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- Eden Eternal
- League Of Legends
- Fiesta Online
- Runes of Magic
- Golfstar
- Iris Online
- Loong: The Power of the Dragon
- King of Kings 3
- World of Tanks
- Dungeons & Dragons Online
| Posted: 21 Jun 2011 06:31 PM PDT Eden Eternal is a 3D anime inspired fantasy MMORPG where players become mysterious heroes with an extraordinary ability to wield magic. Start your adventure as a brave Warrior or Magician on a mission to save the world. Fight ferocious beasts, kill assassins, and battle other players in duels. Switch freely between 15 different playable classes. Tackle challenging quests while discovering the hidden secrets of the past. Help restore peace to the shattered utopia known as Eden.  Publisher: Aeria Games Pros: +Unique Class System. +Great graphics. +Excellent interface. +Fast-paced combat. +Pet option. +Soulmate dating feature. +Guild towns. Cons: -Shop items limited. –Lots of grinding. –Each class only has a handful of skills. –Generic storyline. –Gameplay can be repetitive at times. Overview Eden Eternal OverviewEden Eternal is a fantasy themed MMORPG that transports players into a world in desperate need of harmony. After several races migrated to a newly discovered continent for a fresh start they quickly found out from firsthand experience that old habits are hard to break. A disagreement about the direction their future should take erupted into firestorm ignited previous racial hatred and tension. A devastating war has left Eden in turmoil. Players step into the shoes of a mysterious hero with magical powers. Although their origin is still unknown they must take on the role of an Eternal Guardian fighting the evil plaguing the lands. Destroy an assortment of monsters and local beasts. Kill fierce boss creatures and other players. Complete challenging quests. Find a Soulmate or adopt a pet to assist in your journey. Similar to other X-Legend and Aeria Games' titles like Grand Fantasia and Kitsu Saga Eden Eternal has cool anime style graphics. Players are not limited to one class per character. As they progress new classes are unlocked which can be switched at random. All players start out as a human Warrior or Magician. There are 15 unlockable classes depending on a player's level. Heroic Traits – Leadership, Guardian, Apostle, Commando, Sanctum, Maverick, Adventurer, and Crack Shot. Classes: Warrior (no level requirement) – They are skilled soldiers equipped with heavy armor in the form of swords and axes. Their ability to easily take out opponents and yield high level of damage make them worthy adversaries. Warlock (level 55) – Warlocks borrow their power from the darkness. Their arsenal of magical tricks is overwhelming often leaving enemies quivering for mercy. Templar (level 60) – Deeply rooted in their religious beliefs these spiritual warriors call of the power of God to punish the evil terrorizing the lands. Ranger (level 65) – Rangers are very meticulous in their actions. They analyze opponents' weaknesses and execute blows that will do the most amount of damage. This class has mastered delivering devastating attacks from afar. Eden Eternal Screenshots          Eden Eternal Featured Video Full Review Eden Eternal ReviewBy Ange Perdu Eden Eternal is a 3D anime style fantasy MMORPG set on a war torn continent where players become mysterious beings with incredible magical powers. Heroes serve as Eternal Guardians fighting the evil consuming the once peaceful world. Complete challenging quests and explore while slowly discovering the true origin of the race that emerged from the blue crystals. Kill beasts lurking around local villages or battle other players in fierce duels. Conquer dungeons with friends. Slay hundreds of monsters and bosses. Players can use any weapon, spell, or combative move of their choice by unlocking all 15 distinct classes and swapping freely. Find a sweetheart or summon pets to assist in combat. Becoming an Eternal Guardian, the Gameplay Heroes or Eternal Guardians begin their adventure in a local village near Limestone Mountain. Most of the gameplay involves completing quests and fighting monsters. Similar to other MMOs like Grand Fantasia the storyline is somewhat generic. Quests are given by NPCs scattered throughout the towns. The tasks vary from battling troublesome Mushroids to relying messages back and forth to commanding officers. Many of the missions consist of some form of combat. Collecting raw gemstones might require destroying intimidating Limestone Golems in the process. To accomplish a specific task a particular item may be required. A hammer must be used while fighting certain beasts to gather materials. Blowing a whistle will summon dangerous boss creatures to wage war with. The duties of an Eternal Guardian are endless. Kill hordes of Forest Imps, defeat Rainbow Angelly swarms, eliminate Eagle Gang Assassins, or sneak into a bandits' secret camp to destroy their supplies. Some quests are repeatable and aid in leveling. XP, coins, rare items, and occasionally fame or an achievement title is earned by completing quests. Players maneuver through the zones of Eden using their mouse, WASD keys, or the convenient auto-run feature by clicking on go from the quest log. Combat is fast-paced and surprisingly fun. Once initiated heroes use a mixture of physical and magical moves to conquer their opponent. Perform the Lightning Web, Fire Bomb, Perforation, Tornado, or Combat Cyclone. Depending on character's class and skill set there's a variety of mesmerizing spells that can be executed.  Warriors to Warlocks Eden Eternal features a very unique class system. All players start out as warrior or mage with one heroic trait of their choice. There are 15 different unlockable classes with their own set of cool animated skills. The two meters at the bottom of the screen monitor experience. The first one gauges character XP while the second records class experience which is primarily gained through combat. Since class experience accumulates much faster players usually benefit by changing their hero from warrior to thief and so on. As a hero levels up new classes are unlocked. At any time except during combat Eternal Guardians can switch their current class. The requirements vary depending on a character's level and their previous or related class level reached. Although there are just a handful of skills per class players have the ability to alternate freely between them. In most games users are limited to the battle skills in their specific class. It only takes a quick click on the transform button to change a class. The process of leveling up each class's skills individually is relatively easy but involves a lot of grinding. Killing monsters, repeating quests, and clearing dungeons are necessary for a diverse hero. Players will have to devote a significant amount of time into building up their character. This option makes the game rather addicting. Class talents allow gamers who prefer one particular class over another to master it. Knowledge points are rewarded each time a character gain's a level in their class. These points are used towards specialized talents in the skill window. Continually improve talents to become the most powerful Bard or Shaman around.  Battle Dogs & Sweethearts Eternal Guardians do not have to face evil alone. There is a pet companion option that permits heroes to add a Battle Dog in the form of an adorable Pug or massive Tiger. Pets can be trained to heal, attack, or perform tricks once a character reaches level 25. The Soulmate feature allows players to form a relationship and become sweethearts. Unlike other MMOs in this virtual world same-sex soul mates is legal. Players can be sweethearts with guys or girls regardless of their character's gender. It's also free to initiate dating status another cool aspect rarely seen. Couples receive lovers skills for the duration they're together. These skills vary like the Soulmate Instant Heal and give players an advantage during battles or difficult dungeon quests. Lovers can send each other special gifts, messages, and accumulate achievement points. The guild customization feature is also very impressive. Guild members can join their resources to construct their own town in Eden Eternal. Each town can have up to five established crafting structures. Set up farms, mines, altars, alchemy labs, foundries, and a magic pool. Build a monument in the town square. The polished anime-style graphics is similar to Kitsu Saga. There are breathtakingly beautiful backdrops and waterfalls. Guilds are able to create their own hangout spot within the game. Players can set up shops in their Guild Town to sell items to non-members as well.  Travelling Merchants Items and accessories can be purchased at Merchant Shops or in the Item Mall. The weapons selection is decent. Purchase the Special Broadsword, Equilibrium Staff, Red Copper Bow, Scout Light Shield, Shell-Splitter Axe, Silver Scout Dagger, Versatile Mace, Highland Bow, Knight's Shield, and the coveted Spell Wand. Weapons sold at shops are usable by all classes. Buy Tiger Fighter Tunics, Water Spirit Robes, Thorn Flower Hats, Gleam Vestments, Defender Helmets, and Sprinter Brigandine. Most of the armor is dull giving Eternal Guardians the same appearance. There are no outfits or costumes that stand out. Players do have the option of using dyes to add color to their apparel. Dyes are available in sage, orange, dark grey, yellow, eggplant, coral, pale blue, and lavender. Mixing color palettes can be amusing for a second or two but it doesn't make up for the lack of garbs in the Merchant Shops. In the Item Mall gamers willing to spend real money can purchase rare pets and hard to acquire trinkets. The Razorback, little Labrador, and Shorthair Cat are available as companions. Adventure threads, Kimono, Eden Spectacles, the Legacy Bow, boosts, and more powerful health tonics are on sale. There's also a cool Holy Seraph's Wings that gives heroes an angelic appearance in the mall.  Final Verdict: Great Comparable to other X-Legend titles like Grand Fantasia and Kitsu Saga there's a nice variety innovative features that adds to its appeal. Eden Eternal is a fun and addicting game. Instantly transform into another class. Become a Ranger, Illusionist, Knight, Martial Artist, and more. Wage war with an assortment of monsters, clear out dungeons, and duel other heroes. Complete challenging quests in a party, with pet companion, or your sweetheart. If you're one of those players that have a hard time choosing a class than Eden Eternal is definitely worth checking out. From its unique class system to the impressive Guild Town feature this game has a lot to offer MMO fans. Screenshots Eden Eternal Screenshots                    System Requirements Eden Eternal RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Posted: 10 Aug 2009 12:44 AM PDT League of Legends (LoL for short), is a 3D fantasy MMO by Riot Games where players choose from one of many champions and fight it out against their enemies. Although each individual ‘game’ or ‘match’ doesn’t take place in a persistent world, players earn experience points for winning matches, which can be used to permanently improve attributes in all future games. League of Legends is actually very similar to a popular Warcraft 3 mod called DotA (Defense of the Ancients).  Publisher: Riot Games Pros: +Many playable heroes (60+). +Varied gameplay. +Unique mix of strategy and RPG elements. +Each match feels genuinely different. +Great interface. +Good tutorial. Cons: -Poor lobby interface. -Too ‘team oriented’ (One bad player or leaver can ruin a match). -Very difficult to ‘master’. -Game won’t appeal to everyone.
