1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (73 votes, average: 3.42 / 5)
Loading...

Lineage 2

Lineage 2 is a 3D fantasy MMORPG with a wide variety of classes and races. Set 150 years prior to the events in the original Lineage, the prequel offers the same PvP centric MMORPG experience, but in the third dimension. Lineage 2 has received numerous content updates since its release over a decade ago.

Publisher: NCSoft
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
PvP: Open / Guild Wars / Castle Siege
Release Date: April 27, 2004 (NA)
Pros: +Huge variety of classes. +Sub and multi-classing features. +Actively developed for 16+ years. +Various servers with unique rulesets.
Cons: -Poor appearance customization choices. -Repetitive, grind-based gameplay. -Dated UI.

x

Overview

Lineage 2 Overview

Set 150 years before the first game, Lineage II is one of the most popular MMORPGs hailing from South Korea. The world of Lineage II spans two continents that are plagued with war and a constant struggle for power between three kingdoms. Lineage II was released in 2003 as a MMORPG with a strong emphasis on PvP, but has since changed in many ways. It went through numerous iterations and content patches, but it was in 2011 that Lineage II has seen its biggest change: it became free-to-play. With a system called ‘Truly Free,’ players gain access to all areas and content of the game from the get-go. Lineage II has siege warfare, raid bosses, clans, arenas, multi class systems, and a ton of extra features that have managed to keep this game relevant for over a decade.

Lineage II has 36 classes, and depending on which race you choose, you gain access to certain class trees. Players start with a basic class, which can be upgraded at different level intervals (Level 20 first class, Level 40 second class, Level 76 third class, and Level 85 Awakening class). Once a player reaches Level 85, they can add a subclass, which starts at Level 40. Once the subclass has reached Level 75, the player can choose another one, and level that as well. There are also dual classes which can be added after completing a quest at Level 80.

Lineage 2 Key Features:

  • Insane Variety of Classes – choose from over thirty different classes which can be upgraded multiple times. You can even have a sub class or a dual class upon reaching the end-game.
  • Tried and True – with over ten years of development and updates under its belt, Lineage II is still well-played and relevant.
  • Tons of Content – with new patches being added and the development team constantly working to improve the game, Lineage II won't leave you bored.
  • Throw a Glove with open world PvP, players can choose to duel or PK with ease. Various PvP and PvE options are available, with the best stages available in the endgame.
  • Unique Skill Tree System – instead of gaining skill points with each level, players gain SP (independently of XP) which can be invested in the skill tree for new abilities and such.

Lineage 2 Screenshots

Lineage 2 Featured Video

Lineage 2 - Goddess of Destruction Tauti Trailer

Classes

Lineage 2 Classes

Some classes are locked to the race that players choose. The races are Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Orc, Dwarf, Kamael, and Ertheia.

Human – Humans are the masters of versatility in Lineage II and as such they have the most balanced stats and the biggest pool of classes to choose from.

  • Base: Human Fighter, Human Mystic
  • 1st Class: Human Knight, Warrior, Rogue, Human Wizard, Cleric
  • 2nd Class: Paladin, Dark Avenger, Warlord, Gladiator, Treasure Hunter, Hawkeye, Sorcerer, Necromancer, Warlock, Bishop, Prophet
  • 3rd Class: Phoenix Knight, Hell Knight, Dreadnought, Duelist, Adventurer, Sagittarius, Archmage, Soultaker, Arcana Lord, Cardinal, Hierophant
  • Awakening: Siegel Knight, Tyrr Warrior, Othell Rogue, Yul Archer, Feoh Wizard, Wynn Summoner, Aeore Healer, Iss Enchanter

Elf – Elves are water born beings that worship Eva, the second Goddess of Water. They are agile and magically-infused, making them great at archery, buffing, and singing.

  • Base: Elven Fighter, Elven Mystic
  • 1st Class: Elven Knight, Elven Scout, Elven Wizard, Elven Oracle
  • 2nd Class: Temple Knight, Sword Singer, Plains Walker, Silver Ranger, Spell Singer, Elemental Summoner, Elven Elder
  • 3rd Class: Eva’s Templar, Sword Muse, Wind Rider, Moonlight Sentinel, Mystic Muse, Elemental Master, Eva’s Saint
  • Awakening: Siegel Knight, Iss Enchanter, Othell Rogue, Yul Archer, Feoh Wizard, Wynn Summoner, Aeore Healer

Dark Elf – the Dark Elves are a forced to be reckoned with, as they were banished by their Elven brethren for practicing the black magic.

