MMO News |
- Elsword Online
- Battlestar Galactica Online
- Ministry of War
- Uncharted Waters Online
- Allods Online
- Aika Online
- League Of Legends
| Posted: 26 Feb 2011 03:29 PM PST Elsword Online is a 2D fantasy MMORPG side-scroller. Work with other players to clear stages in this anime inspired action oriented beat ‘em up!  Publisher: Kill3rCombo Pros: +Stylish graphics and art work. +Action oriented gameplay. +Co-op and competitive game modes. +Multiple class paths. Cons: -Similar to other side-scrollers already available. –Strange translations. Combat can get repetitive. –Few classes compared to Korean Overview Elsword Online OverviewNorth American gamers are finally able to get their hands on Elsword, a side-scroller similar to Grand Chase and Fists of Fu. With a manga series already running in Asia, Elsword is a popular franchise which offers players story-driven action with various co-op missions. There’s also a PvP mode where gamers can battle each other and compete for rankings. Equip your character with an assortment of gear, accessories, and cosmetic items earned as you progress! Characters: Elsword - A master swordsman with powerful melee attacks. He can deal damage, but also adsorb a lot of it. Aisha - A mage who relies on active skills in deal damage to opponents. Armed with a staff, she can attack multiple targets at once. Rena - A trained marksman, Rena’s favored weapon is the bow and arrow. She is also capable of kicking opponents who get too close. Elsword Online Screenshots          Elsword Online Featured Video Full Review By: Guillaume Barbeau
Fire up your fighting spirit! Profiting from previous experience with Grand Chase, KOG was successful in designing this combat system in a way that lessened the repetition slightly. To this end, they implemented a combo system which, depending on what key you hit (Z for light/fast hit, X for heavy), will chain up differently, and allow you to follow-up with special moves of your choice. The fighting here is truly the thick of the action, it's fluid, fun, though a bit repetitive. Apart from combos, a significant part of the fighting system is the skill tree which has you put points into skills of your own choosing, some of which are entirely new special moves. One of these is a defensive move specific to each character, for an example, Aisha's is a teleport,and Elsword's is a counterattack block. These special moves use varying amounts of your mana bar(regenerated with time, or through fighting) to perform sort of "limit break" effects. You have four slots to put skills of your choosing, allowing you to diversify your play style, to a certain extent. Wally's Castle The game essentially functions in the usual Kill X, Collect Y, go to Z fashion. You'll acquire your quests in town, and then proceed to the outskirts of town where you create or join dungeon groups. Apart from PvP, all of the action happens in instanced, 4-players dungeons. These are fairly simple, go from point A to point B killing everything in-between, including a boss at the end. Before these, you may choose your preferred difficulty level, as many quests require you to play on Hard or Very Hard. This does not make much of a difference however, barring the time and length of the dungeon, and the difficulty remains fairly tame. A big part of the fun here comes from doing them in a group, as repeating dungeons solo turns them into a chore fairly quickly. The action truly shines in this instance, with flashy moves flying left and right, and bosses often going down to your teammates before you can even lift a finger. The PvP is just as entertaining, and much faster paced! The fighting happens in smaller arenas where you either compete in a free-for-all, or in a team deathmatch in which the objective is to have the best kill count. One strange thing about the action is how resilient the players are. Taking down a player takes a long time due to humongous amounts of hit-points, which tend to make matches longer, and slightly more tiresome than they need to be. I'll From dungeons and PvP, you acquire XP, VP, and coins. The XP is used to level up (Surprise, surprise!), while the VP and coins are used in purchases. The character progression here is fairly fun, as the skill tree allows for slight divergence. Where the real fun starts however, is when you get to choose your progression path, at level 15. As an example, Elsword can become either a Sword Knight, or a Magic Knight, both which use different sets of skills, and have distinct appearances. Items in Elsword are divided in two: most items that carry significant statistics do not have an aesthetic counterpart. This means that if you put on a +30 Melee shirt, it will not physically show up on your character. Instead, your character's appearance is decided by an alternate set of items. What this means is that you can look exactly like you want, without having to sacrifice item stats. Most of these items are acquired by… Ka-ching! Ka-ching is the in-game currency purchased with real money, whose main function seems to be either to purchase some of those appearance items, or utility items. There –is- a certain amount of stat gained from having these appearance items, which can range from being minimal; to being very significant(Some items allow you entirely new abilities, usable during PvP matches). There is a good variety toka-ching items, most certainly enough to keep you interested