Overview League Of Legends OverviewLeague of Legends is the first stand alone commercial ‘Aeon of Strife’ type MMO to be released. The game was designed as a successor to the popular Warcraft 3 map “Defense of the Ancients” (DotA) and involves two teams fighting against each other with each player controlling one of the game’s many champions. Each game, or round, is an individual session, but players are rewarded with special experience points for winning a round which can be used outside of individual matches. League of Legends is largely a team-oriented game, so try to get along with teammates, as the game is much more enjoyable when a team mates have good synergy. League Of Legends Screenshots          League Of Legends Featured Video Full Review League Of Legends ReviewLeague of Legends, LoL for short, is a 3D fantasy MMO ‘AOS’ (Aeon of Strife) game published by Riot Games. Those familiar with other ‘Aeon of Strife’ games like Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Heroes of Newerth (HoN) or even Heroes of Avalon should be able to quickly familiarize themselves with League of Legends, as these Aeon of Strife games are all very similar – at least in terms of core gameplay. Those unfamiliar with the genre should certainly check out the game’s tutorial after first logging in, as League of Legends is a difficult game to master and the tutorial is a MUST for new comers to the genre. One thing worth mentioning right away is that League of Legends is a TEAM-oriented game, meaning it’s extremely difficult to win without coordinating with team mates – make sure to communicate with your team!  Starting Out After creating an account and logging into League of Legends for the first time, players will be prompted whether they want to complete the game’s tutorial. I STRONGLY recommend that anyone who hasn’t played an Aeon of Strife game before should complete the tutorial. After completing the tutorial players can jump right into a game by hitting the ‘Play’ button on the top left of the screen and then select ‘Solo’. Those looking to play with their friends should select ‘Arranged Team’. Finding a game can take upwards of a minute – during peak times players will usually be able to find a game within a few seconds – so there’s never too much waiting around.  Pre-Game After finding a game, players will have approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds to select a champion, two summoner spells, and some runes. League of Legends currently has well over 60 playable heroes, each of which are distinctly different. Each hero has 4 skills (3 abilities and an ultimate) as well as a unique passive ability. I strongly recommend newbies choose from one of the eight ‘recommended’ champions, as they’re the easiest to play. Out of those eight Ashe and Tristana are definitely the easiest champions to play, so first-timers should pick from one of those two. Another thing worth mentioning is that all of the heroes are actually incredibly balanced, so even though Ashe and Tristana are fairly ‘easy’ to play, they’re aren’t at all ‘under powered’ or anything like that. After playing a few matches with the recommended characters, players should try out other champions as well, because the best way to really master League of Legends is to learn every champion’s skills. Having to memorize every champion’s skills may seem a bit nerve wracking at first, but it’s not too bad, as just by playing the game regularly players will learn on their own what each hero is capable of. Of the game’s many playable heroes, most of them won’t be available to newbies, as they have to purchased in the game’s store with the ‘influence points’ earned from playing and winning matches.  Summoner spells and Runes are also important components of League of Legends. Summoner spells are basically two additional skills a player has access to (ontop of their champion’s four skills). These spells can’t be leveled up, and usually have long cool downs. Players can choose from a variety of unique summoner skills before the game begins. Keep in mind though these can’t be changed once a game starts – but players choose new summoner spells before a new game begins. These summoner spells basically add another layer of customization to the game. Runes also add another layer of customization to the game. Before a game begins, players can choose to equip certain runes which, like mastery points, enhance a player’s champion. New players don’t start with any runes, though, and must play through many games to find new runes. It’s a nifty little feature that allows players to customize their champions in nearly infinite different ways.  The Field of Justice League of Legends is a 5v5 game, so after selecting a champion, summoner spells and runes, the game will actually begin. The first thing I noticed after the game started is that the game has remarkably fluid gameplay, which gives the game a nice ‘high quality’ feel to it. Everyone starts off at level 1 and the maximum level is 18. The goal of each individual game is simple: destroy the opposing team’s base before they destroy yours (Sort of like Savage 2). Each individual ‘match or ‘game’ doesn’t take place in a persistent world; each time a new game begins, everyone selects a new hero and starts back at level 1. Earn experience points by killing enemy minions and champions. Each new level rewards the player with increased attributes, as well a single skill point which can be spent on learning/improving one of four skills. Each champion has four distinctly different skills, so make sure to read and understand each one before spending a skill point on it. An average game takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes; so try not to start a new game unless you have the time to finish it, as leaving in the middle of a game can imbalance the teams and ruin the game for everyone else.  Awesome Item Shop. The item shop in League of Legends, which is located near the starting area, is infinitely better designed than the shop in DotA, as the menus are easy to navigate and items are categorized nicely into five categories – Defense, Attack, Magic, Movement and Consumables. Players can purchase items which enhance their champion with the gold they earn in the game. Players can earn gold through numerous means, but the most common way of earning gold is getting the ‘last hit’ on enemy minions and killing enemy champions. There are a LOT of different items in the item shop, which means there’s an enormous amount of unique item builds that players can experiment with. Every champion is distinctly different (some items may be more effective on one champion over another), so try to purchase items that work well your champion. It wouldn’t make much sense to purchase a sword that grants +50 attack when playing a spell caster hero or an item that boosts spell damage on a melee-oriented champion. Luckily, it’s pretty hard to buy the wrong items, as the game displays a list of recommended items for each hero in the item shop.  Leveling Up – Outside of the Game The more matches a player wins in League of Legends – the more experience their ‘summoner’ gains. Every level yields a single ‘Mastery’ point, which can be spent in the ‘masteries’ tab. Masteries are basically passive enhancements which will enhance a champion’s attributes in every single game. The masteries work a lot like the ‘talent’ points in World of Warcraft and Runes of Magic, but they are ‘account wide’, so it doesn’t matter which champion you select; you’ll always receive these boinuses. The three skill trees in the masteries tab are Offense, Defense and Utility. One example of a ‘mastery’ in the offense skill tree is ‘Deadliness’. Every point allocated to the ‘Deadliness’ skill yields an additional 0.66% ‘critical strike’ rating to your champion. As mentioned earlier, this isn’t a onetime deal; you’ll receive this bonus in every single match you play, no matter which champion you choose to play as.  Easy to Learn – Very Difficult To Master One of my biggest complaints with League of Legends is that the game is incredibly difficult to master. Anyone can get a good ‘feel’ for the game after an hour or so; but to truly master the game can take years. It’s extremely frustrating for newbies to match off against more skilled players, as unlike MMOFPS games where even unskilled players can pull off lucky headshots, newbies in League of Legends will get absolutely crushed by better players. The game does try to ‘match’ players with opponents of equal skill level though, so this isn’t always an issue. The biggest ‘issue’ for most players will be memorizing every champion’s skills, as knowing what skills your enemy has can help avoid getting killed. Overall, though, League of Legends is an immensely in-depth game that can take many many hours to fully understand.  Final Verdict – Excellent League of Legends is a top-notch, free-to-play Aeon of Strife game that seems to never get old. With gorgeous cel-shaded graphics, over 40 playable champions and nearly limitless customization options, League of Legends is one of the best free-to-play games out there. It’s one of those games that will keep you coming back for more years down the road. Keep in mind that League of Legends won’t appeal to everyone, but anyone who plays DotA or enjoys a good Aeon of Strife game will almost certainly love League of Legends. The only real downside is its steep learning curve. Screenshots League Of Legends Screenshots                 Videos League Of Legends VideosLeague of Legends Gameplay Video 1 Click here to view the embedded video. League of Legends Gameplay Video 2 Click here to view the embedded video. League of Legends Video Links League Of Legends LinksLeague of Legends Official Site League of Legends Wikipedia Entry League of Legends New User Guide [Great Resource!] League of Legends Wikia [Great Resource!] System Requirements League Of Legends System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| Posted: 03 Mar 2009 04:42 PM PST Fiesta Online (or just Fiesta for short) is a 3D fantasy MMORPG. The game has cute, cell-shaded, anime inspired graphics and lively music. The game’s entire world is vibrant and has an upbeat atmosphere.  Publisher: Outspark Pros: +Beautiful cel-shaded graphics. +Great interface. +Good skill progression system. +Solid Item crafting / resource gathering systems. +Easy to learn. Cons: -Only one stat point per level. -Repetitive combat. -Five starting classes. Overview Fiesta Online OverviewFiesta Online is another interesting MMORPG published by Outspark. The game has three starting classes, each one of which has two job advancements; one at level 20 and the other at level 60. The game’s most notable aspects are its attractive cel-shaded graphics and its solid item crafting system. The game isn’t nearly as in-depth as some of the newer free MMORPGs, but Fiesta is still an all-around fun game well worth checking out. The game’s four playable classes are: Fighter- Fighters are the generic ‘warrior’ archetype in Fiesta. They are extremely capable in melee combat and have the most hit points and armor in the game. They are proficient with both one-handed and two-handed weapons. Mage – Mages are the traditional offensive spell casting class in Fiesta. They can do a great deal of damage from a distance with their magic, but are extremely vulnerable in melee range. They have low hit points and minimal defensive capabilities. Cleric - Clerics are experts at supporting party members in combat. They have a variety of healing and buff skills which make them incredibly valuable to a party. They are the weakest class in the game but when they with a group they’re extremely useful. Archer – Archers are deadly with the bow. They are fast and agile which allows them to deal damage rather quickly from a distance, but are vulnerable in melee combat. Trickster – A dual-wielding class that is capable of dealing large amounts of damage in short bursts. They are melee oriented and have decent HP. Fiesta Online Screenshots          Fiesta Online Featured Video Full Review Fiesta Online ReviewBy Jaime Skelton Launched in 2007 in the United States by Outspark, Fiesta is a classic and well-known free-to-play anime-style MMORPG. Similar in ways to Fly For Fun, Asda Story, Dream of Mirror Online, and Mabinogi, Fiesta’s cel-shaded graphics and simple gameplay introduced many players to free-to-play MMOs. After a few years in the MMO market, Fiesta Online is still going strong, and there’s a few good reasons why.  