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Solo Leveling: ARISE is Netmarble’s latest hit mobile action RPG, which I’ve recently had the pleasure of exploring. The game boasts exciting battles with a mixture of familiar Solo Leveling characters, most recently featured in A-1 Pictures’ hit anime adaptation. However, one surprising addition to Solo Leveling:ARISE was Park Beom-Shik, who turned out to be a challenge to design for the game.
Park Beom-Shik is one of the earliest characters from the original Solo Leveling story, originally referred to as Mr. Park in the webnovel. He is sympathetic yet doomed-to-be-fodder for the Double Dungeon in the first arc. His passing in the story is brutal and motivates Sung Jinwoo to survive. Still, it’s also so over-the-top that the very animation of his death is the basis for his Ultimate skill in Solo Leveling:ARISE.
Park Beom-Shik’s Ultimate Skill Was the Hardest to Design in Solo Leveling: ARISE
Art Director Inho Kim Confirms in Exclusive Interview About This Surprise Hero
Park Beom-Shik is originally seen brutally slain in the first major moments of Solo Leveling, cleft down the middle by one of the statues of the Double Dungeon. This makes him a surprising addition as an SR-rarity Hunter in Solo Leveling:ARISE. The game’s art director Inho Kim weighs in on this process:
The most challenging Hunter to design the moves for was Park Beom-Shik, and his Ultimate Skill was especially difficult to design. In the original series, Park Beom-Shik is killed by the Statue; however, the planning team engaged in a lengthy discussion about how to make Park Beom-Shik a playable character in Solo Leveling: ARISE. In order to add his narrative to the game while showcasing his skills for survival, we designed his Ultimate Skill in a way that Park Beom Shik avoids the Statue’s attack and survives.
Inho Kim, Art Director of Solo Leveling:ARISE
Park Beom-Shik’s Ultimate Skill in Solo Leveling:ARISE pays homage to this scene. In a surprising twist, he survives the attack, and instead, the statue strikes his enemies. The game even includes a cheeky name and description, Another Worldline, where “another world’s version of himself dodged the statue’s attack.”
Is Park Beom-Shik Good in Solo Leveling:ARISE?
Does He Stack Up Against Other Heavy-Hitters of the Game?
Solo Leveling: ARISE is stacked with excellent playable characters, and while Park is comfortable to use, he is commonly ranked among the lowest tiers. This isn’t to say he’s unusable, as one can still win handily playing as him. This merely speaks more to just how terrific the other characters feel to use. But still, despite being a D-Rank Hunter in the series, Park Beom-Shik is closer to E territory.
Park’s biggest problem in the game is that he moves and attacks slowly. He achieves the same feats that take other heroes less in more time, but he controls them reasonably well. As an SR pull, he’ll be among the first close combat Hunters you recruit in Solo Leveling: ARISE. However, Silver Mane Baek Yoonho dominates his Fighter class, and his Wind attribute is a better fit for Woo Jinchul.
Despite Park Beom-Shik’s shortcomings, seeing others attacked by the original statue that killed Park in the series is satisfying. It adds a fun factor to the game, and it’s the most entertaining Ultimate in Solo Leveling: ARISE.