until new content arrives. Items can be sold in a sort of central, instanced market. You may also perform crafting, though this is not a skill in itself, as simply bring the material to a merchant in order to craft, or enhance an item. One thing must be mentioned about content however; it's that the Korean version currently has –double- the amount of classes this version has, a detail that could make a significant difference in a player's game experience. Final Verdict: Good Overall, this is a good game with a straight focus on flashy action and excellent looking graphics. It has a good pace, sharp action, and a healthy community, but is essentially very similar to Grand Chase,and other side-scrollers. That aside, if you can enjoy Elsword's style and get past the eventual feeling of repetition from the dungeons, then small flaws like strange translations should be no issue to you. So grab up your sword, and fire up your fighting spirit! Screenshots Elsword Online Screenshots                    System Requirements Elsword Online RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Posted: 26 Sep 2010 07:57 PM PDT Battlestar Galactica Online is a browser based 3D Sci-Fi MMORPG based on the popular Battlestar Galactica franchise. Play as a Cylon or Human and battle it out in space. Players can explore various worlds, and unlock new weapons, ships, and parts as they progress.  Publisher: Bigpoint Pros: +Based on a popular Sci-Fi franchise. +Great looking graphics powered by the Unity engine. +Plenty of weapons and ship customization options. Cons: -Limited information available. -No release date set. -Some features will cost real cash. -No land based combat.
Overview Battlestar Galactica Online OverviewBattlestar Galactica Online is a new browser based MMORPG being developed by Bigpoint. Its set during season 2 of the popular TV series and gameplay centers on the ongoing conflict between the Cylons and humans. Like Bigpoint’s Dark Orbit, Battlestar Galactica Online is real-time combat and allows players to purchase various ships and outfit them with dozens of parts. But unlike previous Bigpoint titles, Battlestar Galactica Online was build using the powerful Unity engine which means the game has beautiful 3D graphics that are on par with client based games. Players will be able to get off their ships to explore the BSG universe, but there’s no land based combat component. The game scheduled for release in Fall 2010 and the level cap will be 20. Expect more information on Battlestar Galactica Online in the months ahead. Battlestar Galactica Online Screenshots         Battlestar Galactica Online Featured Video Full Review Battlestar Galactica Online Full ReviewComing Soon… Screenshots Battlestar Galactica Online ScreenshotsComing soon… Videos Battlestar Galactica Online VideosBattlestar Galactica Online Teaser Trailer |
| Posted: 11 Sep 2010 12:56 PM PDT Ministry of War is a 2D browser based strategy game with real time combat and four playable civilizations. Build up an empire throughout the ages while making alliances and waging war with neighbors. Fight for supremacy in Ministry of War!  Publisher: Snail Games Pros: +Four playable civilizations. +Real time combat. +Endgame goal to work towards. +Advance through four ages. +PvP and PvE content. Cons: -Slow paced progression. -Paying players receive large advantages. -Repetitive gameplay.
Overview Ministry of War OverviewMinistry of War hopes to take the browser based strategy genre to the next level. The game is developed by Snail Game, the same Chinese studio behind Heroes of Gaia. MoW boasts real-time combat where players can battle other users, or computer controlled opponents. Chose from four ancient civilizations and progress from the Wild Age to the Imperial Age. Like Travian, Ministry of War has an end-game goal. After one civilization conqueors the rest, they will be declared the winner and a new age will begin. With a huge world to explore, oceans to sail, and tons of gamepaly features to experience, Ministry of War is defiently one of the most impressive free to play browser based strategy games. Civilizations - Rome, Egypt, Persia, China Ministry of War Screenshots         Ministry of War Featured Video Full Review Ministry of War Full ReviewBy Jaime Skelton Build a nation from the untamed, savage land to a prosperous, booming empire: this is what Ministry of War, published by Snail Games USA, promises. Similar in nature to other games such as Lord of Ultima, Tribal Wars, or Travian, Ministry of War sets itself apart through the use of world domination. While you want to grow your nation, Ministry of War adds a unique twist by also allowing players to "beat" the game by banding with their fellows to conquer their enemies. While not perfect, Ministry of War does remarkably well to set itself apart by offering a unique, progression-based system. Entering a Savage Age Character creation in Ministry of War is fairly simple. You choose from one of four historical kingdoms – Persia, Egypt, Rome or China – and select one of four or five preset faces of either gender to create your starting hero. The kingdom you choose also has an impact; different units and bonuses to production exist between the four civilizations. Leveling up your heroes allows you to further customize your abilities as you see fit. Aside from the four primary attributes of power, command, physique, and intelligence, you are able to choose which skills your hero learns along the way. Once you’ve created a character and have entered the game, you’re launched right into a tutorial on how the game operates. The tutorial teaches how to build and upgrade structures, as well as soldier recruitment and combat. This tutorial is both simple and in-depth, allowing new players to easily grow accustomed to the systems.  