Choosing your Path Like any game, getting started in Fiesta Online requires going through character creation process. At the start of the game, you may choose only one of four classic classes – fighter, cleric, mage, or archer – and your gender. Character customization is extremely limited, offering only the chance to change your face, hair style, and hair color, each with only about three options each. For those concerned about the lack of classes, be reassured – each class becomes stronger with advanced classes at level 20, 60, and 100, the last of which offers a choice between two final specializations. Customization also comes in the ability to choose what extra stats are assigned each level in the "free stat" system. A Helping Bird Fiesta’s tutorial system is very limited and hands-on. For new players, a helpful NPC will offer a simple tip on picking up the first quests before sending them on their way. Tutorial tips come along instead with a bird-head alert in the upper right of the screen, offering explanations of each crucial game element, from combat and leveling to upgrading items and the mentor system. The alert also serves a dual purpose to let you know when new quests are available, and from whom. While the bird serves as a helper for those new to MMORPGs, many experienced players may find it aggravating, especially as it appears for each new character.  The Classic Grind … Like many MMORPGs, Fiesta features a quest system to help players level as well as earn useful rewards. However, leveling takes the style of older MMOs, in which grinding is more crucial to gaining experience than questing. In fact, new players will discover this element before level 5; quests are given at a level before they can be reasonably completed by a new player with no assistance. For this reason, many players choose to grind out their early levels and skip quests entirely, as early level rewards are purchasable from vendors. … and the Value of Friendship The other option in starting off to the right foot, of course, is to have the help of friends, or at least, the kindness of passing strangers. A mentor-apprentice system exists for high level players to help out lowbies with bonuses for both, which can be one of the most efficient ways for a low level player to earn their experience. High level players may also choose to pass through and offer buffs or free potions and buff scrolls to low level players. Either of these ways can offer a powerful boost to players to make them strong enough to handle higher level mobs without being weak and risking death, or long rests after each enemy’s death. The final point to be made of this is that Fiesta is a game geared primarily for group efforts; solo players will struggle often without outside help or long grinds.  Battling for Glory & Profit Like many classic MMOs, Fiesta utilizes a skill-on-use system, in which players may both auto-attack enemies and input skills used on an action bar, as they choose and are available. Special HP and SP stones are available to use to restore health and spell points, respectively. In between fights, players can also use "Home" to rest in their mini-house (a mushroom on default), and regenerate their stats. To earn money – used for buying gear and other useful items – players must sell what they find on the enemies they kill. While some "junk" is dropped, most of the items found are useful for the game’s crafting system, called Alchemy. Players can learn professions in this system as soon as they are created, and may choose two total professions from five – allowing them to produce enhancement stones, potions, scrolls, or change items into a higher or lower quality.  Kingdom Quests & PvP There’s more to do than grind, quest, and craft in Fiesta, of course. For players who prefer PvE, Kingdom Quests become available every two hours. Designed for players anywhere from level 5 up and separated into level spans, they can be joined individually or with a party. Each quest has its own victory conditions that can be achieved by the players inside within a set time limit. Each player inside will earn a present box if they are successful, and may earn anything from materials, scrolls, and potions to enhanced and rare equipment. For PvP fans, once reaching level 20, several different zones become available for player versus player battling. Each city has its own battle zone, and several battlefields also become available. Guild wars are also available for those who are socially inclined to join a guild and participate in group PvP. The player versus player experience is only designed for showing off skill, and sometimes earning items and other perks like titles; experience is not rewarded.  Final Verdict: Good Fiesta is easy to get into, with plenty for players to do in both PvE and PvP. It makes a particularly good introduction to free-to-play MMORPGs, with an active and helpful player base and plenty of regular maintenance from its publisher. What holds Fiesta back mostly is its grinding nature: any player who hates grinding is going to find Fiesta boring or frustrating. If you don’t mind a balance between grinding and quests, and enjoy a game that rewards cooperative gameplay, Fiesta has a lot to offer. Screenshots Fiesta Online Screenshots                   Videos Fiesta Online VideosFiesta Online Character Creation Click here to view the embedded video. Fiesta Online High Level Video Click here to view the embedded video. Fiesta Online Official Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Fiesta Online Boss Battle Click here to view the embedded video. Fiesta Online Gameplay Footage System Requirements Fiesta Online System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| Posted: 10 Jan 2009 09:36 AM PST Drawing much of its inspiration from the mammoth MMORPG World of Warcraft, Runes of Magic brings to life the fantasy world of Taborea with beautiful 3D graphics, and with over 600 quests to complete offers players much in the way of content and features. With fully-realized dungeon encounters, unmatched character customization, a unique multi-class system, in-game player housing, and a growing community of over 2,000,000 – Runes of Magic guarantees something for everyone.  Publisher: Frogster Interactive Pros: +Fantastic character customization. +Unique multi-class system. +Player housing. +Heaps of different PvP options. +Huge game world. +Fun end-game raiding. Cons: -Cash shop can imbalance the game. -Sensitive language filter. -Similarities to WoW may deter some players. Overview Runes of Magic OverviewRunes of magic is a feature rich MMORPG that uses a graphic style very similar to WoW’s. The familiar interface and animations help new players and MMO veterans adjust to the world of Taborea. The game supports both individual player housing and guild controlled castles located in separate instances. But what really sets Runes of Magic apart is the dual-classing system whereby characters can pick a second class at level 10. With a total of eight classes and two races (Human, Elf) to chose from, players can create truly unique characters. Classes: Warrior – Masters of armed combat. Warriors can use any close combat weapon and any type of armor besides plate. They deliver special strikes and blows which have various effects on their targets. Scout - Adapt at long-ranged combat, Scouts use their bows or crossbows to deal heavy damage. They are vulnerable at close range and rely on a series of evasive and delaying skills to keep enemies from closing in. Rogue - Specialized at inflicting deadly blows at a fast rate, rogues use daggers which can cause heavy bleeding or be coated in poison. They are very capable at doding blows, but their speed comes at the expense of armor and health. Rogues can also lay traps, scout, and increase a group’s income generation. Mage - Commanding the elements of fire and lightning, Mages deal heavy damage from afar. They possess direct damage, and area of effect spells. Mages can also cast barrier spells and strength buffs, adding to their utility. Priest (Human Only) - While priests can cast water based spells to deal damage, they primarily play a supportive role. Priests can cast healing spells, boost their allies stats, and even bring fallen comrades back from the dead. They can equip shields which aid their defense, but are still frail. Knight (Human Only) - Heavily armored fighters, Knights are the only class that can wear plate armor. Knights go into battle head-first equipped with shields and light-based attacks. They are the tanks of RoM and have the ability to draw their foes attacks towards themselves. Druid (Elf Only) - Attuned to nature, Druids are a versatile class capable of healing allies, casting damage over time spells, and even mind controlling opponents. Druids possess a special ability that allows them to gather Nature’s Power and unleash it at anytime to cast powerful spells. Warden (Elf Only) - Close combat specialists. Wardens can use a diverse set of weapons and can wear chain armor. Wardens can summon powerful pets to fight alongside them, and have access to magical spells which strengthen themselves and weaken their opponents. Runes of Magic Screenshots          Runes of Magic Feature Video Full Review Runes of Magic ReviewBy Cody 'Neramaar' Hargreaves To get it out of the way nice and early, and to give those that disagree with me a chance to respond without having to read the entire review, Runes of Magic is a WoW Clone. There, I said it. Have at me with your silver tongues and sharpened wits, exact your revenge upon my flesh, for I have gone where many have before, and branded a game a clone of World of Warcraft. The thing is, and this is where I might lose you, so pay close attention – I think that it's a good thing.  I KNEW THIS LOOKED FAMILIAR… With Runes of Magic (henceforth referred to as RoM), it's different. They haven't simply cloned the gameplay style, or the character textures – they've pretty much cloned the entire damn game, right down the names of a large portion of the skills and spells. The biggest key difference between the two of them lies solely in the fact the RoM is free to play, and WoW is not. There is however a great many additions that have been added to the WoW formula in RoM, and therein lies salvation.  FILLING IN THE BLANKS This is the process that almost every MMORPG game takes – and is the same process that was perfected by Blizzard with WoW – hence the 11.5 Million active players. The reason I have never labeled any other game a WoW clone is because cloning this simple process of playing isn't really cloning WoW. Cloning the skills, environments, quests, and a plethora of other features however, is. There – only took me five paragraphs to explain why RoM is a WoW Clone, now on to why this is such a good thing.  GO ON, FLAUNT IT  MY HOME IS MY CASTLE Not enough customization you say? Then take a look at RoM's unique multi-class system that allows players to combine their main class (out of a possible Warrior, Knight, Rogue, Priest, Mage or Scout) with a second class – adopting all of their secondary skills and abilities. This allows for over 30 different class combinations in total and should be more than enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Hell – if you're really keen on appealing to your personal preferences, RoM even includes your very own house that you can use to store your loot and goodies, and decorate to your liking with furniture purchased through the in-game shop. Of course, to use the in-game shop, you'll need to get your credit card handy, and fork over some dough for a few diamonds.
