Trickster Online Preview
Thursday, March 19, 2009 – by Steve Mahone, Staff Writer

Fairly significant in both Grand Chase and Trickster Online is the mini game “Gacha,” which can result in some of the rarest items in either game. It is a gambling system where you pay (in real world currency) for Gacha coins, enter a separate mini-game in a separate pop-up window from the original, and guess either where to dig a hole or which pot to push over. Each item you obtain from the hole or the pot corresponds to an item on a bingo card located on your screen. Once you fill up the bingo card, you are given a very special item.
 

While GC can be seen as a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am Contra-esc 2D side-scroller MMO, Trickster is a much more in-depth, complicated, community focused Diablo looking MMO complete with a level cap of 400. Not only are there genders, the males and their female counterparts play differently in the same class, creating 8 classes from which you may choose. For example, the fighter for the males (Buffalo) is better at taking on multiple foes, while the female (Bunny) deals large amounts of damage to a single opponent. This adds depth and diversity to this free-to-play game.

Trickster has upgradable weapons and armor. Big deal, so does every other MMO, but what a lot of other games don’t have is a fusion system. Let’s say you like the look of a weapon but have another with far better stats? Not a problem in Trickster, it’s as easy as getting your hands on an “Artisan’s Flame” and taking to a merchant. This process takes the stats of your high level pwning stick and transfers them to your low level pimp cane with the gold handle. It’s like doing the damage of a broad sword while holding a butter knife. The same can be done with armor.

This game is all about customization. Your character has different job classes which you may pursue throughout your adventure, each changing your appearance and skill set. If you don’t like the way your 3rd job looks but love the skills, simply talk to another merchant aptly named “Louis Bitton.” he will transform you back to your original appearance, but you will retain your upgraded class.

One of the most original aspects of Trickster is the “Drilling” mini-game. Throughout the world of Trickster are different locals where your character may equip a drill and dig in the ground searching for items and playing cards. Some of these items are rare, while others are simply helpful (like potions). You are not guaranteed an item every time, but when you are successful; you also acquire experience for your character. Theoretically, you can level up to 400 without even engaging one enemy.

Trickster has a much more grandiose feel than Grand Chase. It’s almost like comparing checkers to chess in the sense that you can understand Grand Chase in a matter of minutes, while it takes quite a bit longer to become heavily involved in your Trickster experience. Both games are creative and a throwback to simpler, more fluorescently colored times, but still manage to give the player enough options to keep them involved for long periods of time. Trust me, when you begin either adventure, you’ll want to play for longer than you would a game of checkers.