Reinventing the Wheel The game controls do take some getting used to. Unlike many RTS games, you do not scroll the screen by moving your mouse to the edges of the field; you must click and drag the window around in order to pan the screen. Additionally, control during combat sequences is often clunky and non-responsive when it comes to targeting your enemies, leading to unnecessary loss while you struggle to attack the correct target. The interface may seem cluttered at times; however, having everything readily available is also a very nice touch. Knowing you can access almost every menu from the main window helps you control the flow of the game considerably. Additionally, many features are available in multiple locations, which allows you to make quick decisions as well as careful planning.  Know Yourself; Know Your Enemy … The combat system is fast-paced with detailed animation, but suffers from aforementioned targeting issues. Against a player, this can be quite disastrous. The game does have an auto battle feature that will use the game’s AI to fight for you. While this will suffice against most NPC opponents, it’s a quick way to lose against other players. It’s best to practice against the computer in manual mode to ensure you are prepared to PvP. Drive Your Enemies Before You! Ministry of War focuses on the PvP aspect of the game – called CvC, or Civilization v. Civilization. Unless you spend a lot of money on items from the cash shop to prevent other players from attacking you, there will be conflict. The first type of PvP combat comes in the form of plundering, in which players attack another city to gain resources. During a plunder, you have to contend with that city’s defenses, and any allies called to help. In this case, allies may be as simple as someone seeing your invading force and wiping you out. The second form of conflict is the large scale battle of the four civilizations to conquer the world. The more areas your civilization controls, the larger the bonus your civilization’s cities receive. When you’re well and able to venture out in these wars, it pays to do so for the rest of your civilization on a whole. If your civilization manages to capture all 50+ zones, you’ve won, and the world will restart on that server. The third form of PvP in the game is the Arena – a one v. one skirmish between you and another player. Fights are determined randomly, so you may face overwhelming odds, or you may face an easy opponent. Win or lose, you gain rewards in the arena: experience and arena badges. Winning consecutively in the arena also increases the experience awarded. Badges are used to buy random equipment for your hero.  Travelling Across the Ages Quests are fairly typical for an MMORTS; most tasks are simple develop a specific technology or building to certain level. Others involve getting a hero to a higher level. All tasks award resources,and there are many tasks available as you build your empire. There are times, however, where the upgrading process to complete the quest seems to take too long. Additionally, some buildings take a lot of resources (most commonly the hero monuments, which take – pardon the pun – monumental amounts of gold to complete) to the point where it may take hours to days to complete a task. The benefit of the task system as it exists in the game, however, is it guides you to each new age in your kingdom. The tasks you get in the Savage Age directly guide you to advancement to the Dark Age. Likewise, the Dark Age tasks progress you to the Feudal Age, and onwards to Castle and Empire Ages as well. Progressing through these ages earns access to new buildings and troops. This lends a natural flow to the game, and generally ensures you’re advancing properly to protect yourself from your opponents. Swords to Plowshares Ministry of War offers a rather unique system with influence. By utilizing missionaries and praying at religious sites, your culture gains influence. In turn, influence helps your city’s production levels, allowing you to construct buildings and upgrades faster. In addition, your missionaries act as heroes in their own right, and they also level up and develop their own skills. Likewise, you can be a trade prince if you so choose. By developing merchants, you can gain vast amounts of wealth and resources, which you can use to trade amongst your Civilization, or utilize to build your own cities further. Merchants can also be leveled up like heroes, allowing them to be more successful in their dealings.  Let Us Band Together Despite being a PvP game, we found Ministry of War to be quite social. Much of our time spent in game was filled with discussion from other people online in the civilization. This interaction was beyond simple hellos – many times, other players were informing fellows of opportune targets to strike, or warning against invaders on their way. It was a refreshing camaraderie not found very often in similar RTS games. Minimum Deposit Required One thing to be aware of, however, is a slight reliance on cash shop items in order to do well. The shop offers several bonuses, such as increased production speeds, additional troop recruitment slots, instant HP/MP restoration and better hero recruitment. Increased speed alone will make a large difference in advancement versus being constantly raided. You receive a fair amount of cash shop items as you complete tasks; proper timing in their use can also be quite advantageous.  