Of course, for every good part of a game, there is surely a bad part to follow, and at present, RoM could still use a lot of work. There's nothing especially game breaking to mention, just a few little kinks that need ironing out here and there. Things like bad translations, and in some areas, no translation at all. Missing sounds, such as the hooves of your horse as it gallops across the countryside, or the always expected 'chink' your mining pick should make as it hit's the rock – missing sounds like this really draw from the immersion, and show a severe lack of polish. Runes of Magic is the gold standard of the free-to-play MMO experience. Since its release back in early 2009, Runes of Magic has enjoyed numerous major content updates, called “chapters”, which added enormous amounts of new content to the game. As is, Runes of Magic is one of the most content rich free to play MMORPGs out there.  Final Verdict: Excellent Screenshots Runes of Magic Screenshots                   Videos Runes of Magic VideosRunes of Magic Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Runes of Magic Gameplay Video Click here to view the embedded video. Runes of Magic Official Trailer Video Click here to view the embedded video. Runes of Magic Combat Video Click here to view the embedded video. Runes of Magic Housing Video System Requirements Runes of Magic System RequirementsMinimum Requirements:
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| Posted: 03 Oct 2010 01:01 AM PDT Golfstar is a 3D golfing MMO. Create a custom avatar using a variety of clothing and accessories and play a few holes alone or with up to 30 other players. Golftstar has anime inspired character designs and allows simultaneous play, making multiplayer games much faster paced.  Publisher: Gamigo Pros: +All players can play simultaneously in multiplayer. +Variety of clothes and accessories available. +Up to 30 players per match. +Great interface Cons: -Very Similar to other Golfing games. -Few playable characters. -Limited golf-course variety. Overview Golfstar OverviewGolfstar is a Korean developed golfing MMO being published in North America and Europe by Gamigo. The game was developed by Com2uS and has anime styled characters. The golf courses and surrounding environments are well rendered. Golfstar supports multiplayer matches of up to 30 players, and allows them to all play at once. This speeds up gameplay tremendously and is an improvement over several older golfing games. Like other golfing MMOs, players can customize their avatars and explore persistent shopping areas. As players progress, they’ll be able to learn passive skills that improve their stamina and strength. Golfstar competes with games like Pangya, Shot Online, and Tiger Woods Online. Graphically speaking, Golfstar looks fantastic and is well worth checking out for those interesting in golfing games. Golfstar Screenshots          Golfstar Featured Video Full Review Golfstar ReviewGolfstar Review There are few sports that have as much international appeal as golf: the polite atmosphere, the calculated shots, and the athleticism required have inspired even video game players. In recent years, golf games have made their way into the online arena, hoping to capitalize on the multiplayer aspect of online gaming. One of these games, Golfstar, is published by gamigo. While similar to Shot Online, as well as other golf games like Pangya and Tiger Woods Online, Golfstar still has plenty to offer the online golf fanatic.  Take Your Pick Golfstar’s character creation is very limited: there are two male and two female stock characters, complete with a name, age, and biography, to choose from. These characters can be customized a little: each has two hair styles and a few hair colors, plus two faces, to choose from. Still, you’ll have the look of looking like one out of every four players, with the only distinguishing feature being the clothing you equip in-game. Fashion items also offer bonuses, however, so you still may end up looking pretty similar to the player you’re putting against.  Teeing Off While Golfstar aims for fair realism, the controls during play are relatively simple. Swings take place in two phases; the first has you hold down the space bar to fill your power meter and letting go when the power is to your liking, while the second phase has you tap the space bar within a small aiming reticule on the ball itself (the closer to the center of the ball, the better the shot). This mechanic works the same for both regular shots and putts, with putts showing their power meter on the green itself instead of as a swing bar. There are a few additional controls as well. Using the mouse will let you aim left or right. Camera controls are also managed by the mouse, and three views, allowing you to focus on either the hole, the projected landing area, or the golfer, can be switched between with the keyboard. Golfers can also learn skills, which can be added to an action bar and used with standard 1-0 hotkeys for easy access. While these controls are easy to master for a beginner, the mouse controls are on a reverse axis, which may slip up a player from time to time.  How’s the Weather? While the graphics and controls of Golfstar are softly realistic, the challenges facing golfers on the holes are not. Like Shot Online, Golfstar impressively takes into consideration all the factors affecting a golf game, from wind and slope, to weather and humidity. Every condition you come across on the course can and will affect your shot, making it important to take a full scan of your situation on each shot – an impressive feat sometimes, as each shot is limited by a time of 30 to 90 seconds.  Get a Grip Golfstar is not just a free-for-all golf game; equipment and player statistics play a major part. The game features a full set of fashion items for players to equip (purchased with both the game’s in-game currency and in the cash shop), many of which affect a player’s stats. Clubs are also a major necessity in game, as are various items that can help improve a player’s accuracy, power, stamina, or control. As you play on courses, you gain experience and money. Experience will help you gain levels, which in turn grants you a few points that you can allocate between the four stats mentioned above. This is where players can really customize their experience, putting points in the stats that they are weakest at, as well as those they feel will give them an edge on the courses. Players also get to learn skills, special abilities that can be activated while on the course to help give their shots an edge.  Get on the Course Already There are only four courses available in Golfstar right now, and they all look generally similar to each other with the exception of White Cliff, which offers some beach-like obstacles and background noise. Thankfully, there are several game modes to make things more interesting. These modes are stroke (a standard golf match with the lowest score winning), match (head-to-head per hole, with one or two people per team), skins (where players bet per hole to win in-game currency), and both competition and team competition, which can feature up to 30 players golfing at the same time. Not only does Golfstar allow a large number of players on the course at once, it also makes sure that golf play goes quickly by making all players play simultaneously. While this does give a little illusion that you’re playing alone, it also significantly speeds up the golf game – a usual problem for most golf MMOs. The game also supports guilds, and hosts a regular guild day every Friday in which guilds get boosted experience and rewards as they play on the greens. Final Verdict: Good Golfstar is one of the better golf games available online; it’s realistic, it’s fast, and it supports its community through in-game lobbies and guilds, helping make it feel like a little less of a lobby and more like a golfing community. However, the game also has a very limited amount of content, and follows the same style of equipment rules that many FPS games do – permanent equipment is almost nowhere to be found (even your starter set has a thirty day limit.) While you can earn money in game to pay for clubs, you’ll have to keep a close eye on your inventory to make sure you don’t go broke and lose out on valuable stats. If you’re looking for a more realistic golf game, this might be your best bet – just watch your pocketbook. Screenshots Golfstar Screenshots                  System Requirements Golfstar RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| Posted: 17 Aug 2010 11:21 PM PDT Iris Online is 3D fantasy MMORPG with a gypsy theme. Players can chose between three races and can explore the anime-inspired world of Arcana. Experience a unique environment centered on 22 tarot cards, including The Fool, The Chariot, and Wheel of Fortune.  Publisher: gPotato Pros: +3 playable races, 6 starting classes. +Unique tarot card feature. +Transform into monsters using cards. +Themed instanced dungeons. Cons: -Limited inventory space. -Familiar gameplay and character progression. -Visual style may not appeal to some players.
Overview Iris Online OverviewIris Online is a free-to-play MMORPZG developed by Eyasoft, the same studio behind Luna Online. Like Luna, Iris boasts a cute, anime-inspired visual style. But don’t let the graphics fool you, Iris Online is a full-feature MMORPG with a unique gypsy theme. Tarot cards effect much of the world, including the twenty-two instanced dungeons, each of which have a different theme based off one of the cards. Players can collect monster cards off almost any enemy in the game and use them to transform into those monsters. PvP battle zones pit up to fifteen players near the same level against each other. Players progress by gaining experience and skill points. The game has a variety of races and classes to choose from. Human - Easily adaptable race that possess great strength and excels at technology. Fighter - Fighters rely on brute strength and large weapons to deal heavy damage at melee range. Mage - Arcane spellcasters who fight from a distance. They can buff allies, but are fragile in combat. Hybrid - Half-human, half-animal. Hybrids have high strength and stamina, though their knowledge of magic is limited. Warrior - Equipped with heavy armor, warriors are always at the forefront of battle where they can defend their allies. Rogue - Shrewd combatants that rely on speed and cunning. Rogues exploit vulnerabilities in their opponents. Elf - Elves are the oldest race in Arcana. They have unmatched knowledge and an affinity for nature Ranger - Trackers and outdoorsmen. Rangers are masters of stealthy movement and the gun. They can also use daggers. Shaman - Masters of fire, air, earth, and water magic. Shamans can summon elementals to aid them. Iris Online Screenshots          Iris Online Featured Video Full Review Iris Online ReviewBy Erhan Altay Most anime-themed fantasy MMORPGs tend to be very similar, but once in a while a game like Iris Online comes along and adds a new twist to the genre. Iris Online is developed by the Korean studio Eyasoft and published in North America on Gala-Net's gPotato portal. Eyasoft is behind a number of anime styled games including Luna Online and the recent Legend of Edda, but Iris Online is different from those titles. It has a 'Gypsy' theme, which means the world is filled with tarot cards, carnivals, and circus themed areas and instances. Behind the brightly colored visual style is an in-depth MMORPG with varied races, classes, PvP options, and other features.  Races of Arcana Iris Online entered beta testing in the middle of October in 2010, and with a 2.4 gb client size, its a fairly large game. Each account has five character slots per server, which is almost enough to cover the six starting classes. There are three playable races to chose from: Human, Hybrid, and Elf. Each of these has two distinct classes available, for a grand total of six. There are a few face, hair, and hair color options, but appearance customization is very limited overall. The character models themselves look great. After character creation, the game prompts players with an option to take part in the tutorial. It's short, and explains some of the original features found later in the game. There's also a reward for completing it, so new players should run through it at least once.  Sign Up for the Circus The tutorial in Iris Online takes place in a circus-themed zone where players are introduced to a new aspect of gameplay in each room. The game supports both keyboard (W,A,S,D) and point-and-click controls which will please many gamers. Better still, the keyboard controls actually feel fluid. This is one of the few Asian developed free-to-play MMORPGs where I felt more comfortable using W,A,S,D over the mouse. Players can even jump by hitting the space bar, but this propels them far into the air and is rarely practical. After learning to move, the next quest explains a bit about the game's lore. Most gamers will skip past this, but just remember that the world is called Arcana, and the races had to work together to defeat some evil force long ago. Next, players can choose between three cat mounts. Mounts come in all shapes and sizes in Iris Online including giant cats, crabs, and so on. Newbies won't be able to keep their tutorial mount, it only serves to show them how to use one. The interface in Iris Online is simple, the map is opened by hitting 'M', the quest log opens with the 'L' key, and inventory with the 'I' key. The only major complaints with the interface are the limited inventory space of twenty-five slots that new players start with, and the inability to view maps beside the one a character is currently in.  