NC America is taking the term "remaster" seriously with free-to-play Blade and Soul NEO Classic Divine Gems, revamping virtually every aspect of the game while preserving its unique kung fu action-based MMORPG gameplay. Blade and Soul wasn't a half-bad-looking game by 2012 MMORPG standards, but this remaster has propelled the Wuxia-themed Korean MMO's visuals beyond some of today's most popular genre offerings. Beyond the obvious graphics update, Blade and Soul NEO has also built upon its predecessor's gameplay features. There's a reworked new player experience, a drastic enhancement of its traversal, and several all-new systems that add depth to the game's build expression.

Game Rant was given a hands-off preview of Blade and Soul NEO comprising about 20 minutes of footage highlighting the remaster's key additions. It's a remaster, not a full-blown sequel, so fans of the original should have no trouble acclimating. There are no new classes or races, the combat system is largely unchanged, and, aside from some added systems, itemization should be familiar to seasoned kung fu MMO gamers. Meanwhile, the reworked onboarding experience should help new players effortlessly windwalk their way to success.

Naturally, the big ticket item of this remaster is Blade and Soul NEO's substantially upgraded visuals. Side-by-side comparisons in the footage viscerally demonstrated just how much work NC America put into giving the decade-old MMORPG a makeover. Lighting and shading have seen a noticeable facelift, with more accurate shadows adding greater depth to geometry and enhanced lighting emphasizing the game's vibrant color palettes. Overall, it's brighter, more colorful, and holds up strongly to modern graphics standards. The geometry of static objects has seen improvements and a healthy injection of grass and foliage livened up spaces that were once merely green floor textures.

Environments themselves have seen major touch-ups. In one instance, a once-barren shoreline was replaced with a gorgeous vista with smoldering shipwrecks littering the water as a towering cliff face casts a long shadow over the beach. Another eye-catching example was a comparison of one of the game's cities. Where once there were a few buildings with an empty courtyard, there is now a bustling metropolis illuminated by webs of string lights. God rays shine through tree canopies, and distant terrain features are rendered in finer detail. As far as video game remasters go, cheap BnS NEO Divine Gems is a high-effort delivery.