Overall Rating: Good Ministry of War is a fairly polished game, though it has a few rough edges to be addressed. Character creation is simple and effective, and the tutorial teaches you exactly what you need to do to start your empire. The game enforces its PvP nature through various systems, particularly through world conquest. While manual combat needs some improvements, it is better than many other RTS games’ formulaic battle systems. The reliance on cash shop purchases later on to be competitive does hinder a true free-to-play experience. If you’re a fan of other browser-based RTS games, you owe it to yourself to give Ministry of War a look. Screenshots Ministry of War Screenshots                  |
| Posted: 11 Jun 2010 09:19 PM PDT Uncharted Waters Online is a 3D fantasy MMORPG with a nautical theme. Travel on land or sea and make your living as a sailor, pirate, merchant, or trader! Set sail for adventure in Uncharted Waters Online!  Publisher: Netmarble Pros: +Battle on land and sea. +In-depth economy/trade system. +Based on a popular series, already big in Asia. +Unique gameplay. Cons: -Already several years old, only now coming to America. -Steep learning curve. – Slow-paced gameplay.
Overview Uncharted Waters Online OverviewUncharted Waters is an MMORPG based on sailing, trade, and conquest. Set between the 15th and 17th centuries, the game allows players to build or buy ships and sail them across the seas. Trade goods, explore uncharted territory, make discoveries, and conquer neutral cities across the world to expand the wealth and influence of your nation! Uncharted Waters Online is slow-paced and requires a hefty time investment, but those looking for a more involved MMORPG experience will enjoy what UWO has to offer. Nations - Spain, Portugal, Venice, France, The Netherlands, England. Skill Types - Adventure, Trade, Battle Uncharted Waters Online Screenshots          Uncharted Waters Online Featured Video Full Review Uncharted Waters Online ReviewBy Erhan Altay The Age of Exploration was a pivotal moment in human history. European nations sent forth their boldest merchants, explorers, and conquerors around the world during this time period. Uncharted Waters Online is not the first free-to-play MMORPG set in the era, but it offers another take on the exciting setting. The game is set between the 15th and 17th centuries and is deeply involved; expect a steep learning curve and plenty of depth. For those looking for a more immersive MMORPG experience, Uncharted Waters Online is worth checking out.  From East to West Uncharted Waters Online may be set in the West, but it was developed in the East. The Japanese studio behind the game is KOEI (best known for their Dynasty Warriors series) which has its own MMORPG version appropriate titled Dynasty Warriors Online. Uncharted Waters was first released in 2005, but is only now making its way to North America thanks to Netmarble, the South Korean studio that also publishes Mini Fighter Online and Prius Online. Despite its age, Uncharted Waters Online still has attractive graphics, and a depth of gameplay rarely seen in free-to-play titles. There are a wide variety of supported resolutions, and players can chose to play in either full screen or windowed mode. The client download process is simple, but Netmarble does require players to install a browser plug-in. Character creation involves selecting between one of the six major European powers of the time including Spain, Portugal, Venice, France, The Netherlands, and England. Next up, players must chose which set of skills to start with. There are three basic job paths to chose from, Adventure, Trade, and Military. While each starts with a different batch of skills, any character can learn any skill in Uncharted Waters. Besides ship and combat-based skills, players can master different world languages, or trade related skills such as keeping accounts. Appearance customization is diverse; players choose from several body types, face styles, skin tones, hair colors, and hair styles.  Back to School New players aren't just left to fend for themselves in Uncharted Waters. Players start in a school with three NPC instructors, each corresponding with one of the three job types. These NPCs offer quests which explain the game's basics and offer small rewards along the way. It is vital for beginners to complete these quests, despite how slow-paced they are. Uncharted Waters is not an easy game to figure out and players who decide to drop out of school will find themselves aimlessly wandering their starting city, or the seas nearby. The interface is functional at best; for some reason it reminded me of a console RPG. Moving from one interface menu to another takes a split second, and when NPCs reward players with items, they're received one at a time. It's hard to explain, but it just has the JRPG feel. Movement can be controlled with either the keyboard (W,A,S,D) or point and click via the mouse. Both methods work well, and characters will actually walk for a moment before breaking out into a jog. It's a nice touch, but it does nothing to speed the game along. There's no way to jump or roll forward either, but players can auto-walk by clicking an icon on the minimap.  