  • Base: Dark Fighter, Dark Mystic
  • 1st Class: Palus Knight, Assassin, Dark Wizard, Shillien Oracle
  • 2nd Class: Shillien Knight, Bladedancer, Abyss Walker, Phantom Ranger, Spellhowler, Phantom Summoner, Shillien Elder
  • 3rd Class: Shillien Templar, Spectral Dancer, Ghost Hunter, Ghost Sentinel, Storm Screamer, Spectral Master, Shillien Saint
  • Awakening: Sigel Knight, Iss Enchanter, Othell Rogue, Yul Archer, Feoh Wizard, Wynn Summoner, Aeore Healer

Orc – being the race of fire, Orcs are the strongest and sturdiest of all the races in Lineage II, but this strength comes at the cost of speed.

  • Base: Orc Fighter, Orc Mystic
  • 1st Class: Orc Raider, Monk, Orc Shaman
  • 2nd Class: Destroyer, Tyrant, Overlord, Warcryer
  • 3rd Class: Titan, Grand Khavatari, Dominator, War Cryer
  • Awakening: Tyrr Warrior, Iss Enchanter

Dwarf – Dwarves are the race of earth, which makes them excel at gathering resources, crafting, and physical combat where they can take on several enemies at the same time.

  • Base: Dwarven Fighter
  • 1st Class: Scavenger, Artisan
  • 2nd Class: Bounty Hunter, Warsmith
  • 3rd Class: Fortune Seeker, Maestro
  • Awakening: Othell Rogue, Tyrr Warrior

Kamael – the Kamael were created by Giants purely for combat. They are the only race which can start as a Fighter and become a Wizard later on.

  • Base: Kamael Soldier
  • 1st Class: Trooper, Warder
  • 2nd Class: Berserker, Soul Breaker, Arbalester
  • 3rd Class: Doombringer, Soul Hound, Trickster
  • Awakening Classes: Tyrr Warrior, Feoh Wizard, Yul Archer

Ertheia – Ertheia were brought to life by Einhasad’s hands and Sayha’s breath. They have a natural curiosity and talent for wielding Mana, and they are a unique race when it comes to classes and leveling intervals.

  • Base (Level 1-37): Ertheia Fighter, Ertheia Wizard
  • 1st Class (Level 38-75): Marauder, Cloud Breaker
  • 2nd Class (Level 76-84): Ripper, Stratomancer
  • Awakening: Eviscerator, Sayha’s Seer

Full Review

Lineage 2 Review

By Toan Layne

Lineage II is a 3D fantasy MMORPG developed and published by NCSoft. Lineage II launched on October 1, 2003 in South Korea, and arrived in North America on March 28, 2004. The game launched as a subscription-based title and remained so for 8 years before finally adopting the free-to-play model on November 30, 2011. It is one of the most well-known Korean MMORPGs, with over 14 million users having experienced the game. Since the game dropped its subscription-based model, the playerbase has also increased quite a bit. Lineage II is an old game, but having been around for over eleven years, the game has definitely survived the test of time.

Diving In

The first thing that strikes you about the game are the beautiful graphics. Even though it’s been 11 years since its launch, Lineage II still manages to look beautiful at max settings. There are 7 races to choose from and a couple of starting classes for each one. The character customization is not the most in-depth out there. You have around 3-4 options when it comes to faces, hair, and hair colors, and that’s about it. While this leaves a lot to be desired, the character models still manage to look good.

Lineage II has a high-fantasy setting that feels like anime mixed with European mythology. The world of Lineage II features two continents with three warring kingdoms on them. One small aspect where Lineage II deviates from other games is its skill system. Instead of choosing skills after you level up, players gain “SP” every time they kill an enemy. SP is gained independently from XP and can be used to learn and improve skills. While the game has been known for being a grindfest in the past, experience rate has been increased significantly since launch. We’ve seen several titles revamping the leveling experience, such as Maple Story, Dark Age of Camelot, and World of Warcraft among others. Lineage II’s revamped leveling hit the servers with a system called the Path to Awakening. Path to Awakening also added the “awakening” system which allows Level 85 players to “awaken” by completing a quest. Awakening allows players to ascend to a new class and have access to more powerful skills. Honestly, this patch been a godsend, as it turned the game from a grindy mess into a streamlined MMORPG. Besides the improved experience gain, new updates have made the interface more user-friendly, added an auction house, and much more. Ultimately, there's A LOT more to do in Lineage II now than ever before.

So. Many. Classes.

