JX2 Online Overview
JX2 Online is a 2.5D fantasy MMORPG set in ancient China. Like 9Dragons, players must chose between several sects (also known as clans) which determine which skills they have access to. The game is available to English speaking players thanks to a Malaysian server, though the translations aren’t the best quality. JX2 also known as Glory of Master has an isometric camera view and an interface that should be familiar to action RPG or oldschool MMORPG veterans. New players can chose from four body types (2 male, 2 female) when creating their character, but must wait until level 10 before joining a sect. Each sect has multiple specializations available which mean JX2 Online has a ton of character specialization options.
Sects - Beggar, EMei, ShaoLin, Tang Clan, WuDang, Yang Family, Five Poison, Emerald Mist, Kun Lun, Ming Cult
JX2 Online Screenshots
JX2 Online Featured Video
JX2 Online Review
By, Omer Altay
JX2 Online is 2D fantasy MMORPG set in ancient China. The game is published by the Malaysian MMO publisher Game-Flier, but since there are no IP-Restrictions, anyone anywhere in the world can access JX2 Online. Since the game is hosted in Malaysia, players in North America and Europe may experience high latency while they’re online, but the game is still playable. The game originally released back in late 2006, but based on the game’s graphics, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think the game was developed back in 2001, as the game’s graphics leave a lot to be desired.
After downloading and installing JX2 Online, the game doesn’t start off on a good foot. Players create their character simply by choosing one of four body types (2 male and 2 female) with absolutely no appearance customization. Like Ragnarok Online and Fly For Fun, players do not select their classes right away. Upon reaching level 10 in JX2 Online, players will be given the option of joining one of the game’s 10 “sects” (also called clans) which serve as classes; the 10 sects in the game are Beggar, Emei, ShaoLin, Tang Clan, WuDang, Yang Family, Five Poison, Emerald Mist, Kun Lun and Ming Cult. Each Sect in the game has its own unique set of skills and abilities. Keep in mind, each of the four starting body types have one “sect” restriction each, so pay close attention to which body type you’re choosing when creating your character. The whole sect thing is remarkably familiar to 9Dragons from GamersFirst and Dragon Oath from ChangYou, as both of these games feature the same sects.
Upon actually creating your character, the first few quests in JX2 Online are rather dull. Players must run around town talking to certain NPCs. It sounds easy, but since quest locations aren’t clearly marked on the game’s map, simple quests like “Go talk to the weapon’s dealer” could become extremely frustrating. The starting quests are well worth doing, even though they can be frustrating to complete. Players should be about level 3 or 4 and have some basic equipment by the time they have to leave town to start killing enemies.
One thing I couldn’t stand in JX2 Online was the game’s interface. It is completely unintuitive and difficult to use. Quest locations aren’t marked on the radar or map, it’s impossible to tell exactly what level enemies are, looting feels tedious and the interface itself looks like it’s from the 1990s. It’s tough to enjoy a game when you dislike its interface, as a game’s interface, in my opinion, is vital to its success. It doesn’t have to be superb, but a game with a poor interface is very difficult to get into. Players move around the game world via point and click.
Few few MMORPGs are “challenging”, but JX2 Online is one of the easiest MMORPGs out there. Why you ask? Because the enemies in the game are ridiculously easy. Whether you’re fighting a low level rabbit or a high level zombie, enemies are extremely slow. You can easily walk away from any monster without ever risking death, as the enemies move slower than a snail. The fact that the game is really easy isn’t actually a surprise, as since the game is hosted in South East Asia, the game hasn’t been localized for the West. Eastern games tend to be very grind heavy and extremely easy, while Western gamers demand more challenge. Perfect World Entertainment actually talked about this when explaining the challenges of localizing their games for Western audiences. On the topic of localizations, since the game is hosted in Malaysia, the English translations aren’t perfect – but it’s at least understandable. Upon leveling up players receive 5 stat points, which can be distributed to any of the game’s 5 stats (STR, INT, VIT, AGI, OBS). Leveling up is extremely easy early on but slows down considerably after level 20 or so. The game’s level cap is set around 99.
The visuals in JX2 Online are quite disappointing for a game that was released in late 2006. The graphics are actually quite similar to Conquer Online and EuDemons Online from TQ Digital, as they are 2D and isometric. Comparing JX2 Online and Conquer Online isn’t exactly a fair comparison though, as Conquer Online has an enormous playerbase and a much better interface. In terms of attack animations, JX2 Online also dissapoints – as the game has only ONE attack animation per weapon when using regular attacks. On the positive side, certain skills in the game do look impressive – especially late game skills.
JX2 Online has a decent amount of starting quests, but when they’re all completed, the best way to level up becomes mindlessly grinding. Many of the quests are repeatable, but they’re all extremely grind oriented. On the positive side, JX2 Online has a good amount of variety in its character classes. As I mentioned earlier, players start as classless novices, but upon reaching level 10 can choose from one of 10 Sects in the game which act as classes. How many MMORPGs are there with 10+ playable classes? Not many. Another positive aspect of JX2 Online is that the game has an interesting Diablo 2-esque random item system. Monsters in the game sometimes drop rare unidentified items which once identified have randomized stats. Plus the game also has a basic resourcing gather and crafting system, which adds some variety to the game. Skills can begin being learned after reaching level 10.
PvP in JX2 Online is pretty brutal. Much like Darkfall Online and other PvP heavy games, players can pretty much PK each other anywhere in the game world aside from a few towns and some newbie zones. This means that a level 80+ character can PK a low level character just for fun. This makes training extremely dangerous, as anyone can jump your character at anytime. There are very few penalties for PK’ing random people, but if someone kills too many innocent people, their name becomes “red” and if they die while their name is “red” they have a chance of dropping some equipment.
Interesting Skill System… But Balance Issues…
Skills in JX2 Online are learned by trading in stored experience points. Once players reach a skill’s level, fame and reputation requirements, they can trade in experience to learn that new skill. This is the same experience needed to gain new level. Some of the skills in the game aren’t too balanced either, as the Emei sect has access to some of the most ridiculous AOE skills in the game, which allows them to level faster than the other classes in the game. On the topic of balance, some of the game’s most powerful equipment (Weapons and armor) are only available through the game’s cash shop, which puts non-paying players at a huge disadvantage. This is a big deal in JX2 Online, as the game has an open PvP system.
Final Verdict – Poor
For a game released in late 2006, JX2 Online is a disappointment. The game isn’t all bad though, as it has 10+ playable classes and end game PvP which can feel rewarding and fun. Overall though, skip this one and try another MMORPG.
JX2 Online Links
JX2 Online System Requirements
OS: Windows 98 / 2000 / XP
CPU: Pentium III 500 MHz
RAM: 128 MB Free
HDD: 500 MB Free
Graphics Card: 16mb video memory
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7
CPU: 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD processor or better
RAM: 1 GB or more
HDD: 1.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: 32mb video memory or more