Land and Sea Of all the sailing-themed MMORPGs available, Uncharted Waters Online is most similar to Voyage Century, developed by Snail Game and published in the US by IGG. Both are 'realistic' compared to the animated Florensia and Pirates of the Caribbean Online. Rather than hacking and slashing at groups of zombies right away, players in Uncharted Waters will be able to make discoveries, trade goods between ports, and take part in naval battles. The game supports both land-based and sea-based combat. But before to getting to that, players will have to go through a long tutorial process that methodically explains each basic aspect including equipment, eating food to restore vigour, skills, and ship maintenance. Besides teaching the basics, these steps provide experience. There's actually more to equipping armor in Uncharted Waters than most other MMORPGs. The clothes you wear effect not only your stats and appearance, but also your 'formality' and 'disguise' rating. Certain NPCs won't talk to player who don't have high enough formality. When exploring Turkish controlled lands, players will need to wear the native garb to fit in. Their 'disguise' stat will determine if they fit in well enough to avoid drawing suspicion.  Fitting A Vessel Just as characters can be equipped, so can ships. Besides sails, cannons, and rams, players will have to stock their ships with munitions, food, sailors, and timber before heading out to sea. Port passes are required before docking at cities, so players shouldn't venture too far before they've earned them. Eventually the game will introduce naval combat. When at sea, there are two ways for a battle to begin. Either a player can initiate a battle, or have someone else start one with them. In either case, a large circle forms around the participants and acts as the arena. If either participant manages to sail past the circle, they manage to retreat and end the battle. The most common form of combat involves trading cannon shots from a distance. The larger a ship, the more cannons it can equip. Smaller ships are more maneuverable which makes it easier for them to ram opponents. If ships come in contact, their crews will fight it out in melee combat.  The Life of a Lord Uncharted Waters Online isn't just about combat. There's a whole host of other activities, and goals to aim towards. Players can own farms, private residences, and make riches by trading. There's a banking system that actually pays interest on deposits and offers different levels of insurance that protect valuable vessels and cargo. A third of the game's skills are dedicated to 'Adventuring', which mainly boils down to scouring the world for discoveries in the form of ancient ruins, works of art, religious relics, rare animals, plants, and so on. This is definitely not a game for everyone, it can take days just to get a grip of whats going on, but those looking for something deep, more involved than the typical grind fest should give Uncharted Waters a serious look. It's a game players can invest their time in for years; it’s already proved successful in Asia and shown that it has lasting power. The localization has been pulled off very well, all the text was in perfect English and actually made sense. In that regard, its way ahead of Voyage Century, but it is also older. The graphics are not quite as vibrant, and it can take longer before players experience any of the action. For those willing to put in the time, Uncharted Waters Online will prove rewarding. Final Verdict: Good Uncharted Waters Online is a unique MMORPG that stands out from the crowd thanks to its nautical, and trade-based gameplay. Sailing the seven seas takes patience as much as boldness, but players willing to invest the time won't be disappointed by the depth Uncharted Waters Online offers. Those looking for something faster paced or action oriented need not bother. Screenshots Uncharted Waters Online Screenshots                  Videos Uncharted Waters Online VideosUncharted Waters Online Cinematic Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Uncharted Waters Online Character Creation Click here to view the embedded video. Uncharted Waters Online Overview System Requirements Uncharted Waters Online System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specification: |
| Posted: 17 Aug 2009 09:03 PM PDT Allods Online, or just Allods for short, is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG with some interesting Sci-Fi elements. The game mixes high fantasy elements with the space opera genre, but with a much greater emphasis on fantasy. Unlike other MMORPGs, Allods Online has a great emphasis on its storyline. The game takes place after the destruction of the planet Sarnout which led to the formation of floating islands in space called Allods. Fight for either the Empire or the League in this extremely polished MMORPG.  Publisher: Gpotato Pros: +Unique monster designs. +Unique astral battles (PvP). +In depth storyline. +Many playable classes (8) and Archetypes. +Beautifully designed world. +Solid interface. +Plenty of quests. Cons: -Looks far too similar to WoW to be a coincidence. -Manually having to attack can get annoying. -Cash shop punishes non-paying players.
