Like most high-fantasy RPGs, a lot of things don't make much sense in Lost Ark as players apply practical contexts to its game world. The most glaring among them, however, is the typical, oversized weapons that the character models keep swinging around as if they were regular-sized tools. Lost Ark, needless to say, is no stranger to such a notion.
It has its fair share of impractical weapons that either don't serve much of a purpose in its game world given its mythos or are just plain cumbersome to wield. Stat-wise, they're probably overpowered or highly desirable, but one can't help but question the physics and actual tactical value of these weapons. Certain weapons in their respective weapon classes simply require too much suspension of disbelief.
6 Greatsword
- Class: Berserker
It's the greatest of all swords and is ever-present in most RPGs. The difference is that in Lost Ark, it looks more like a man-sized shield than an actual tool for slicing and stabbing. This weapon is made for Berserkers, and they're the quintessential melee class of Lost Ark. So it only makes sense for Berserkers to have the meanest-looking weapon in the game.
Except when one looks at some of the Greatsword designs in Lost Ark, then the viewer can't help but wonder just how viable those weapons are. Gameplay-wise they can be slow compared to the smaller melee weapons, and the only other prominent game to feature greatswords this ridiculous would be Monster Hunter.
5 Harp
- Class: Bard
When raiding dungeons and fighting gargantuan bosses is the norm, one would expect something more efficient than a musical instrument. But thankfully, Lost Ark is heavy on its fantasy, so a Harp being a viable weapon is not too ridiculous in gameplay. Outside of that, it looks very much questionable. It's like a weapon introduced for variety's sake, with the lore coming after the fact.
In any case, it's already predictable what kind of character will be wielding a harp. It's a Bard and it's a healer. Turns out soothing sounds make for a good healing tool. That makes Harp-wielders a support class. And as with a lot of support classes, everybody wants them, but no one wants to play as them. Hence, the weapon is not just impractical in hindsight but also when it comes to player behavior.
4 Light Gauntlets
- Class: Striker, Wardancer
Light Gauntlets shouldn't even be classed as weapons! They're the pieces of armor one straps to one's arm in order to grip the weapons better; almost no one in known history uses them to punch their enemies to death. So the idea that just gauntlets can be used in combat is quite far-fetched, though not exactly out of the realm of coolness in RPGs.
So one has to forgive the Striker and the Wardancer for their poor choice of armaments (no pun intended). Out of all the available weapons in the game's rather extensive and heavy lore, they chose the one that puts them at a disadvantage of having a shorter melee range. Moreover, blunt or short-bladed weapons simply do not work well against huge targets.
3 Heavy Gauntlets
- Class: Scrapper
Thankfully, the Scrapper class in Lost Ark is a bit wiser in their weapon choice. Because unlike the Striker and the Wardancer, the Scrappers picked the Heavy Gauntlets. They look mostly imposing in combat and can be slower in combos than Light Gauntlets, but again they do come with the same tactical drawback of having the poorest melee range possible.
Their real-world equivalent would be cast-iron punching gloves, which would tire out the wearer even before they unleash those fists of fury. So this is like the Greatsword version for swords. Also, in Lost Ark, there's one glaring lore implication that makes melee weapons obsolete: the existence of gunpowder. Not just any gunpower, but also automatic ranged weapons. All that punching and melee power simply pales in comparison to what guns can do.
2 Bow
- Class: Sharpshooter
Speaking of ranged weaponry; Sharpshooters with their Bows look slick and all. But as mentioned earlier, the existence of gunpowder weaponry doesn't exactly paint a smart picture for people who opted to avoid them. Apart from melee weapons, bows were also some of the earliest weapons that went obsolete as soon as bullets and barrels were introduced to any civilization.
It just so happens that there's a machine gun, pistols, and a literal minigun weapon class in Lost Ark. Sure, one could argue that those bows might be magical, but then why the need for technology if there's magic? Besides, all those bigger, faster, and more precise guns could do a better job at killing larger enemies than the simple bow and arrow.
1 One-Handed Sword
- Class: Paladin
One would think that even the regular, One-Handed Sword would be efficient in the face of gargantuan chunks of weight called Greatswords, but with all the flashier choices in Lost Ark, this weapon functions too plainly to give its wielder an edge (no pun intended). At least that's how it looks, tactically speaking, especially when one compares the One-Handed Swords to bladed tonfas like the Shadowblades or even the Dual Blades.
When it comes to using a shield, even the Gunlance has a better offering compared to the One-Handed Sword since it has a better range. If anything, a mere One-Handed Sword might as well be demoted to knife status since it should be easily outclassed by other melee weapons. Thankfully, that's not the case thanks to video game balancing. Besides, players tend to not question these things when they're too busy with the daily grind.
Lost Ark is available on PC.