The second phase of the Rusty Hearts closed beta kicks off today, August 24, at 4 p.m. PDT / 7 p.m. EDT. Perfect World Entertainment decided to push it back two hours to make "necessary adjustments" to the patch. You can read the full list of all the phase 2 improvements and tweaks after the jump.

As a reminder, players who rush the servers in the first 12 hours of closed beta phase 2 will receive a special costume set for the first character they create in open beta. Frantz gets fauxhawk hair, Angela gets a cowboy hat and Tude gets a bandana. The bonus items will be limited to one per user, so choose your first character in open beta wisely!

For our impressions on Rusty Hearts, watch Mike B. aka Fony's recent BFF Report and read Staff Writer Paul "LockeColeMA" Cleveland's article. If you'd like to try out the game during closed beta phase 2, grab one of our free Rusty Hearts closed beta keys!

Closed Beta Phase 2 Improvements and Tweaks

Town Restructure – Players can save time by navigating the Town without interruption. It will now turn in to one zone that will let players explore seamlessly. 

Wanted Board Adjustment – Wanted Boards will have posts of “Wanted Quests” that will display images of ever-changing enemies and their location. Players will then have to track that enemy down and take it down. 

Distinctive Crafting – Items that are crafted will now have a much more distinctive and intimidating appearance. This new appearance will help make crafted items stand out from the standard items.  

Item Drop Rate Adjustment - Drop rates for items have been updated to be more varied and help make gameplay more dynamic and intriguing.  

More PVP Arenas – New Intermediate and Advanced arenas will be activated to match players with similar experience and levels. In addition, PVP points/scores will not be affected by Free Battleground gameplay. 

PvP Balance Adjustment - Tude’s gauntlet has been slightly strengthened to increase competitive balance with other characters in  PVP battles 

Player Comparison Information – Get in-depth knowledge of other players and opponents by right clicking on them and viewing their stats. This option may give you a leg up by comparing your stats to others as well as potentially helping new players find the best way to manage their characters. 

Dead Man’s Chest Renewal – Chests have been revamped and will have a more random and valuable dispersion.

Monster Spawn Deflection – Monsters will no longer be invincible and block attacks as they spawn. Players can now attack them immediately for maximum spawn damage.

Monster HP Information – Get more screen real estate by clearing up HP bars from enemies. Go to [SET GAME OPTIONS] – [SETTINGS] – [NAME DISPLAY OPTIONS]  and you will have the option to move monster’s HP bar to the top right of your screen rather than above them.  

Prerequisite Skill Requirements – Learning certain skills will be contingent upon currently having learned previous skills. This skill point management system will help create a deeper gameplay that will encourage players to choose their skills wisely.  

Item Option Adjustment – Epic items' random options will have added depth by including more specific options

Gold Card System Revamped – Strategy will be tested as Gold cards will now be shuffled even after the looting session has begun. 

Gem Blending – Blending 3 gems of the same color will now dispense a gem box of the corresponding color. 

Dismantling Items/Costumes -  When dismantling unique items, players will be given a valuable material that can be used for crafting advanced items. 

Similarly, dismantling an animal costume will give players materials for crafting a special weapon. 

Item Quality Grade Information- Instead of just being rated Normal/Rare/Magic/Unique/Epic Good/Epic Best, items will have a more in-depth and robust label of +1+2,+3,+4,+5 for each rating. 

Countdown Bypass – Quickly move on to the loot screen by skipping the 10 second countdown after beating a boss. 

New Costumes – Tons of new costumes that will allow you to stand out in the crowd.