Overview Allods OverviewAllods Online is a unique 3D Fantasy MMORPG with a mix of Sci-Fi elements. The game’s graphics look a lot like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft while gameplay is a bit more like Warhammer Online. The game has a strong emphasis on both storyline and PvP, as the game promises a ‘captivating story’ and ‘intense PvP action’. The game’s most unique component though is its ship battles in space against either NPCs or other players. The game’s graphics are absolutely gorgeous and resemble World of Warcraft, but with higher quality textures. The game has six races, eight playable classes and a whopping 28 different archetypes. The game is without a doubt one of the best free to play MMORPGs currently on the market. Allods Screenshots          Allods Featured Video Full Review Allods ReviewBy Cody Hargreaves 'In the beginning, there was World of Warcraft. In the end, there was Allods Online.' I wouldn't be at all surprised if ten years from now, the above mantra was as familiar to the MMO community as 'NEED MOAR HEALZ' is today; having just spent a day adventuring in Allods Online myself and bearing witness to what very well could be the future kingpin of MMOs. I don't want to add another layer of hype to a game with a fan following that could rival WoW itself already, but it's difficult not to be excited. Allods Online looks like WoW, feels like WoW, plays like WoW – and it's completely free to play. Sure, there have been WoW clones before, Gates of Andaron and Runes of Magic come to mind, but they were missing that key aspect that makes WoW the game it has grown to become today. They were missing that one little thing that until now, all free-to-play developers have overlooked. They were missing 'polish', and Allods Online has polish in spades.  A Little Dash of Warcraft Character creation, for example, is remarkably similar to WoW. You begin by selecting a faction from either The League or The Empire (Alliance and Horde respectively); then by selecting a race from one of six races; Elves, Gibberlings and a human variation called Kanians for The League, and Orcs, Arisen and another human variation called Xadaganians for The Empire (again, all very similar to WoW); and then by selecting one of the eight available classes. These are also very similar to WoW, but have their own special flavor, too. You can choose from a Warrior, Paladin, Scout, Healer, Warden, Mage, Summoner or Psionicist; however, only select races can choose select classes, and depending on the race you select, your archetype changes completely. For example, if you were to choose to be an Elf Paladin, your class would be Templar, whereas if you were to choose an Orc Paladin, you would be a Reaver. Each of these archetypes have their own flavor and style in the form of aesthetics and a passive ability that enhances their most common attribute, and quite frankly, it's a magnificent addition to Allods that shouldn't be overlooked.  With your character created, you'll begin playing with one of the very few 'unique' elements of Allods, that is, an instanced starting area/tutorial with an active story and interactive gameplay. The actual area you begin playing in is decided by your faction – with The League beginning in their home city as it is destroyed, and your tutorial following the escape; and The Empire beginning on a flying airship in the midst of battle – and then, the rest is history. The interface, gameplay mechanics, spells, professions, hotkeys, quest markers and style, even the equipment screen – have all been ripped straight from WoW, and as such, it's all familiar, and it's all good. A Whole New World  Moving forward, Allods does bring some innovation to the table, and it comes in quite a few forms. The first, fatigue, is an innovative spin-off from the WoW coined 'rest' system, whereby the longer a person spends playing and completing quests, the more fatigue they can accumulate. Fatigue appears in your character’s experience bar in blue and gains at a 1:1 ratio with regular experience. If an enemy is worth 50 EXP they’re also worth 50 Fatigue. Fatigue accumulated can be exchanged at an Innkeeper for additional experience up to a certain amount each day, which essentially creates a soft ‘cap’ on experience each day. Players are free to continue playing and leveling even after they reached their daily cap on fatigue, but they’ll basically be gaining EXP at 50% of the normal rate because they won’t be able to exchange fatigue for EXP. The system adds a nice layer of depth and decision to the mix, and while much of the mechanics behind its implementation are still in the 'grey area', I'm sure it won't be too long before all is made clear.  Not So Similar After All And then there's my favorite innovation, the ability to add stat points to individual statistics upon reaching a new level, much like in say, Diablo, allowing for some fantastic PvP and character customization at later levels, as every player will essentially be different to the next depending on their choice in stats.  For The HOR… EMPIRE!  Final Verdict — Excellent Screenshots Allods Screenshots                Videos Allods VideosAllods Gameplay Video Click here to view the embedded video. Allods Online Official Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Allods E3 Teaser System Requirements Allods System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| Posted: 16 Aug 2009 09:43 PM PDT Aika, also called Aika Online, is a 3D Fantasy MMORPG with gorgeous high end graphics and a strong emphasis on Realm vs Realm PvP combat. The game is immensely popular in Korea and is has some addictive fast paced gameplay. Fight for your nation in the game’s epic Realm vs Realm system with up to 1000 vs 1000 battles.  Publisher: Gpotato Pros: +Good Interface. +Impressive PvP System (1000 Vs. 1000 RvR). +Nice variety of quests. +Great skill animations and effects.+Interesting ‘Pran’ pet system. +Excellent voice overs. +Well written quest dialogue. Cons: -Gender locked classes. -Limited character customization options. -Little direction early on.
