DokeV is an eye-catching Pokémon-style game from the Black Desert Online developer

UPDATE 26/8/21: DokeV has shifted genres during development and is no longer an MMO, Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss has now said.

While still currently referred to in press materials and on the game's official site as an MMO, this no longer the case, Pearl Abyss announced this morning via Twitter.

"DokeV was initially introduced as an MMO, but we decided to move the game in a different direction and it's now a creature-collecting open world action-adventure," the DokeV account stated. "But regardless of genre, we're going for fun, vibrant, and adventurous!"

Does that heighten your interest in the game, or dampen it down?

#DokeV was initially introduced as an MMO, but we decided to move the game in a different direction and it's now a creature-collecting open world action-adventure.

But regardless of genre, we're going for fun, vibrant, and adventurous! 🦙☂️

ORIGINAL STORY 25/8/21: Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss has shown more of DokeV, its upcoming and extremely eye-catching monster collection MMO, as part of Gamescom's Opening Night Live.

It's difficult not to be impressed by the visual flair and ambition on-screen, as characters run, ride, glide and drive around its beautiful world.

I'm less impressed by its monsters - a collection of oddball creatures which in turn look like animals, robots or piñatas. It's also unclear exactly how battles will work - they look real-time, with items and weaponry seemingly summoned out of thin air.

There's a long stretch of gameplay set in a city, but also snatches of a snowy mountainside and rocky beaches showing more variety to DokeV's world. You also seem to be able to float around using umbrellas, and swing around as if you were Spider-Man.

There's nothing on how it will really play, and there have been countless attempts at the Pokémon formula in the past. Still, intriguing? Definitely. One to keep an eye on.

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