Fortune Telling One major feature that distinguishes Iris Online from other free-to-play games is its Gypsy theme. Tarots cards, which are still used by fortune tellers today, have perhaps the most well known aspect of Gypsy culture. These cards, and especially the twenty-two major ones, play an important role in Iris Online. Each of the original twenty-two instanced dungeons in the game are based off one of the twenty-two major Tarot cards. Veteran gamers may have come across these cards before in other games like the Persona or Ultima series. They include cards like 'The Fool', 'Judgment', and 'The Emperor.' The order that a person draws these cards is supposed to reveal something about their fortune, but in Iris they play a role in weapon customization, crafting, and monster summoning. The tutorial explains most of these features, but its important to note that besides the twenty-two major tarot cards, there are fifty-six minor ones. On top of that, nearly every monster in the game (including raid bosses) have a chance of dropping cards. The cards monsters drop come in two forms: one type can be attached to equipment Ragnarok Online style, while the other kind is used to temporarily transform into the particular monster that dropped it. Each monster has a unique set of skills, and buffs. Cards are also used in crafting and can be combined with other items to create completely new items.  Character Growth Progression in Iris Online is fairly linear. Players gain experience by hunting and completing quests, but they also gain SXP (skill experience) independently of their base experience. When the SXP bar fills, players are rewarded with a skill point which can be distributed among the multple skill trees each class has. Each starting class has access to two or more weapon/spell types, and each is represented by its own skill tree. Rogues, for example, can use rifles or dual daggers. Shamans can specialize in divine or offensive magic. Fighters can specialize in two-handed swords, dual swords, or sword & shield skills. All classes have a passive skill tree which contains permanent boosts to health, damage output, or particular stats. It is possible to spread skill points across multiple specializations, but this is not recommended. Players can a free skill reset at level 30, when they can make their first job change, but must use a cash shop item if they mess up before or after that time. Base experience is a lot simpler. Players don't receive stat points as they level, they increase automatically and can be raised further with magic equipment and buffs. Besides skills, there is one extra layer of customization in the form of an elemental 'Force.' There are four forces to chose from: Helen (fire), Nero (water), Annes (wind), Dera (ground.) Why does Nero represent water? I'm not quite sure, but there are several translation quirks throughout the game and this may just be one of them.  Point A to Point B Gameplay in Iris Online is heavily quest-based, and players are usually lead from one zone to the next in a linear path. New players start in the town of Terminus, which is in perpetual night and progress to hunting grounds that are at different times of the day. The assortment of quests should be familiar to MMORPG fans; kill quests, item gathering quests, and talk to NPC X quests. To auto-move to a location, players must bring up the map and click on a certain area. There's no quest objective to quest objective auto-navigation, which is actually a good thing since too much automation can make a game boring. Combat relies on actively using a variety of skills, as they usually have cool downs of a few seconds. Luckily, every class is equipped with an assortment of skills and mana regeneration is pretty high. Interestingly, spells and skills cost a percent of total mana, not just a set amount. This makes the MP recovery rate a very important stat for every class. The constant use of skills keeps combat exciting, and monsters in Iris Online start aggroing at an early level, which makes things more challenging. Early quests reward players with dozens of HP/MP potions, but these will run out eventually. There's no death penalty until level 10, and players are free to spawn right where they died. After level 10, death carries a small exp penalty, and resurrecting where you fell causes a debuff for several minutes.  Carnival Games Iris Online has many small features that help round it out as a full-feature MMORPG. These include an auction house, the ability to open personal shop stalls, and a title system. Titles are earned in a variety of ways, the most common being consuming tokens dropped by monsters. Titles effect the stats of a character when equipped, and can have both positive and negative effects. A title geared towards casters may increase magic damage and intelligence, but may decrease strength. Iris Online also has several PvP modes on top of the standard duel. Every so often, players are prompted on whether they want to participate in a capture the flag or team deathmatch event. If enough players within a certain level range agree, everyone who chose to participate is teleported to an instanced Colosseum field where two sides (each with up to eighteen players) duke it out. The game keeps track of PvP stats, including total kills, deaths, and also rewards points towards the player's currently chosen 'Force.' Besides large-scale PvP events, players can also group up to clear instanced dungeons scattered across the world.  You've Come a Long Way The visuals in Iris Online are very reminiscent of earlier anime-styled games, particularly Fiesta Online, Seal Online, and perhaps a bit of Rose Online thrown in. Being a newer game, it’s not much of a surprise that the graphics in Iris are better than those previous games. It’s a high quality title, and a slightly more mature alternative to Eyasoft's more chibi-oriented titles. Final Verdict: Great Iris Online may feel familiar at first glance, but it has a lot of depth and a unique theme. With three races and a large assortment of classes, Iris Online offers varied gameplay options but with a simple to understand progression system. Instanced dungeons, instanced PvP battlegrounds, and the multi-purpose card system all add up to make Iris Online a top-notch MMORPG. It doesn't breakthe mold enough to earn the top score, but it’s still a game well worth checking out. Screenshots Iris Online Screenshots                    Videos Iris Online VideosIris Online Cinematic Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Iris Online Gameplay Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Iris Online Gameplay – First Look System Requirements Iris Online RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Loong: The Power of the Dragon Posted: 17 Mar 2010 06:00 PM PDT Loong: The Power of the Dragon is a 3D fantasy MMORPG set in ancient China. The game has an original art style, a classless progression system, and boasts over 1000 quests. Take part in epic PvP battles that support up to 500 players!  Publisher: Gamigo Pros: +Quest driven progression. +Varied weapon types. +PvP combat supports up to 500 players. +High quality animations. -Fluid gameplay & interface. Cons: -Familiar setting. -Mobs offer little challenge. -Poor English translations. -Quests & combat feel repetitive.
Overview Loong: The Power of the Dragon OverviewLoong: The Power of the Dragon is set in ancient China, but sets it self apart from other oriental themed MMORPGs with its unique art style and classless progression system. Chose from several weapon types, and learn skills from eight unique talent trees. Progression is heavily quest driven in Loong, and an auto-navigation feature makes traveling between objectives simple. Players unlock several skills during the first few levels, and also earn their first mount and pet early on. The game has fluid gameplay and controls that allow for keyboard and point & click movement. Weapon Types - Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Totem, Glove, Zither Talent Trees - Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Battle, Yang, Yin, Healing, Zither, Magic Loong: The Power of the Dragon Screenshots          Loong: The Power of the Dragon Featured Video Full Review Loong: The Power of the Dragon ReviewBy, Erhan Altay Loong: The Power of the Dragon is an Asian developed MMORPG set in ancient China. The German publisher Gamigo is bringing the game to both the European and North American region. Despite the familiar setting, Loong is a high quality title with an original art style, innovative class system, and other interesting features.  Not a Loong Wait Despite being released in China earlier this year, Loong is already ready for beta testing in the West. The game is a big budget project that is estimated to have cost over $10 million dollars to develop. Traditionally, MMORPGs took several years to move from Asia to the West, but the pace is definitely starting to pick up. Unlike most games out of China, Loong is a high quality MMORPG with great 3D graphics, cool attack animations, and high production value all around. At around 2.7 gb, the client size is pretty large, but the download shouldn't take long. Loong isn't Gamigo's first Chinese MMORPG. Martial Empires is an earlier high quality title, but that game is only open to European gamers. Luckily, Loong more than makes up for what we've been missing.  Pick a Weapon, but not a Class The login screen in Loong is highly stylized and sets a good mood for the rest of the game. The loading screens are a bit odd, they include animated backgrounds and real images of ladies in sexy outfits. The character creation process is very streamlined. There are five hair styles, six hair colors, five face styles, and three outfits per gender. Several 'detail' options are also available which represent things like tattoos and scars. There's also an option to preview several high level armor designs on your character before creating it. Overall, appearance customization is rather slim, especially compared to some older MMORPGs like Martial Empires or Perfect World. Like Heroes of Three Kingdoms, players don't select a class in Loong. Instead, they chose from seven weapons: Sword, Sabre, Polearm, Bow, Totem, Glove, or Zither. The initial weapon selection has no effect on character progression, players are free to switch between them freely. Eventually, players will have to select which weapons to specialize in by distributing talent points among specific skill trees.  Dragon Village New players start in Dragon Village where a number of NPCs offer simple talk quests and describe some of the game's basics. Movement can be done with either W,A,S,D or point-and-click. While most Asian MMORPGs fail at pulling off fluid keyboard controls, Loong does it excellently. I found myself using keyboard controls throughout my whole experience. There's a very simple auto-navigation system that helps players get to and from quest objectives. This means travel very simple, and also ensures players won't have to read any of the quest flavor text. The rest of the interface is well organized, 'b' opens the inventory, 'q' opens the quest log, 'k' brings up the talent trees, and so on. It's not until around level 6 that players start earning talent points, but they will receive 2 stat points every level starting at level 2. Those who follow the beginner quest lines will find themselves leveling rapidly, even without having to kill more than a few monsters. At level 5, newbies quality to leave Dragon Village and enter the zone of Dragon Castle. This zone serves as the capital city, but the surrounding areas are also the primary hunting grounds for the first few dozen levels.  One, Two, Three The early level quests do a great job giving players equipment and consumable items, but players must eventually decide which weapons to specialize in. There are a total of ten talent trees in Loong, and it is recommended to focus on one during the early levels. It is possible to reset talent point distribution quite easily, especially while under level 30. Each weapon has a primary and secondary stat, so be sure to distribute talent and stat points favorably. The six stats are: Physique, Strength, Qi, Spirit, Agility, and Skill. Simply hover the cursor over any of them to find out what they do. Before long, player will unlock several skills in their chosen talent tree and be off using them in combat. Even without skills, the monsters in Loong barely put up a fight. Difficulty seems to be something Chinese developers in particular seem to ignore. Simply spamming 2-3 skills is enough to fell any monster near your level range. You'll barely receive any damage in return. This means there's no need to rest between battles, and the fact that no mobs under level 20 seems to be aggressive add up to a low sense of challenge. Player will simply move from one hunting ground to the next, stopping long enough to kill a few defenseless critters before moving on.  Ride a Pony Loong introduces players to the game's pet system early on. Pets are called 'spirit beasts' and come in a variety of rarities and skills. Some can be ridden, others can pick up loot for their master. Players can transfer, or 'pour', some of their experience towards their pets to help them level up, and pets can even be equipped with special items. Several stats track the potency of a pet including 'potential' which measures the amount of skills the pet can eventually learn and its growth rate. A pet may look cute and small, but when mounted it grows into a full size steed. This is but one of many interesting animations. If a player clicks on the ground to move there, a splat of ink appears and vanishes. The game's animations are realistic, but with an artistic touch. Jumping (space bar) also functions a bit differently. After jumping, players appear to glide down slowly. Like so many recent MMORPGs, Loong also has a title system where players can equip titles that they've unlocked by completing quests or performing other tasks. There are a ton of other small features which, added up, make Loong a much more in-depth game. Crafting skills are separate from the talent tree, and include both resource gathering skills (like mining) and production skills.  