Overview Aika OverviewAika is a PvP heavy free fantasy MMORPG that closely resembles the PvP elements in pay to play MMORPGs like Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game’s Realm vs Realm battles is that the game can handle up to 1000 vs. 1000 battles, which is quite a feat as the game has beautiful graphics and effects. Aika is actually one of the first free to play MMORPGs with a large scale Realm vs Realm system and the first to actually have solid, genuinely fun gameplay. With many playable classes, a unique ‘Pran’ pet system and many more interesting features, Aika is certainly well worth checking out. The game’s six playable classes are: Fighter (M) - Like in most other MMORPGs, the fighter in Aika is a powerful melee oriented class. They have high hitpoints and defense and make great tanks. They wear metal armor. Dual Gunner (F) - Dual Gunners specialize in mid-range DPS and Damage over Time skills. They wear leather armor. Warlock (M) - Warlocks are the primary offensive spellcasters in Aika. They can deal quite a bit of damage with their spells, but have low hitpoints and defense. They wear cloth armor. Paladin (F) - Paladins are a mix between warriors and clerics. They are capable fighters as well as a good supporting class. They wear metal. Rifleman (M) - They specialize in dealing damage from a long distance, making them the ideal long-range DPS class. They wear leather armor Cleric (F) - They are the primary supportive class in Aika. They are incredibly helpful to any party as they have both healing and supportive skills. They wear cloth armor. Aika Screenshots         Aika Featured Video Full Review Aika PreviewBy, Jamie Skelton Aika is a fantasy MMORPG published by Gala-Net (Flyff, Rappelz, and Allods Online) and produced by JoyImpact (Neo Steam). Combining classic MMO elements with special twists on ideas like the personal pet (Pran) and rewarding PvP combat, Aika is a beautiful game with potential to be one of the best F2P MMOs available.  The Dark Arts are for Men Only Aika offers six classes to choose from: two melee (Warrior and Paladin), two ranged (Rifleman and Dual Gunner), and two casters (Warlock and Cleric.) Classes are gender-locked, meaning only male characters can be Warriors, Riflemen, and Warlocks, while only female characters can be Paladins, Dual Gunners, and Clerics. Character customization itself is not fantastic, but there are enough options for hair, hair color, and face to feel at least a little bit apart from the rest of your newbie brethren. Although gender-locked classes are a disappointment, each class offers something unique to both PvE and PvP elements. Regardless of class, players won’t feel unwanted for groups or PvP.  Involved in the Story Aika has a great deal of classic MMORPG components, including storyline-based questing. Quests in Aika are made more intriguing, partially because to receive them, players must go through series of scripted dialogue between the player character and the NPC. This is a different system than the traditional block of text followed by objectives and a reward. The artful story-telling doesn’t get in the way of clear quest objectives, which are included in both an on-screen tracker and decent hints in your quest log. Even when the quest dialogue fails to expose where the "bad guy" is, the quest interface will direct players to the name of the enemy they need to find and what area it can be found. And, as a bonus, Aika is well-translated and localized – the "Engrish" common to many free-to-plays is nowhere to be found.  Meet Your Fairy Daughter While other MMORPGs may make you wait dozens of levels before earning access to signature things in the game, Aika gets the ball rolling early. You only gain a few levels before you’re sent off to meet your Pran (also known as your "daughter"). The Pran is essentially a pet system somewhat similar to that of Perfect World International. Prans are fairy children, and the first part of getting your Pran is to find three "rare" drops off three enemies found outside the city within an hour. Although these are rare drops, they are relatively easy to get – I got each of mine in less than ten kills of each creature. Next is choosing the type of Pran you want: Fire (offensive), Water (recovery and defense), or Air (evasive). Collect the right amount of elemental essences for your Pran choice, which are rare drops from the creatures nearby, as a sort of tribute to your Fairy and the Pran system. The essences may take a while to get, unless you choose to trade or buy them off other players, who are pretty willing to make that arrangement. Finally you’ll get your Pran, who starts off as a little buzzing fairy that annoys your Captain, but will eventually evolve into a young girl, whose appearance will change based on the choices you make in feeding and talking with her.  