Astellia M Review – Korean MMORPG or Global Cash Trap?

Astellia M Review – Beautiful Korean MMO or Unplayable Cash Trap?

1. Introduction

Recently, I downloaded Astellia M, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from South Korea that has been gaining attention for its eye-catching graphics and fantasy world. The first impression was stunning — cinematic visuals, five main characters that look like they stepped out of an anime movie, and an epic fantasy atmosphere.

But after only a few minutes of trying to play, I was forced to ask myself: is Astellia M even playable for anyone outside Korea? The answer, sadly, is almost no.

This review explores what Astellia M really offers, how it works, its company background, and why so many global players are calling it unfriendly, unplayable, and money-hungry.

2. What the Astellia M Game Is All About

Astellia M is the mobile version of the original PC MMORPG Astellia Online, developed by Studio 8 and published by SESISOFT, a gaming company based in Incheon, Seoul, South Korea.

The game is designed as a fantasy role-playing world where players collect magical creatures called Astellas to fight alongside them. It mixes open-world exploration, story missions, and PvP battles, promising “freedom of adventure” and “strategic combat with companions.”

In short, it sounds like a dream MMORPG — until you realize you can’t even understand a single sentence on the screen if you don’t speak Korean.

3. How Astellia M Works

When you open the game, it automatically assigns you to a Korean server (Server 10) and loads five main characters. These characters stand on the screen for a while before the game suddenly crashes or throws you back to the main menu.

There are no tutorials in English or Chinese, no translation option, and not even a hint of how to begin the first mission. Every in-game subtitle, dialogue, and setting description is entirely in Korean — making it impossible for non-Korean players to navigate.

To play, you must:

Log in or sign up (all in Korean).
Choose a character (names and descriptions in Korean).
Wait for the server to load.
Get thrown out or redirected to the main screen with the message “서버 10 다시 시작” (Server 10 restart).

And that’s it — the game never actually lets you start real gameplay unless you’re located in South Korea and can read the language.

4. CEO / Developer Information

Astellia M is published by SESISOFT Co., Ltd., a company based in Incheon, South Korea. SESISOFT is known for several Korean MMOs and online games, but it mostly caters to local audiences.

There’s little international customer support, and no English-language version of their site or app. The official website is mostly written in Hangul (Korean characters), and even their social media pages rarely post English updates.

SESISOFT has previously worked with Studio 8, the original developer of Astellia Online for PC, but Astellia M’s mobile port seems entirely managed by the Korean publisher without localization or translation support.

That alone shows this game was never meant for international audiences — despite being listed on Google Play in multiple regions.

5. Source of Income – How Does Astellia M Make Money?

Astellia M follows the freemium model, a typical system used in many Korean MMORPGs. The game is technically “free to download,” but almost every major feature is locked behind microtransactions.

Here’s how it earns money:

In-game top-ups: Players buy virtual currency to unlock rare Astellas (companions), costumes, weapons, or upgrades.
VIP passes: Paid users get exclusive access to dungeons, faster leveling, and stronger stats.
Premium items: Special outfits, mounts, and cards that boost performance in battle.

Free players quickly realize that the game is heavily pay-to-win (P2W). You can’t progress far beyond the starting area unless you spend real cash to upgrade your character.

So even if you could understand the Korean text, you’d still hit a paywall early in the game.

6. Referral Program Details

There is no real referral system in Astellia M, unlike most mobile apps or play-to-earn games. The only “invitation” feature available in the Korean version lets players invite friends to join a specific guild or team — but there are no bonuses, cash rewards, or referral commissions.

Some players have reported unofficial “invite links” floating around on forums, but those are not official SESISOFT links and could be scams.

7. Withdrawal System and Payment Methods

Astellia M does not have a withdrawal system because it’s not a play-to-earn game. You spend real money, but you can’t withdraw or earn any in return.

All purchases are made through Google Play billing or Korean mobile payment gateways. There’s no refund system once you top up in-game currency, and many players have complained that the app continues to charge for auto-renew subscriptions even after uninstalling.

So, in essence, you’re only putting money in, never getting anything out.

8. Red Flags (Scam Signs and Player Complaints)

Here are the major red flags spotted in Astellia M:

Language Barrier – No translation option, everything in Korean.
Unplayable Outside Korea – Servers constantly disconnect or reset.
Pay-to-Play Trap – Free players can’t advance without spending money.
No Customer Support in English – Foreign users can’t contact the company.
Data Region Lock – The app may collect region data and block foreign IPs.
Aggressive Monetization – Expensive top-ups and random loot boxes.
App Crashes Frequently – Many users report being thrown out of the game after login.

Essentially, it’s not a scam in the sense of stealing your identity — but it feels like a scam because it misleads users into downloading an “international” game that they can’t even play or understand.

9. What Real Users Are Saying

On Korean gaming forums like DCInside and Reddit threads discussing foreign MMORPGs, international players have said:

“The graphics are amazing, but I can’t even understand the menu.”
“It keeps putting me back to the start screen. Server 10 won’t connect.”
“Why release it globally when there’s no English translation?”
“Totally unplayable unless you are fluent in Korean. Waste of storage.”

Even Korean players have criticized SESISOFT for making the game too expensive and repetitive, saying that free players get stuck early unless they spend heavily.

On Google Play, most 1-star reviews come from foreign users complaining about language lock, crashes, and paywalls.

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11. Final Verdict – Is Astellia M Real or a Scam?

Astellia M is not exactly a “scam” — it’s a region-locked Korean MMORPG that was never designed for international players. However, its misleading availability on global app stores, combined with heavy paywalls and zero translation options, make it a bad experience for non-Korean gamers.

✅ What’s good:

Beautiful graphics
Deep worldbuilding
Smooth combat (for Koreans who can access it)

❌ What’s bad:

Only in Korean
No translation settings
Constant server disconnections
Expensive in-app purchases
No progress for free players

So, Astellia M is not worth downloading unless you live in South Korea, understand Korean, and are ready to spend real money.

For everyone else — it’s an unplayable cash trap disguised as a fantasy MMO.