Cramped Quarters The experience in Loong is well paced, handing it quests gives a burst of experience and there are always plenty of quests available. The quest log even lists available quests which players can auto-navigate towards. Some quests are repeatable, but the sense of grind doesn't kick in until mid level. The game encourages some player cooperation in the form of a mentor/apprentice system. Players have to be at least level 50 to be a mentor, but there's no real reason to even talk to another person during the early game since the PvE offers so little challenge. Before long, players will find themselves having to throw away items since their inventory fills up so fast. New characters start with 20 inventory slots, but can increase this by using 'auxiliary bags' obtained in the item mall. There are plenty of convenience items like this for sale in the cash shop, but nothing that dramatically effects balance. Like Soul Order Online and Forsaken World, there's an odd feature that rewards players with some freebie items every few minutes. It's called 'Dragon Blessing' and the small interface menu for it is located near the middle of the screen. Users playing Loong on a small resolution will want to turn all these extra menus off since it can cramp the gameplay area. Another box appears on the left of the screen every time a player earns new attribute or talent points. Speaking of resolutions, the graphic options in Loong can be a little confusing. I couldn't figure out how to play in windowed mode, but I did discover a new mode where the game is nearly full-screen but the taskbar is still visible and you can launch other programs with Loong remaining in the background. Final Verdict: Good Loong: The Power of the Dragon is a high quality MMORPG with a familiar oriental setting. The classless, talent tree driven progression helps set it apart from its competitors. There are also a lot of small features that, combined, give Loong a high production value. The only problem is that due to the lack of difficulty, much of the early level combat feels repetitive. Its definitely a game worth checking, just be ready for some grind. Screenshots Loong: The Power of the Dragon Screenshots                  Videos Loong: The Power of the Dragon VideosLoong: The Power of the Dragon Cinematic Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Loong: The Power of the Dragon Gameplay Footage Click here to view the embedded video. Loong: The Power of the Dragon Gameplay Trailer System Requirements Loong: The Power of the Dragon System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Posted: 08 Mar 2010 11:51 PM PST King of Kings 3 is a 3D, fantasy MMORPG with a strong emphasis on large-scale PvP battles. One of the most prominent features in King of Kings 3 is the unique city building system offered to guilds as they fight for control over regions in the game.  Publisher: Gamigo Pros: +Unique housing and city building system. +Very high level cap. +Flying mounts. +Varied PvP options. +Massive RvR battles. Cons: -Interface feels old. -Generic fantasy theme. -Limited PvE content. Overview King of Kings 3 OverviewKing of Kings is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG published by Gamigo with a strong emphasis on PvP battles. Players can create their own guilds and fight for control over land in the game world. Guilds that control territory are free to build their own cities. Graphically speaking, the game looks a bit dated, but it has a very strong emphasis on PvP. PvE fans aren’t completely ignored though, as the game boasts thousands of quests and a high level cap. Auto navigation features make progression simple, but players will have to wait until level 50 to make their first job change. Warrior - The most physically powerful class, able to carry the heaviest armor and most powerful weapons. Berserker - All out offensive fighters that can deal heavy damage at close range. Berserkers can dual-wield. Mage - Fragile in body, but powerful in mind. Mages can cast devastating spells from a distance. Sword Mage - Armed with crystal infused blades, Sword Mages can deal heavy damage but are still fragile. Cleric - A supportive class that can heal and buff allies during battle. Clerics are devout and benevolent soldiers. Scholar - True believers who are granted enormous healing abilities and the power of resurrection. King of Kings 3 Screenshots          King of Kings 3 Featured Video Full Review King of Kings 3 ReviewBy Erhan Altay Tired of Grindfests? Looking for an MMORPG with an oldschool feel? King of Kings 3 may be what you've been waiting for. While it has a typical fantasy theme, the gameplay is geared towards PvP, and more precisely RvR (realm vs. realm) combat. Join one of seven warring realms and conquer the world of Tangramia.  A Shattered Realm After centuries of warfare, the once united world of Tangramia split into seven rival realms: Germania, Lutetia, Britannia, Mediterrania, Anatolia, Polonia, and the New World. That last one aside, its obvious that the Roman Empire was the inspiration for Tangramia. Players can chose between any of the seven realms during character creation, but first they'll have to get through Gamigo's clunky account creation process. The German publisher Gamigo holds both the European and American licenses for Kings of Kings 3. Each account has three character slots per server, which is enough to create one of each of the three base classes: Warrior, Mage, and Cleric. There are a number of appearance customization options including around eleven hair colors and styles per gender. There are also several face styles and 'features' to chose from. Features covers things like tattoos, makeup, scars, and so forth. Players are asked to set a character password before finishing character creation as an added security precaution. The password must be at least eight characters, which makes it more bothersome than the four digit pin some games ask for these days. The character designs themselves aren't very detailed, but that's because the graphics quality in Kings of Kings 3 is dated.  Familiar Beginnings After logging in for the first time, players are met with several screens of text that explain the backstory of Kings of Kings 3. It scrolls pretty fast, and I'm no speed reader so I missed about a quarter of it. It didn't seem to exciting, but it helps that there is some lore to the game. Each realm has its own starting area, but the newbie experience is pretty similar regardless of region. Being the good Turk that I am, I chose Anatolia as my realm. For those of you who slept during class, Anatolia is the geographic region where most of modern day Turkey lies. Like many other recent Asian MMORPGs, King of Kings has an auto-navigation feature that makes traveling and questing a breeze. Players start next to a quest NPC, and gain their first level simply by talking to him. A series of quests that involve talking to various NPCs around town, and eventually fighting nearby creatures come next. Players are rewarded with ample HP/MP potions along the way, along with a new weapon and pieces of equipment. It is highly recommend that players complete this beginner chain of quests, as it will take them to level eight or so in no time. It's much, much faster than grinding.  Retro Look & Feel As I went about my newbie chores, I noticed that the interface and art style looked somewhat familiar to those in the now defunct Turf Battles. The visuals are much sharper than Turf Battle's, and the resolution options go all the way up to 1920×1980. But, the health and mana meters next to the avatar portrait on the top left, and the character and backpack screens all look like something from a classic action RPG. There are some nice visual touches such as swaying trees, and light waves breaking on the shore. Overall, the best that can be said of the graphics in KoK3 when compared to other recent, free-to-play MMORPG releases is that they are functional. Everything is brightly colored, easy to see, and thankfully there's none of that trendy bloom effect that makes everything unbearably bright. King of Kings 3 supports both keyboard (W,A,S,D) and mouse (point and click) controls. There are two hotkey bars, one activated by the function keys (F1-F12), and a smaller one activated by the number keys (1-0.) Besides skills, players can assign items such as health and mana potions to these slots.  The Path to Glory The experience rate in King of Kings 3 is pretty high, but only if players stick to questing. Each level, players are rewarded with 2 stat point which they can distribute among six stats: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Willpower, Stamina, and Luck. Players can hover their cursor over each stat to see what it does. Besides stat points, players receive a single skill point every level. Each class has its own skill tree consisting of 10 skills. Players must purchase skill books before they can place points in a given skill, along with meeting its other prerequisite. As with other MMORPGs, I find the need to go back to town to pick up a skill book totally pointless, but it is what it is. At level 50, each class can make its first class advancement to one of three available first classes. Warriors can become Berserkers, Rangers, or Knights. Mages can become Sword Mages, Conjurers, or Wizards. Clerics can become Scholars, Bishops, or Priests. Players are accompanied on their adventures by an Imamu, which is basically a fairy. These can perform a number of helpful tasks. They accumulate experience which they can transfer over to the player, and when they are summoned they can repair the player's equipment. Imamu can also automatically sell items in your backpack when your inventory is full. Players can set which items they want sold ahead of time so as not to lose rare drops. Besides Imamu pets, players can also collect a variety of mounts. Some quests reward players with temporary mounts, but more permanent ones can be purchased at higher levels.  Lone Wolf King of Kings 3 has very linear progression, monsters are found in clumps and defeating these monsters boils down to spamming a single skill over and over again. There's no cool down to consuming HP or MP potions, and after the first dozen levels players will have to chug them during every fight. Those who can put up with the repetitive nature of early level gameplay can look forward to some pretty interesting PvP features. First and foremost, players can freely attack members of rival realms that intrude on their territory. It is also possible to disable the default peace mode which will allow a player to attack anyone they like, including members of their realm. The game discourages same-realm PKing (player killing) by increasing the chances of dropping items upon death for those who indiscriminately attack others. The game also keeps track of PvP victories and losses, and uses them to publish various ranking lists which are updated daily. Players can access these rankings via a button near their mini map on the top right of the interface.  Founding a Kingdom Solo PvP is just the bottom layer in King of Kings 3. Players can go on to found guilds and participate in guild activities, including guild quests which pit guilds against each other. Players must be level 20 or higher to join or found a guild, and there are five guild ranks which determine how many members a guild can have (maximum of 28.) Once a guild reaches rank 3, its guild master can found a Legion. Legions are also ranked from 1-5, but are made up of entire guilds, not individual players. A rank 5 Legion can have up to seven guilds in it. Legions can also construct buildings on their own plots of land which provide benefits to all of its members. The leader of a Legion can embark of a series of quests to found his or her own Kingdom. Any would-be monarch will require a vast amount of resources, including gold and rare materials to found their Kingdom. Legion members can donate these resources to their leader who, if successful, will be rewarded with a unique royal mount, a monthly in-game salary, and the ability to fortify towns. Leaders of Kingdoms will also be able to populate their towns with NPC defensive workers, temples, workshops, and much more. Even players who don't have the time or stamina to work their way up this ladder can own a personal home that can be upgraded and decorated with an assortment of furniture.  Find Your Niche The simple, but functional graphics make King of Kings 3 an approachable MMORPG for gamers whose computers might not be on the cutting edge. There are plenty of bonus features like a crafting system, and the ability to equip mounts with gear like saddles and armor, but the core PvE gameplay still involves taking turns swinging at stupid AI monsters. Players looking for an organized PvP experience will appreciate the detailed guild system in King of Kings 3, but the large number of factions worries me a little. Each server will need a lot of players to make it seem active, and whether or not King of Kings 3 can attract those numbers remains to be seen. Final Verdict: Good Despite a dated interface and graphic style, Kings of Kings 3 is a very functional MMORPG. The PvE content is not spectacular, but the PvP features make it worth the effort. The ability to organize large masses of players and participate in massive battles is appealing. Added extras like customizable player housing, and the ability to build entire cities are added bonuses. Screenshots King of Kings 3 Screenshots                   Videos King of Kings 3 VideosKing of Kings 3 Cinematic Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. King of Kings 3 Gameplay Footage Click here to view the embedded video. King of Kings 3 Official Gameplay Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. King of Kings 3 Gameplay – First Look System Requirements King of Kings 3 System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Posted: 25 Feb 2010 06:44 PM PST World of Tanks is a 3D, team-based MMO shooter where players take control of World War 2 era tanks. Gameplay in World of Tanks requires teamwork and strategy. With over a hundred tanks to choose from and up to sixty players per battle, WoT offers conflicts of epic proportions!  Publisher: Wargaming.net Pros: +Over 150 armored vehicles to command. +Historically accurate tanks of American, German, and Soviet design. +Up to 60 players per battle. +Unique gameplay. Cons: -No single player or PvE modes. -Steep learning curve.