Early Grouping Not only do you get your Pran early on, you don’t have to wait very long for grouping, either. Before you even hit level ten, you’ll be assigned to check out a new area via a teleporter. This fortress is designed for groups, and comes both with both a normal mode (designed for levels 10+) and a hard mode (designed for 16+). This actually comes as a pleasant surprise for those who enjoy grouping in MMOs, but often find it sparse before end-game content. An in-game LFG tool, that combines chat with a group search features, is also available. Players who prefer to go solo, however, are free to ignore the instance missions if they like, and come back and solo them at higher levels.  Excuse Me, Lord Marshal
For those who love the adrenaline rush of PvP, Aika won’t disappoint, with several types of PvP events that can host thousands of players in massive raids. A common starting point for players are Battlegrounds, organized arena team play similar to that in World of Warcraft – a sort of PvP training ground. These battles can range from teams of 6 to teams of 24, in matches created by players. Players have full choice when creating a battleground as to team size, time limits, game modes, and the winning score criteria. PvP opens up further in the world itself, in two other types of PvP: Castle Sieges and Nation Wars. Castle Sieges are regularly scheduled events that pit guilds of players vying for the chance to capture the flag of an enemy castle. The winners become rulers of the defeated nation, and the leader of the guild who contributed the most to the win becomes the Lord Marshal, granting that single player the right to change the nation’s tax rates, withdraw from the national treasury, and even make announcements to the entire nation. Players must be careful not to abuse their power, however, as that may make enemies in future PvP scenarios. Nations, of course – of which there are five – can also war against each other, invading territories, destroying guardian stones, and stealing from national altars. Lakia’s five nations also compete for control of relic, locked away in Temples. These relics grant nation-wide buffs, but also must be protected in the owning nation’s temple, which Lord Marshals can direct monetary assistance to. The entire Aika PvP system is intricate, and successful nations are those that work cooperatively, planning both offensive and defensive moves, as well as managing resources through the current Lord Marshal.  Gearing Up On Your Own Crafting is also available for players who enjoy it, allowing them to create their own armor and weapons at a significant discount to directly purchasing them from vendors. Materials are a very common drop from any enemy, and the crafting UI (available at a forge in town) is simple enough to understand with just a few clicks. Gear can also be enhanced through an enchanter, have its requirements leveled down by a smith, or have its properties transferred to another piece of equipment – all convenient ways of managing and enhancing your gear without stress.  An Orchestrated Story From the moment you set foot in Aika as a young Aitan, the strong tones of the soundtrack surround you. This isn’t a weak soundtrack either, no boring repeats of some generic music. This is a soundtrack fitting of a full-blown RPG. Special events and quests will also suddenly throw in a new musical piece, to switch you, for instance, from the idyllic tunes of the countryside to something more militaristic as you meet your regiment’s captain. At the same time, the system knows that music can be overbearing and will silence itself after a while of staying in the same area. The music isn’t the only thing to amaze you, either: the entire world is populated with beautifully created graphics, natural lighting, and scenery worth pausing to look at from time to time.  Final Verdict: Great
While Aika may not be the most inventive MMORPG on the market, with many systems familiar to MMO veterans, it certainly stands out from the crowd. The game has a charm about it, whether it’s making an individual feel valuable even in the midst of a battle against hundreds, or making social aspects a key element of its PvP system. Aika is a great game for those who enjoy meaningful player versus player combat, and offers a stellar RPG to boot, making it an MMORPG worth trying at least once. Screenshots Aika Screenshots              Videos Aika VideosAika Gameplay Video Click here to view the embedded video. Aika PvP Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Aika Tran / Fighter Gameplay Click here to view the embedded video. Aika Gameplay Trailer System Requirements Aika System RequirementsMinimum Requirements: Recommended Specifications: |
| 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: |
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