AION has been part of my gaming life for over a decade, so when AION 2 finally launched, I jumped in with the kind of excitement only long-time fans can understand. Unfortunately, the early days were rough. Crashes, endless queues, unstable servers—every login felt like a coin toss. But the moment I actually got to play, it became clear that underneath the chaos, AION 2 has the bones of a truly solid MMO. The world design, atmosphere, and music hit just the right mix of nostalgia and modern flair. And that’s exactly why the frustrations sting so much. There’s a genuinely good game here, buried under systems that keep holding it back.
A New Beginning with Familiar Roots
Stepping into the world of Atraa feels like returning to something familiar yet undeniably improved. The leveling experience itself isn’t groundbreaking—talk to NPCs, kill mobs, collect items—but the cinematic storytelling is surprisingly polished. The voice acting works well, and the Unreal Engine 5 visuals really sell the atmosphere. From environmental audio cues to sweeping background music that echoes the original AION themes, it all feels crafted with care.
One thing that immediately stood out to me was how much there is to do. Unlocking mounts and pets by killing mobs, diving into hidden cubes, gathering resources for crafting, and exploring hidden dungeons all add layers of discovery. And yes, rifting is back, giving players a way to invade enemy territory—though the time limits and level restrictions may feel a little tight for the old-school crowd.
As someone who spends a lot of time tinkering with crafting systems, I also noticed how important professions are in AION 2. Crafted gear is still a major progression path, and consumables actually have a thriving player-driven market. For anyone looking to save up Aion 2 Kinah, crafting and selling potions or materials early on can actually be surprisingly profitable, especially during the unstable launch period when the in-game economy is still settling.
Combat That Feels Fast, Fluid, and Surprisingly Deep
One thing nearly everyone agrees on: the combat is a highlight. It feels responsive, stylish, and closer to Blade & Soul than classic AION. You’re working with a skill bar of about a dozen abilities, but chained skills, conditional triggers, and multiple specialization paths add a level of depth that keeps combat fresh even long after the tutorial.
Animation canceling—wave canceling, if you played the original—returns in a slightly different form. Auto attacks now generate mana and stamina, giving combat a rhythm that rewards careful timing rather than pure button-smashing. It’s one of the few areas where the mobile influence doesn’t get in the way.
Gear progression, meanwhile, takes familiar AION systems and smooths out some of the frustrations. Enchanting up to +10 is guaranteed, and even later levels come with pity mechanics that slowly increase your odds. Mana stone engraving always succeeds too, though the stats you roll can be… well, brutal. Expect plenty of rerolling.
Where the Frustrations Begin
The community backlash isn’t just noise—AION 2’s biggest flaws are hard to ignore. The UI feels heavily inspired by mobile design, complete with multi-tap menus and limited drag-and-drop functionality. It’s not unplayable, but it definitely breaks the flow on PC, especially during fast-paced content. Thankfully, the developers have already confirmed a PC-specific UI is coming.
But the real firestorm, of course, is the monetization.
AION 2 is branded as free-to-play, yet the systems in place feel much closer to a subscription model—actually, multiple subscription models. Two subs, two battle passes, a premium currency exchange, marketplace restrictions, and time-gated content all pile up into something that just feels messy. Players expected either a buy-to-play or a traditional sub model with cosmetic microtransactions, so the current setup feels like a step in the wrong direction.
The biggest sticking point is how uneven the benefits are. Paid players gain access to more dungeon runs, more Abyss time, the marketplace, and significantly faster progression. Free players can catch up through play, but the gap is impossible to ignore.
Many players—including myself—ended up checking external resources like U4GM for comparisons on how currency flows in other MMOs, because the in-game economy feels like it leans heavily toward premium advantages. And if someone wants to buy Aion 2 Kinah through the exchange system, the rates currently favor premium currency rather than in-game earning. It’s not game-breaking, but the imbalance definitely adds tension to an otherwise fun progression loop.
The Developers Are Responding—Fast
To their credit, the dev team hasn’t been silent. Recent Korean livestreams confirmed major updates already in development: a unified auction house, server transfers, performance improvements, a proper PC UI, PvP adjustments, balance changes, and more quality-of-life improvements.
It’s clear they want AION 2 to succeed in the long run. The question is whether these updates will land before the global release, because western players have a much lower tolerance for mobile-forward monetization and time-gating. We’ve seen what happened with Throne & Liberty and Blade & Soul—the west won’t stick around for a system that feels unfair.
AION 2 isn’t a bad game. In fact, at its core, it’s a very good MMO with a lot of potential. The world design, combat, and progression foundation are genuinely enjoyable, and there are moments when the game feels like it could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best modern MMOs. The problems—monetization, UI limitations, and time-gated systems—aren’t unsolvable. If the developers can address them before global launch, the game could absolutely find success in the west.
For now, AION 2 sits in this strange space: incredibly promising, deeply frustrating, and just one set of smart design changes away from being something special.
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