Joymax chief executive officer Nam-chul Kim explained: "Silkroad-R is a new start for the Silkroad franchise, while still allowing our community to have its choice of playing either Silkroad-R or the original Silkroad Online independently.

"Silkroad-R offers improvements across the board with everything from improved balancing and level design, growth and skill points to a totally revamped user interface and much more."

Gamers will travel into a fantasy world based on the silk trade routes between Chinese and European civilisations throughout history.

Characters will make their way in the world as merchants, hunters for hire or as thieves preying on rich travellers.

As a massively-multiplayer online game, characters can interact with those of fellow gamers, battling or co-opting to become "champions of the silk Roads".

Improvements on the previous version include weapons upgrades in both China and Europe as well as reduced experience point requirements for levelling up. Joymax also believes Silkroad-R has better integration and skill mastery than the original.

Silkroad-R also has an updated user interface to make navigation and interaction with other characters easier.

Combined with the game itself, Joymax is throwing in a host of other added features, including several special level-up and multiplayer events, Silkroad Bingo and a number of regular prize offerings.