Wherein I catalog and share the games that are catching my attention and piquing my interest in year 15 of the second millenium

Rarely does a game catch my attention based on visual splendor alone, anymore. Even rarer when that game looks to be yet another Diablo-like/asian MMO. But holy shit they are turning the dial up to 11 with this one. Makes other attempts at following the legacy of Diablo 2 look milquetoast.  Thing is, I usually like the idea of playing these games, but find them wanting in actual practice; combat is too simplistic and lacks much in the way of requiring twitch skills or tactical thinking. They throw so many trash mobs at you that the goal of the game becomes:get to the next waypoint before the power goes out/have to pee/fall asleep in your chair.

What's the difference with Lost Ark?  FIrst, it looks so damn good; this sub-genre often lacks for visual stimuli. Diablo 3 and Path of Exile have their moments, but at no point do I say to myself "Man, I want to see what the next area looks like!"  Just from this trailer, I can't wait to see more and am thinking about upgrading my PC.  Then there are the powers. D3 acquits itself well in this department, providing a lot of visual flair, satisfying effects of light and particles, weight, and impact. PoE, not so much; I find about 80% or more of the powers to be very underwhelming. Torchlight 2 is a mixed bag depending on class (I find the Engineer and Berserker to have the most satisfyig suite of powers). Lost Ark looks to blow them all away in every category.   Moves look and sound powerful, over the top, and cool.  Plus mounts, including a large mech.

I have to give credit to an article at Rock, Paper, Shotgun for introducing me to this. The game came out of nowhere for me, and I was surprised and impressed by what i saw in that trailer.