Cabal 2 is a 3D fantasy MMORPG and the sequel to the original Cabal Online. With fast-paced gameplay and a similar combo system, Cabal 2 offers the same action-oriented gameplay that made the original Cabal Online so popular.

Cabal 2 is the sequel to widely-popular MMORPG Cabal Online. Choose from six unique classes, with original ones like the Force Blader and Force Archer, along with a new Priest class. Master the use of your skills and chain them together to unleash devastating combos. Embark on quests through stunning environments developed using the CryEngine 3 platform, while battling monsters, exploring dungeons, and looking for clues to the mysterious disappearance of children all across the continent.

Full Review

Cabal 2 Review

By Marc Marasigan

Cabal 2 is a fantasy-themed 3D MMORPG developed and published by ESTsoft, a South Korean game development company, and is the sequel to the hit MMORPG, Cabal Online, from the same company. Cabal 2 was initially released in Korea in 2012 and has since been ported over for the North American audience. The game is currently in open beta, which went live in North America on July 2, 2015. Since the game only came out a few days before this review, please keep in mind that this is a first look review and some of the features might change in the future.

Cabal 2 deviates from the original game’s techno-punk feel, opting instead for a more traditional, high fantasy theme. The game is set in the mythical fantasy world of Ektensia, where children with unusually strong magical powers have suddenly gone missing. Players take on the role of a mercenary on a quest to find their kidnapped sister, which is somehow related to the mysterious disappearances.

The World of Ektensia

Players journey through a visually stunning and detailed world running on the CryEngine 3 platform. The environments are incredibly detailed and a visual treat, even when you’re just chilling in a crowded city. The graphics shine the most when unleashing flashy combos wherever you fight – in a lush forest, an ant-infested desert, or an instanced lava-filled dungeon. The character models are also well-made and even turn their heads to look at a selected target. This might seem unimportant, but it’s these minute details that show how much effort the developers have put into creating the game. The sound effects and background music are also pretty good, but unlike the original game which featured rock and heavy metal music, Cabal 2 went with the more traditional classical/orchestra music, which fits the game’s theme quite nicely.

So It Begins

Players begin their journey by choosing from one of six character classes. Supposedly, the Korean version of the game featured gender-locked classes, but was changed to satisfy the North American market. After choosing their class and gender, players are then given the opportunity to customize their character’s appearances. Players can either choose from one of the available presets, which range from decent-looking to downright hilarious, or they can choose to mix-and-match with the myriad of options available. Cabal 2’s character customization, while not the best, is actually one of the more in-depth and robust ones I’ve come across in the genre. And for those of you wondering, yes, the game features a boob slider, and a handful of others beside.

The Story Unfolds

Players are treated to a quick cutscene before being thrown into the thick of battle against a horde of enemies. Don’t worry though – players initially have access to high level skills and should be able to make quick work of the opposition. They are then shown another cutscene before being transported to the beginner zone. The whole game is interspersed with cutscenes, so it’s best to get used to them early on.

As far as gameplay goes, Cabal 2 is your typical MMORPG with quests, instanced dungeons, crafting, pets, mounts, and PvP. Players complete quests (or more accurately, errands for the local townsfolk) while moving from one map to the next. As players would expect from a typical MMORPG, quests are the usual kill-and-collect quests. However, the quests come in the form of chain quests, which players have to complete before they receive their rewards, which from my experience, is still pretty generous considering that you have to complete around 4 or 5 tasks before receiving any form of compensation for all that hard work. What I like about Cabal 2’s quest system is that the quests all have something to do with the storyline, unlike other MMORPGs where locals ask you to gather pumpkins, which, no matter how I look at it, has nothing at all to do with saving the world from the ultimate evil. Speaking of storylines, the game also features an interesting and somewhat unique story which deserves a bit of recognition, in my opinion. Looking for a kidnapped sister just seems more personal than the usual lone hero versus all-powerful evil story. The way the story slowly unfolds by way of quests also lends an air of mystery to the game and keeps players invested longer in the game.

The Art of Combat

Combat in Cabal 2 is fast-paced and action-packed with massive combos, cool animations, and flashy effects. However, it does feel a bit slower than the original game because of Cabal 2’s Tab-targeting and the revamped combo system. The reason behind the redesigned combo system is to allow players to work together rather than focus on their personal combos. The WASD keys are used to move around while the F key functions as an action button used to interact with NPCs and objects, as well as to loot items, which makes the whole game feel very fluid. The number keys are used to launch skills registered on the hotbar. During combat, certain skills can be used to trigger additional skills by pressing the same button within the specified time. This, in turn, triggers the next skill, and the next, in a sequence called Consecutive Skills. This allows players to chain virtually unlimited combos without having to use the entire keyboard to do so. Players can also enter Battle Mode once they gain access to Astral Weapons. In Battle Mode, players are able to use more powerful skills for a limited period of time. This is particularly useful when taking on a difficult boss. Monsters in Cabal 2 also take longer to kill compared to most MMORPGs, probably so players can experience the full effect of combos. This is perfectly fine when taking on a single mob, two at most. Aggroing more than two mobs, however, will likely result in your untimely demise.

Entering the Battlefield

PvP is an essential part of any MMORPG since it not only allows players to test their skills against other players, but also gives them something else to do once they reach the end game. In Cabal 2, players can challenge other players to a duel on the fly. Keep in mind, your HP doesn’t refresh after the duel, so make sure to stay away from aggro mobs. The game also features Battlefields, Cabal 2’s version of Battlegrounds. Unfortunately, this feature can only be accessed by players Level 40 and above, so I wasn’t able to try it out. From what I’ve heard and read, however, only one 18 vs 18 map is currently available.

Setting Up Shop

Like most free-to-play games, Cabal 2 follows a microtransaction-model to generate revenue. Aside from Founder’s Packs, the game also features an in-game cash shop where premium items can be purchased in exchange for e-points that can be bought using real world cash. Currently, the cash shop only contains a handful of items including consumables, such as stat resets and appearance change coupons, as well as mounts and pets. No pay-to-win items, as of this writing – let’s just hope it stays that way.

Final Verdict - Great

Even in its early phase, Cabal 2 is shaping up to be an impressive game with awesome visuals and animation, enjoyable audio, a unique storyline, and an action-packed combat system that rarely gets old. However, players will need to have a powerful rig to fully appreciate the game’s graphics. While the game doesn’t really bring anything new to the genre, it’s really not a big point against it since the same can also be said of most MMORPGs that have come out in the past decade. Definitely one of the top games in my list.