EPTHere is a continuation of my mini game reviews! Today, I will focus on MMOs!
(You can find Part 1 here: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=227707 )
Everquest II
![[image loading]](http://electricalcontractor.com/wp-content/themes/cleanroar/images/paw_16x16.png)
This game is full of good ideas and intentions. However, in the end, it over complicates itself too much for even the most dedicated person. The talent system is beyond huge and definitely difficult to understand. On top of that, crafting is basically an entirely different game from leveling your character. It is not uncommon to run into someone who never fights with their character and only levels crafting, which is quite the chore! However, the guild halls and personal homes as well as the amount of customization possible for them is truly fun and remarkable, although quite time consuming. Yet the combat, quests and raids, as well as the graphics, are quite amazing, and the choices for both races and classes seem excitingly endless.
Runes of Magic
An interesting take on a traditional MMORPG. It has a combat system very much like World of Warcraft and will feel sometimes absurdly similar, even when it comes to specific moves. However, the overall game play is quite different. Leveling is no easy tasks and seems to reflect Korean MMOs in that respect, though it is without grinding. Instances are quite different and the perfect party composition is hard to judge with their odd duel-class system (you have 2 classes, which must be leveled separately, and can switch between which one is your primary). It is, however, a nice, viable, free option for those who are unhappy with the "simplification" of WoW. The game is quite beautiful. However, it DOES require money to reach top end-level gear and if you find it frustrating to watch unskilled players who have simply poured a lot of money into the game outperform you, do not play this game.
Vindictus
Kudos to Nexon for the creation of this game. No one expected the creators of Maple Story to introduce such a fresh and beautiful MMO. Vindictus is a great hack and slash MMORPG. The combat is beyond gorgeous and extremely satisfying and the armor and characters look wonderful. However, Vindictus gives the feel of an unfinished game (which, well, it is). The distinct limits on customization of characters remove much of the feeling of individuality, the lack of an true open world makes the game feel cramped, and the endless grinding through dungeons after the beginning levels gets tiresome. While endgame content is constantly being added, this game lacks more in the middle sections. Sure, there are a lot of very interesting quests and storylines, but running the same dungeon dozens of times to get to the next level to unlock the dungeon needed to progress gets very old. More quests and more mid-game content are necessary to make this MMO truly shine. Regardless, if you enjoy hack and slash games and which to try an MMO, give this one a shot.
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is the MMO which all others look up to in terms of popularity and gameplay. While WoW has always had somewhat cheesy and low-res graphics, it is part of the art style of the game and does not reduce the quality of the game play. In all fairness, WoW should probably score 5 paws instead of 4, but I was more compelled to give it 3 due to the recent changes. However, I am trying not to be biased! WoW has an amazing combat system, hilarious quest lines and a strong lore that stems from Warcraft. However, Blizzard has tried too much recently to satisfy both the casual and "hardcore" players in end game content and has ended up frustrating both. Somewhere in the transition from WotLK to Cataclysm, WoW lost the "epic" feel for the raids, some flare that is hard to describe, but the decrease in raids and endgame players shows. World of Warcraft is still an absolutely amazing game, which deserves much praise, but there is clear room for improvement.
