(24 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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In Korea, Sword of the New World (aka Granado Espada) not only won the award for Best Graphics, but also captured the 2006 Presidential Award for Game of the Year. Features an enhanced storyline, a robust character creation process, AI optimization, intuitive control system, and a plethora of quests. Sword of the New World is set on a mysterious continent with a story inspired by Europe’s exploration and conquest of America.

Company: IMC Games
Year Launched: 2007
Premium Account, Advertising, or Item Mall: Item Mall
Free Account Restrictions: None
High End or Low End Computer Needed: Mid Range
Official Site: Sword of the New World
Game Forum: Sword of the New World Forums

Pros:
1. Great graphics.
2. Can control three characters at once.
3. Different setting than most other MMORPGs.
4. All characters in an account are in the same family.

Cons:
1. Can be confused with Granado Espada.
2. Grind heavy.
3. Lackluster quests.

Sword of the New World Review

Game play: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Community: 9/10
Audio: 8/10
Overall:  87.5%

Following the success of Ragnarok Online, Sword of the New World (SOTNW) or Granado Espada (GE) began making waves in the free MMORPG industry, breaking the common features of other games. With the ability of building your own family and controlling 3 characters at the same time, SOTNW and GE is still awing gamers all over the world.

Graphics
Featuring a rich, baroque European era of backgrounds and life-like graphics, Granado Espada stands out in the crowd. From beautiful female elementalists to handsome male musketeers, you’d be drooling over these characters. Each face, movement and pose seems to mix with the era – even the costumes and dresses have really great details that you’d think it requires a big amount of graphics memory when running. However, you could always switch to lower graphics quality, but the background and the characters’ faces would look half-good.

Characters and Recruitable NPCs
You can choose from different classes at first, namely:
•    Fighter – basic tanker and attacker; wields great swords and can use shields.
•    Musketeer – wields fast pistols or powerful rifles.
•    Elementalist – weak HP, but high elemental damage depending on bracelets.
•    Scout – can detect and make hidden traps; heals and buffs allies

As you complete quests, you can acquire extra characters when you do certain quests. From a powerful female pirate named Adelina, a hunky fighter named Gavin, a crossbow-user named Calyce, you’d be able to use almost anybody you meet in the world of Granado Espada or Sword of the New World.

After quests, you receive character cards. By having these cards, you can create their respective characters in your barracks.

Family System and Barracks
In this game, you get to set your ‘family name’, and each character is given his or her respective name. In the world, you are known as your family name, but your characters each have their individual names. Everybody is in your barracks, and you can always pick three out of your whole family to play with. You can also choose to bring one, two or three characters when you enter the world.
Multi-Character Control

The ability to control 3 characters at the same time is a definite plus. Unlike other free MMORPGs wherein you can create as many characters as you want, but only get to use one at a time, GE/SOTNW actually lets you mix and match three at the same time. So that means you can have a healer, an long-range attacker and a tanker all in one.
Opinion

As a GE gamer for almost two years, I can say that this is one of the most promising games I have ever played. The thing I like about it is that you can always grind even when you are AFK. Since you have a team of three, you can just press spacebar (automatic attack) and your attackers would attack, while your scouts would automatically heal allies.

The cash shop also offers many items which can be bought optionally, and can make you stronger. GE’s community is also very helpful, especially if you consider entering a faction. You get to meet new friends & real friends who would help you level up. Raids are also quite easy when you are in a faction.

The thing that is pulling down this game is that the strong players are those who are rich since they can afford to buy more premium items. Moreover, if you want to get pass level 100 to Veteran, Veteran to Expert, or Expert to Master, you’d have to buy Promotion Scrolls – and these things require premium points, which explains why those who have money are the stronger ones. However, Granado Espada still remains to be a top player in the free MMORPG industry. With many unique features, you’d definitely have a hard time leaving this game behind.