''MapleStory 2'' () is a

free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...

massively multiplayer online role-playing game A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...

, developed by NSquare in association with

Nexon Nexon Co., Ltd. is a global video game publisher, listed in Japan, that specializes in online Virtual World games for PCs, consoles and mobile. Nexon is one of the world’s ten largest interactive game companies based on market capitalization a ...

and NCSoft. ''MapleStory 2'' was released on 7 July 2015 in Korea. The game takes many of the features of the original game, ''

MapleStory ''MapleStory'' () is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game, developed by South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, published by vario ...

'', and applies them to a 3D

voxel In 3D computer graphics, a voxel represents a value on a regular grid in three-dimensional space. As with pixels in a 2D bitmap, voxels themselves do not typically have their position (i.e. coordinates) explicitly encoded with their values. Ins ...

-based environment. Most enemies,

NPCs A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...

, and locations made a return in this sequel, although with several changes.

Gameplay

Unlike its predecessor, MapleStory 2 features third-person movement, and a "blocky look, similar to

Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before being ...

" according to Polygon's Jullia Lee. The game contains features commonly seen in MMORPGs, such as a leveling system and customizable weapons and armour, but also a " Battle Royale" mode, PVP arena and interior decoration minigame. There were also a number of premium in-game currencies, called the Blue Meret and Meso Token respectively, which allowed players to buy unique equipment for their characters in the global servers. The premium currency in the Korean version of the game is simply called the Meret ().

Release

On April 14, 2018, the global version of ''MapleStory 2'' was announced for release with the first days of

closed beta A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...

scheduled from May 9 to 16, 2018. On June 8, 2018, Nexon announced the launching of a second closed beta to launch on the July 18. On August 21, 2018, Nexon announced the global release of ''MapleStory 2''. The game was released globally on October 10, 2018 as a premier event. On March 18, 2020, the game's management teams announced that its Japanese and global services would be closed permanently as of May 27, 2020. An official archive page was set up by Nexon, with illustrations and concept art available for download for free. On 31 August 2022, Tencent announced that Maplestory 2 would close its servers in China on 2 November 2022. The game still continues its service in Korea.

References

External links

* {{MapleStory 2015 video games Gamebryo games MapleStory Massively multiplayer online role-playing games Nexon games Video games developed in South Korea Windows games Windows-only games Products and services discontinued in 2020 Products and services discontinued in 2022