Overview World of Tanks OverviewWorld of Tanks puts players in command of their very own World War 2 era battle tank. WoT is a team-based game where two sides of up to thirty players each compete to destroy all opposing vehicles. With 150 combat vehicles of American, German, and Soviet design, World of Tanks offers an in-depth gaming experience. The publishers promise a historically accurate setting and action-oriented gameplay. RPG elements also make an appearance, as players will be able to upgrade their tanks with new parts and crew members. New recruits start with a light German or Soviet tank, but after accumulating experience and credits, they will be able to upgrade to heavier models. Additionally, it will be possible to upgrade individual parts such as turrets, chassis, engines, guns, radios, and ammunition types. World of Tanks Screenshots          World of Tanks Featured Video Full Review World of Tanks ReviewBy Erhan Altay World of Tanks was first commissioned in 2009 and put into service in the second half of 2010. The tank-based shooter is developed by Wargaming.net, a Russian studio behind several other historically themed video games. World of Tanks is their first free-to-play title, and they've come in swinging strong. World of Tanks boasts great graphics, ease of play, and plenty of customization features.  New Recruit World of Tanks is set during the World War 2 era but also encompasses the years preceding and following that infamous conflict. All of the vehicles, equipment, and environments are historically accurate and are drawn from the 1930s-1950s period. The client size comes in at a bit over 1 GB, but won't take long to download since multiple direct download links are provided. Players sign in using their email address and don't have to worry about character creation. All new players start with a Soviet MS-1 and a German Leichttraktor. These are light tanks and won't put up much of a fight, but they are versatile and enough to learn the ropes. There's no tutorial or trial round to worry about, either. Players can simply click the large red 'Battle!' button towards the top of the screen and get started.  The Armory While World of Tanks is proud of its historic accuracy, it doesn't let history get in the way of gameplay. The game is easy to pick up and play, but difficulty to master. All matches involve two opposing teams of up to 30 players, for a total of 60 players per round. The most common game mode is team deathmatch, where players are randomly assigned to a team before the round begins. Other modes include capture the flag and clan deathmatch, but new players will generally find themselves in the standard random team deathmatch mode. World of Tanks supports a range of resolutions and gives players four graphic settings. There's also an option to play in either full screen or windowed mode. This is very helpful, since new players will spend a lot of their time dead, waiting for the round to end. Having World of Tanks open in a window will allow players to cruise the web during down time. Like NavyField, another war-themed MMO, newbies will find themselves dying in one hit, often unexpectedly. This can be frustrating, but remember that World of Tanks is striving for realism. This means driving full speed ahead at the enemy base by yourself is not a viable strategy. Instead, the game requires teamwork, making use of terrain, and ambushing opponents.  Test Drive The gameplay in World of Tanks was inspired by the tank-based combat in World War 2 Online, a subscription-based MMORPG several years old. Fans of the Battlefield series will see similarities. Tanks played a large role in Battlefield 1942, and are present in the more recent Battlefield Heroes. In the Battlefield games, tank mechanics were almost arcade-like, and WW2 Online was a bit too complicated. World of Tanks strikes the middle ground between those extremes. Tanks are easy to control, but there's a lot of depth to their customization and stats. Players move their tanks with WASD and control the camera and their turret with the mouse. The default view is third-person, but can easily be changed by using the mouse wheel. The game utilizes an interesting aiming system where the crosshairs shrink or expand depending on the action of the player. While moving, the crosshairs expand making it difficult to hit a target. After entering a stationary positions, the crosshairs start to shrink making it much more practical to fire. The beginner tanks tend to move slowly, so it may take a while to make your way around the map. Maps themselves are large enough to allow depth of movement and ambush, but not so large that it becomes impractical to get from one end to another. A match ends either when one side is wiped out or if one team manages to capture the other side's base. There are no respawns in World of Tanks. If a player's tank is destroyed, they must spectate until the round ends.  Customize and Accessorize At the end of each round players are rewarded with experience and credits whether they win or lose. Credits are the main in-game currency and can be used to purchase new tanks, NPC crew members, or new parts for your current tanks. There are five types of vehicles including light, medium, heavy, tank destroyers, and SPGs (artillery). Additionally, each individual vehicle has multiple slots including turret, chassis, engine, and gun ports. There are 2-6 versions of each part for each vehicle. Just purchasing these parts or vehicles isn't enough, as players must first use their accumulated experience points to research the appropriate technology. Each faction has its own tech tree. This means its best to focus on either the American, German, or Soviet tank lines. Distributing points across the three trees will just make it take longer to access powerful tanks and parts. Even after their first round, players will have enough to start upgrading their starter tank. The best place to start is probably with engine and track upgrades since these effect movement speed.  In The Army Besides purchasing tanks and parts, players must recruit crew members to populate their vehicles. Crew members come in four types, Commander, Loader, Radio Operator and Driver. They gain experience with use and become more effective at their roles. The loader helps lower the cool down time between shots, the driver speeds up movement, radio operators increase the range at which the minimap displays enemy units, and the commander improves aiming. Players start with a full crew for their starter tanks, but must hire new recruits to populate additional tanks. Crew members are free to recruit at the lower tier, but premium ones cost either credits or gold, the game's premium currency. There are also multiple types of ammunition such as armor piercing and high explosive. Each type of ammo has multiple variants, some of which cost gold. Ammo is not infinite in World of Tanks! Players will have to replenish their stock after each round or risk running low during combat.  Casualties of War Like in Battlefield Heroes, it can be difficult for friends to jump into the same game in World of Tanks. Sure, players can add each other as friends and try to join the same game, but the trouble with this is how fast matches fill up in World of Tanks. That's a testament to the game's popularity, but it can prove frustrating. The lack of a traditional lobby system definitely streamlines the process of finding a game, but comes at its own cost. Another small complaint concerns shooting. It’s difficult to tell where a shot lands, and this may be realistic, but it makes aiming that much more difficult. If I knew where my last hit landed, I could better calibrate for my next shot. New players should expect to die a lot, and to die a lot without scoring very many kills. Enemy artillery can prove especially frustrating since their range allows them to kill while remaining unseen by most other tanks. It's great to see the three major nations represented in WoT, but it would have been nice to see some tanks from the side of the British, Italians, or others. It remains to be seen how the Russian World of Tanks does against the similarly themed Korean Tank Ace. The two games will see final release at around the same time. What ever the outcome, 2010 will be a great year for free-to-play gamers who also happen to be WW2 buffs. Final Verdict: Good World of Tanks is an easy to approach, tank-based shooter that has layers of depth to unravel. Quickly jump into massive 30v30 battles, or take the time to customize one of the hundreds of tanks available in World of Tanks. The game can be enjoyed in short bursts, or more competitively as part of a clan. Screenshots World of Tanks Screenshots                 Videos World of Tanks VideosWorld of Tanks Light Tank Gameplay Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. World of Tanks Gameplay Trailer System Requirements World of Tanks System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| Posted: 12 Sep 2009 03:34 AM PDT Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG based on the classic D&D tabletop role playing game. Originally released as a subscription based game, Dungeons & Dragons Online is now free-to-play! Chose your class, race, skills, and feats then head off into the legendary city of Stormreach where adventure awaits!  Publisher: Turbine Pros: +Detailed character creation process. +More or less faithful to the D&D 3.5 ruleset. +Fast paced gameplay. +Dungeons can be run solo or with parties. Cons: -Some races, classes, & areas require payments to access. -Difficult character progression, especially for those unfamiliar with D&D. Overview Dungeons & Dragons Online OverviewDungeons & Dragons Online is the latest formerly pay-to-play MMORPG switching over to the free-to-play model. The game is set in the fictional world of Eberron and remains faithful to the D&D franchise. Everything from geography to gameplay mechanics has been successfully ported from the tabletop game to the online virtual world. Unlike other PC games that use the D&D 3.5 ruleset (such as Neverwinter Nights) combat in Dungeons & Dragons Online is fast-paced and feels more like the style found in action-RPGs; players must left-click to swing their weapon each time. The game world functions similarly to the system used in Guild Wars, where players interact freely in towns but all other areas are instanced. Dungeons are filled with puzzles and traps, which help give the game the same ‘feel’ as the tabletop role playing game. Races: Human - The most versatile of races. Humans are fast learners capable of playing as any class. +1 feat during character creation. Classes: Melee Classes - Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Monk* Spellcaster Classes - Sorcerer, Cleric, Wizard, Favored Soul* Specialist Classes - Ranger, Rogue, Bard * These races/classes must be purchased before they can be selected. Dungeons & Dragons Online Screenshots          Dungeons & Dragons Online Featured Video Full Review Dungeons & Dragons Online ReviewBy, Erhan Altay I first ran across Dungeons and Dragons (D&D for short) in a comic book shop when I was in grade school. Since then, I’ve played the venerable tabletop role playing game off and on again in my basement with bags full of dice, pencils, notebooks and plenty of hardcover instruction manuals. I always imagined D&D would make a great video game since almost all fantasy-themed video games already borrowed so much from it. Dozens of high quality games were eventually released based on the D&D franchise, including the Baulder’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Icewind Dale series. Unfortunately, all of these titles lacked something that made D&D special – the social experience. You just can’t play D&D alone. Finally, in February of 2008, Turbine partnered with Wizards of the Coast to remedy this situation by releasing the MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach.  