Lineage II has 36 classes in total, which work on a ‘career path’ system. This means that upon reaching Levels 20, 40, 76, and 85, players will be choosing their next class. For example, a Human Fighter can become a Rogue at Level 20, a Treasure Hunter at Level 40, an Adventurer at Level 76, and an Othell Rogue at Level 85. For the most part, the leveling path is straight-forward, but there are splits here and there, where players can decide between two different classes. If that isn’t enough, players can also add subclasses to their characters once they reach Level 85. Subclassing allows players to essentially have multiple classes on a single character without rolling alts. However, players are limited to three subclasses per character and switching between classes removes all buffs on yourself, so you can't stack buffs with one class then switch back to your main. These sub-classes also all start at Level 40 with all skills developed, which means players can skip a significant chunk of the early content. Keep in mind subclasses have a max level of 80 so they'll never be as powerful as your main class, but still do a great job of adding variety to the game. A single one of your sub-classes can later become your “dual class,” which increases the level cap from 80 to 99.

PvP and PvE

Lineage II is an MMORPG with a strong emphasis on PvP. The rules of the game state that players can attack each other pretty much everywhere. While this makes Lineage II sound like a wild west simulator, there are consequences for players who go berserk. The player who initiates PvP becomes tagged, his name turning purple. A tagged player can be attacked and killed without penalty. However, when a player kills a player that has a white name, the attacker ends up PKing (player killing) and they become Chaotic. Chaotic players have red names, and they are attacked by town guards, they can’t use shops, and they receive a powerful debuff upon death. Chaotic characters who kill enough players have a high chance of dropping items upon dying as well.

Outside of world PvP, there are castle sieges, clan wars, and arenas. These PvP events add a whole different level of scale to the game and they are pretty much the main reason to play the endgame. Castle sieges, for example, allow the winning clan to set taxes on the shopkeepers in the town. Furthermore, each class can have a Hero player, which is a status gained by winning the most points in the Grand Olympiad (a PvP competition). The Hero player receives a special class weapon, a special Hero ability, and the ability to speak globally to the entire server. However, Lineage II is not all dog-eat-dog there’s also some dog-eat-environment in the mix. There is a fair amount of endgame PvE content, both instanced and open world, in which players can engage in order to get items and complete certain quest chains. With 11+ years of content updates under its belt, there’s simply a lot to do in Lineage II.

Cash Shop

Lineage II is the type of subscription-based MMO turned free-to-play that gives players full access to all of its features and content, with the cash shop adding cosmetic items, consumables, and boosts. The cash shop can be found both in-game and on the game’s website. At a first glance, there seem to be no items in the shop that would give paying customers an unfair advantage, but there can be significant benefits to purchasing runes that can increase mat drop rate, XP gain, and bonus hero coins. Although convenient, these don't make the game unbalanced.

Final Verdict – Great

Lineage II is a good game. The one main drawback is the clunky point-and-click control scheme. A WASD scheme would make the game much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, that is the one area that shows the game’s age. Other than that, Lineage II has had great patches that have revamped the outdated leveling system and added new classes and content. The game is still definitely worth a try, both for veterans and newcomers alike.

Screenshots

Lineage 2 Screenshots

Videos

Lineage 2 Videos

System Requirements

Lineage 2 System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz / AMD Sempron 3600+
Video Nvidia GeForce 6600 / ATI Radeon X 1050
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 20 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 / AMD Athlon 4050e Dual Core
Video Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS / ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
RAM: 2 GB or more
Hard Disk Space: 20 GB

Music

Lineage 2 Music & Soundtrack


Additional Info

Lineage 2 Additional Information

Developer: NCSoft
Production Team Head: Hyeong-Jin Kim
Lead Game Designer: Raoul Kim
Game Design Team Head: Cheol-Woong Hwang
Composers: Bill Brown, Jamie Christopherson

Engine: Unreal Engine 2.5

Free to Play Date: November 30, 2011
Steam Release Date: November 12, 2015

Foreign Publishers:

Korea: NCSoft (October 1, 2003)
China: Tencent Holdings
Europe/Russia: Innova Co

Expansions:

Saga 1: The Chaotic Chronicles
Saga 2: The Chaotic Throne
Saga 3: Goddess of Destruction
Saga 4: Epic Tale of Aden

Development History / Background:

The initial concept for Lineage II was conceived in early 2000 and development officially began in October of the same year. Three years later, on October 1, 2003 Lineage II was released in its home country of Korea. On April 27, 2004, it was released in North America. Lineage II was originally a subscription-based game in all territories, but adopted a free-to-play model on November 30, 2011 with the Goddess of Destruction content update.

Lineage II is set 150 years in the past from the events of the original Linage. The decision to make a prequel rather than sequel was made to avoid potential conflicts in lore as Lineage was still actively being updated. While never reaching the same success as the original Linage, the prequel has still proven to be both popular and durable. The game logged over a million unique users for the month of March 2007 and has been played by over 14 million users worldwide since launch. Lineage II released on the Steam platform on November 12, 2015.