To be honest, posting this in the music section is a bit off-topic. If the moderators find it unpleasant, they can move it. Mainly, I just want to find a place with more active people to chat.
As someone who has been playing mobile games since the Symbian era, I have basically seen legendary mobile games from start to finish. From the earliest browser game ports, to the later ubiquitous paid advertising, and now the 'Primordial Soul + Clone' combo, I pretty much know all the tricks. 'Master of Eight Desolations' is made by Hangzhou Kuaiyuele. I downloaded it and played for a week, and here are my honest feelings.
Let's talk about getting started first.
Three classes: Warrior, Mage, and Taoist. Experienced players can choose them with their eyes closed. I chose Warrior mainly because I was too lazy to research. The first twenty minutes were basically automatic pathfinding and auto-attacking monsters; you could just leave your phone on the table and go make a cup of tea. This is quite friendly for people who work, but it also shows that the game doesn't intend to give you much gameplay fun in the early stages. It only starts to get interesting after unlocking the Primordial Spirit.
The Yuan Shen system is its core selling point, and it's also the part that I think is relatively well done compared to similar products.
You can summon a Yuan Shen to fight alongside you. Increasing the Yuan Shen's realm provides percentage-based attribute bonuses and can also inherit the protagonist's attack power. Simply put, it's like using resources to raise a second version of yourself. In the early stages, when the realm is low, you won't really notice it, but once the main attributes are stacked up, the percentage boost starts to snowball. Here's a little trick: don't rush to put all your resources into the protagonist. If the Yuan Shen's realm keeps up with the protagonist's level, the cost-effectiveness is actually higher, especially when fighting bosses, as it's equivalent to getting an extra DPS for free.
The Legacy Medal and the Soul of the Divine Dragon are two other development paths. The former increases basic attributes, while the latter can unlock the Demon Warrior and Spirit Spear clones at a certain stage. Honestly, these clones are meant for you to use while idle; fighting with three units together makes clearing monsters noticeably more efficient.
Having talked about the advantages, let's talk about the disadvantages, without exaggerating or downplaying.
First, roll servers. This game basically has a new server every three days. When old servers lose members, they become ghost servers, guild wars don't take off, and half the fun of the game is lost. If you want to play long-term, be sure to choose servers with new launch times and lots of active users—don't be greedy for the leaderboard rewards from old servers.
Second, the numbers inflate too quickly. Giving away massive amounts of ingots and VIP status at the start sounds great, but after playing for two days you'll realize that what they give you is barely a drop in the bucket later on. Phrases like 'recharge to enjoy tenfold' are well understood by veteran players; the tenfold refers to the basic tier, and the real differences lie in those unsaid higher tiers.
Third, the idle experience is fragmented. Auto-battle works very smoothly, but boss fights require manual positioning to dodge skills, and switching back and forth is a bit tiring.
What about comparing with peers?
Compared to those purely reskinned legendary mobile games, its Soul and Clone systems do add an extra layer of strategy, at least it's not just about stacking combat power. But compared to products that really put effort into long-term operation, its server rolling pace and payment inducements are still the old approach. You can play for free, and play quite comfortably, but if you want to have some presence on the server, you can't do it without paying.
In summary, if you're looking for a nostalgic game where you can AFK, chat with your friends, and occasionally fight bosses, you can give it a try, but don't have too high expectations. If you're attracted by promotions like 'free VIP' or 'tenfold top-up,' I advise you to calm down first.
I've been playing this type of game for over ten years. To be honest, what they sell is never the gameplay, it's the feeling of 'going at it together with the bros.' As for whether it's worth it, it depends on whether you feel like you need that.
If you have any questions, let's chat in the comments. I'll reply when I see them. 🎮