Death & Rebirth Dungeons & Dragons Online was originally released as a subscription based game where players had to pay $15 a month to access the game. During the time of release this was the standard model in the industry but with World of Warcraft as a direct competitor, things looked grim. Eventually the decision was made to re-launch the game as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited which would be free-to-play with optional micropayments as the primary means of revenue. Fortunately, all the content updates that went into the game during its pay-to-play life are included in the newly re-launched version. Major updates to the game are known as modules, and there have been a total of eight thus far. Each module has added new dungeons, quests, items, gameplay fixes and so on. Several new races and classes have been introduced through modules, such as the Monk in module 7. New players do not need to know the history of the game in order to enjoy it, but should be aware that they are experiencing a game that has had years of refinement.  Bring Out the Character Sheets! One of the most enjoyable activities in tabletop D&D is the process of creating a new character. Players choose their race, class, distribute stat points, skills points, and select their starting feats. The level of customization all these steps left open was mind boggling, and it was possible to spend hours researching the best build. Dungeons & Dragons Online manages to preserve that deep character creation process, but also to streamline it for players who just want to get on with it. There are three types of classes available: Melee, Spell, and Specialist. Ten of the eleven archetypes should be familiar to gamers, with the exception being the “Favored Soul” class. That class (along with the Monk) must be purchased before they can be selected, so new players don’t even have to worry about the cleric/sorcerer hybrid. As for races, there are a total of six, though two of them, the Warforged and Drow Elf, must be purchased before use. Each race has unique racial bonuses and flaws which are explained during character creation. The game offers players three predesigned ‘paths’ for each class, but also allows players to customize their skills and feats on their own. Paths can best be described as specializations. So for example a Ranger can chose to pursue skills and feats that allow him to proficiently duel-wield weapons or to perfect his long ranged bow and arrow use. Even after character creation, players can always switch paths or decide on their own what abilities to learn. The ability to multiclass adds yet another layer of complexity to the game, but new players should just stick to the pre made templates for their first character. Appearance customization is similarly in-depth with plenty of hair, nose, lip, eye, and ear options.  Marooned on Korthos Island After the intricate character creation process players find themselves shipwrecked on Korthos Island which acts as a newbie area for the first two or three levels. An NPC guides players along a path towards a grotto where they run through a dungeon with an AI party, which includes a cleric, sorcerer, and rogue. A special buff prevents players from dying during this introductory dungeon, but it does serve as a good example of what gameplay is like in Dungeons & Dragons Online. A narrator acts as the ‘dungeon master’ and provides players with flavor text and instructions as they progress through an adventure. Dungeons generally contain plenty of secret treasures, traps, and optional areas which helps them feel like an authentic D&D adventure. I even had to use my ‘search’ skill to detect a hidden door during one of the early dungeons. Dungeons & Dragons Online loosely follows the 3.5 D&D rules which, among other things, means players have a limited amount of spells per day. Health points do not regenerate automatically while on an adventure, but players can rest at special rest shrines to restore their hp and daily spell limits.  Real Time Combat Combat in Dungeons & Dragons Online resembles the gameplay in action-RPGs where players have to click or hold down the left mouse button to swing their weapons. For every swing, ability or spell the game automatically rolls the appropriate dice on the left hand side of the screen to determine whether players hit their target and how much damage they deal. All equipment is labeled in the same fashion as the tabletop game. For example, a long sword might have a damage stat of ’1d8′ which means it deals 1-8 damage (plus any stat or ability modifiers) on each successful attack. For melee attacks, the twenty sided dice reigns supreme and players must roll a number that beats the defender’s AC (armor class.) Gameplay in D&D Online much more closely resembles Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance for home consoles than it does PCRPGs based on the D&D franchise, such as Neverwinter Nights. Overall, this is a good thing since it makes the game accessible to a broader audience who are more interested in hack & slash than strategy. The fact that dungeons are riddled with puzzles to solve, levers to switch on, and so on also help make the game more attractive to gamers who grew up playing Zelda and other console action-adventure titles.  Instancing & Storytelling Dungeons & Dragons Online is set in the world of Eberron, which was originally a campaign setting for D&D. What sets Eberron apart from the traditional D&D fantasy landscape is the inclusion of non-medieval technologies such as trains, skyships and mechanical beings. The Warforged race is a good example of this since they were originally automatons constructed by the other races. Throughout their adventures players will encounter factories and other signs of industry, though all of this technology is powered by magic rather than fossil fuels in Eberron. The world itself is structured in a fashion similar to the way Guild Wars structures things. All areas outside towns are instanced for each individual player or party leaving only the towns as true persistent areas where players can interact freely. There are costs and benefits to this system but for D&D Online I feel it makes a good fit. Thick flavor text and lore are key components of any D&D experience and instancing is the only way to accommodate the experience of being the first person to venture into a forgotten cavern. If there were dozens of players already camping the elder gazer spawn, it just wouldn’t make much sense. Like with most MMORPGs, players are free to skip the quest dialogue but I would advise against it. There are far fewer ‘filler’ quests in D&D Online than there are in other MMORPGs. Almost every quest is tied to the ‘big picture’ of the area you’re currently exploring. For example, Kathos Island is beset by several troubles which players slowly learn are interlinked. Dungeons themselves are repeatable and come in four difficulty settings. The easiest method of clearing adventures is the solo mode which is only available to those playing by themselves. From my experience solo dungeons are a bit too easy. I plowed through every monster and boss I encountered and barely ever needed a rest. The rewards available in dungeons increase with the difficulty but the first few dungeons aren’t worth repeating since the entire first area serves as more of an introduction to the game than anything else.  Stormreach & Beyond After clearing things up in Korthos Island, players are free to set sail towards Stormreach where more adventures await. Free players can experience the bulk of content available in Stormreach and its vicinity but additional adventure supplements must be purchased from the D&D Store with Turbine points. There are several in-game methods of earning Turbine points (such as hitting certain levels), so with persistence players can slowly unlock additional content. Players start with 50 points and can purchase additional points in amounts of 400, 900, 1500, and 5000. Discounts are given for volume with $6.25 buying 400 points and $49.99 yielding 5000. New classes & races cost around 590 points while adventure packs cost anywhere from 800-1000 points. New players won’t need to worry about purchasing new content for a long time since there are plenty of adventures to be had in Stormreach. The maximum level in Dungeons & Dragons Online is 20 which sounds low but the game has done a good job of breaking each level into various ‘ranks’ to keep the pacing tolerable. Additionally, the game throws plenty of equipment rewards your way with the completion of quests, so your character’s growth is always noticeable. Besides raiding dungeons, players can participate in PvP which was added in module 3. Besides challenging one another to duels, players can participate in all-out brawls in local taverns, which have free-for-all rings similar to the arenas found in the original EverQuest in towns like Qeynos. Even with these features, Dungeons & Dragons Online is not a PvP game, but having some competitive options never hurts. Final Verdict: Excellent Dungeons & Dragons Online is a high quality MMORPG with plenty of content to explore. The game has done a wonderful job converting the classic tabletop role playing adventure into a virtual world. Narrated storytelling, hundreds of instanced dungeons, and a comprehensive character progression process make D&D Online a must try MMORPG. Screenshots Dungeons & Dragons Online Screenshots                   Videos Dungeons & Dragons Online VideosDungeons & Dragons Online Opening Cinematic Click here to view the embedded video. Dungeons & Dragons Online Character Creation Click here to view the embedded video. Dungeons & Dragons Online Tutorial Part 1 Click here to view the embedded video. Dungeons & Dragons Online Tutorial Part 2 Click here to view the embedded video. Dungeons & Dragons Online Gameplay Trailer System Requirements Dungeons & Dragons Online System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
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