Juliaan (whose writings will be in italics) and I were lucky enough to access the Riders of Icarus PTS and be able to test the Rift of the Damned update. The latter raises the level cap to 40 and brings a new area, Tritael's Rift and a dungeon, La Brêche. There are, of course, new enemies and pets.
The first step is of course to create your character. I choose a priest as usual and here I am directly propelled to level 40.
In game, it's the party with gifts in the inventory! Nice gear awaits me, as well as two mounts (not easy to take a screenshot!) And a great bunny outfit. Enough to be able to explore this new area quietly.
For my part, I had the right to a beautiful tuxedo outfit and great killer death gear! Getting back to my rotten gear in the normal game is going to be tricky!
Small downside: impossible to have the correct resolution for my screen at the beginning. Subsequently by relaunching the game a third time the next day, it started in an exotic resolution. I can then choose the right one!
As we can see, the sky over the Tritael Rift is quite amazing. Shades of blue and purple, strange phenomena, scattered islets.
Very dreamlike atmosphere with this new area, personally, I find it rather well done, but quite dark. Even though there are quite a few small "islands", sometimes I have a feeling of emptiness. Maybe the area is a bit big compared to the number of enemies on it.
But it's time to go on an adventure, rather than having your nose turned to the sky.
I'm speaking to Poe, the captain of the late HST Gorkahn. His ship was carrying supplies for the Pegasus Knights when it was struck by the vortex. The captain went overboard, which explains the presence here. He's going to instruct us to go talk to his second, Kha, to find out what happened to the ship.
As for the classic quests, we have to eliminate Draku, find lost items, kill other nasty dragons. In order to help us locate them, the text of the quests indicates the altitude of the targets. I did not find this information at times very convincing. For one of the quests, I go to the place and altitude indicated to find nothing in the end! No problem, I search and find the target quite quickly. On the other hand for some, the indication is much more correct!
It is also the occasion for me to make my first fights on the back of a mount, in the air too! And yes, I have not yet had the opportunity to test this feature with my usual characters! It's not revolutionary, but cool. On the other hand I find that we lack a little visibility, the camera should be locked on our target in order to better appreciate the scene. Finally, the imposing mount hides the view a little, I don't necessarily see my character being attacked by a Draku, a small dragon. I see that the surrounding dragons can be tamed but I am unable to jump on them as usual. Perhaps it is necessary to go about it differently? (Note: after sharing my dismay with Juliaan, you will notice that I was just lacking in practice. You have to nab a helping hand to find these creatures in flight.)
Afterwards, an NPC will teach me that the luminous balls, called Ellora's Energy, can be absorbed by my mount and me. They allow you to move faster. It is not a luxury given the size of the area.
Lore enthusiasts will learn about the history of the Tritael Rift through a quest. A monument explains what this region has suffered.
Between two quests I also think about equipping all my skills (it was about time ...). There are a lot of them, especially when I'm on my mount. They can be divided into two categories: those at a distance and those in close combat. I also meet the knights-pegasus, determined to want to join their rank! But for that, it will be necessary to prove oneself ...
As a fan of mythology, and more particularly Greek, I must say I am like a fool to be able to ride this mythical winged horse!
The quests are quite numerous, and of course most are classics of the genre (kill X enemies, go and collect items, etc.), but the main quest is rather pleasant and awfully long for a simple update. By only doing the main quest, I'm already several hours into the game (with ultimate equipment, so very easy).
And still a lot of pets to tame in this area. No less than 34! Including a lot of awesome dragons.
We can therefore imagine that this new area, at the appropriate level, will occupy us for a while! Between the many quests and the story as well as a multitude of pets to tame, there is plenty to do! The Rift is vast, finding all these critters is going to be a real hunt.
This update will also be an opportunity to rub shoulders with a hell of a beast, Jumawu. A monster that will require no less than 10 people to overcome it!
Dungeon: The Breach
The Breach is therefore the new dungeon of this update, a place where evil enemies have been locked up, which will have to be defeated in order to continue the purification of the rift. We find ourselves in a world that is also quite dreamlike, ultimately a little brighter than the fault itself. Here are some pictures of the setting and the enemies encountered.
Strangely enough, we can also find in the area four small islands, each marked with a symbol representing one of the primordial elements. Each island is guarded by a level 42 boss, rather strong (impossible to beat him with my overcheated equipment!). No idea at the moment of their usefulness, maybe they are necessary for a brand.
The main quest finally takes us to a second area, the Black Desert, an arid and ... desert region! But it will obviously be for the next update!
