures that can be used as mounts.
Bless Unleashed Screenshots
Bless Unleashed Featured Video
Bless Unleashed Review
Bless Unleashed is a 3D fantasy MMORPG developed by Round 8 Studio and originally published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, with the game now operated by VALOFE. It arrived first on consoles before its PC launch, and while the project has steadily received updates aimed at improving stability and rounding out its systems, it has had a hard time sustaining a healthy population. The foundation is easy to see, a gorgeous world, satisfying moment-to-moment action when it clicks, and a traditional MMO structure, but the overall package can still feel uneven compared to the smoother experiences in the genre.
First steps and early onboarding
Making a character is straightforward: you choose a class and then pick from the races allowed for that class, followed by cosmetic tweaks. The options are enough to make a character feel like yours, but the toolset is not especially deep, and the class-race restrictions can be disappointing if you come in with a specific fantasy in mind.
The opening hours teach the basics of movement, combat strings, and early quest flow, yet they do not always do a great job of preparing you for the game’s larger set of systems, including how progression loops connect (gear upgrades, crafting, and repeated activities). If you enjoy learning by experimenting, you will be fine, but players who want a clear MMO roadmap may find the onboarding a bit light.
Visuals, performance, and interface feel
Bless Unleashed’s strongest first impression is presentation. Environments tend to be richly detailed and varied, with strong lighting and creature design that sells the “dangerous wilderness” tone. The world looks especially good when you are moving through open zones and stumbling into events or bosses that pull multiple players together.
That said, performance has historically been inconsistent, and while improvements have helped, it can still stumble with occasional hitching or frame drops depending on area and activity. The UI also reflects its console heritage: menus and navigation are functional, but they can feel bulky on PC, and the overall layout is not especially elegant. Limited customization makes it harder to tailor the interface to your preferences, which matters in a game where you spend a lot of time managing gear, currencies, and crafting materials.
Leveling, gear, and the long-term loop
Progression follows familiar MMO lines: complete quests, clear dungeons, participate in events, and steadily replace or upgrade gear. Crafting is present and can be useful, but it also contributes to a grind that may feel repetitive once the novelty of new regions wears off. If you like chasing incremental upgrades and checking off daily-style activities, there is enough structure to keep you busy for a while, but players who need frequent mechanical shake-ups may find the treadmill sets in early.
Where the game tends to strain is in what happens after the initial exploration phase. The road from “new adventurer” to “endgame-ready” can feel more like a series of required chores than an organic adventure, and that friction is compounded by the game’s monetization concerns and the pressure to keep up with the community.
Combat flow and moment-to-moment play
The combat system is the main reason to try Bless Unleashed. It is more action game than tab-target MMO, asking you to commit to attack animations, string together combos, and react with dodges or defensive tools. When enemies are tuned well, fights become a rhythm of positioning, timing, and knowing which combo route to use.
The downside is that the system does not always feel as crisp as it should. Some encounters can slip into repetition, and the game’s overall polish (including responsiveness and readability in busier moments) can undermine what is otherwise a compelling direction. Group content exists and can be fun, especially when players coordinate, but social and party conveniences do not always support that cooperation as cleanly as in more mature MMOs.
Community health and staying power
A low population changes how an MMO feels, even when the core game is serviceable. Bless Unleashed has struggled to hold onto players over time, which can impact matchmaking, the economy, and the sense that the world is truly alive. Updates have attempted to address pain points, but the game still competes in a crowded space where expectations for endgame depth, UI comfort, and overall smoothness are high.
Final Verdict – Fair
Bless Unleashed is at its best when you are roaming Lumios, taking in the scenery, and engaging in its action combat against dangerous monsters and bosses. The visuals and the idea of combo-driven MMO combat give it a distinct identity, and for a free-to-play title it can be a worthwhile tour if you want a fantasy world to explore.
However, the experience is held back by lingering roughness, a UI that feels awkward on PC, progression that can become monotonous, and broader retention issues that show in its playerbase. If you are looking for a highly polished MMORPG with a deep endgame and strong quality-of-life features, it may not land. If you are curious about an action-leaning MMO and can tolerate some friction, there is still enjoyment to be found in the journey.
Bless Unleashed Links
Bless Unleashed Official Site
Bless Unleashed Steam Page
Bless Unleashed Twitter Page
Bless Unleashed Wiki
Bless Unleashed Subreddit
Bless Unleashed System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD FX-6300
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB / AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB
RAM: 8 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 50 GB available space
DirectX: Version 11
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
RAM: 16 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 50 GB available space
DirectX: Version 11
Bless Unleashed Music & Soundtrack
Bless Unleashed Additional Information
Developer: Round 8 Studios (Neowiz subsidiary)
Publisher: Neowiz
Platforms: PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Xbox One CBT1: April 25 – April 29, 2019
Xbox One CBT2: July 11 – July 15, 2019
Xbox One Open Beta: November 7 – November 20, 2019
Xbox One Official Launch: March 12, 2020
PlayStation 4 CBT1: August 20 – August 24, 2020
PlayStation 4 Official Launch: October 22, 2020
PC CBT1: November 4 – November 9, 2020
PC CBT2: May 12 – May 17, 2021
PC Official Launch: August 6, 2021
Development History / Background:
Bless Unleashed is a free-to-play 3D fantasy MMORPG created by Round 8 Studios, a Neowiz subsidiary, and published by Bandai Namco. It was positioned as a fresh start for the franchise after Bless Online launched in North America and Europe on May 30, 2018, then closed not long after on September 9, 2019.
The project was revealed in 2018 and went through multiple test phases, including two closed betas and an open beta, before debuting first on Xbox One on March 12, 2020. The PlayStation 4 release followed on October 22, 2020, and the PC version arrived on Steam on August 6, 2021.