*originally posted for TGI*
Eurogamer had three MMORPGs on show this year and I managed to get some hands on time with some of their starting zones.
Rift- Release: Out Now!
Seriously polished. What I noticed the most about Rift was how brilliantly intuitive the experience was. The tool tips are useful and unobtrusive, the combat is fluid and easy to get to understand, and the questing is straightforward and well sign posted. Probably the most enticing feature of the game though is the twenty four different class types of which you can choose three from the four class sets. My mind it did boggle.
It is quickly apparent why Rift is widely seen as the presently strongest contender to World of Warcraft and after playing the trial after the show I would seriously recommend trying the game if you’re suffering from WoW lag or wanting to see what all these crazy MMOs are about anyway.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Release: End 2011
After queueing for over an hour and watching at least three geek hissy fit storm offs I finally got some hands on time with Star Wars. And it is a complete blast(er). I opted to play as a Republic Trooper and the first thing I noticed was that all dialogue is voiced, not just in the cinematics but everyone you have the option of talking to in game. This makes a huge difference from the usual reams of text MMOers are faced with and helps with the immersion of the narrative, if not the gameplay itself.
Thankfully the game itself plays wonderfully. The feedback from using your abilities is surprisingly weighty for an MMO, I had an explosive shot that knocked enemies completely off their feet and my carbine spat bolts at a satisfying rate. What’s more the enemies came in packs of threes as opposed to the usual staple of one kobold at a time or die, making you feel more powerful still.
Guild Wars 2 – Release: 2012 TBC
Easily the most beautiful of the three, even the map screen is sumptuous. You learn new skills as you fight rather than when you level up, which is a nice touch. When starting a new character you have options to mold your back story that affects your game tangibly. The art style is striking and the combat is more innovative than its direct competitors but… I did not enjoy playing it as much.
And it was just that: the playing part. While your abilities look impressive they lack heft, this was exacerbated by a spectacular but overly healthy solo boss battle which I had to grind down with only two abilities. Later I found myself in a back and fro fetch quest that felt more a chore than it should have done. I do actually feel guilty about not enjoying the game as much as the others, as the game has a wonderful handcrafted feel to it and does seem to offer a more personalised narrative that does away with the cliche of a queue of players lining up to be told that they alone are the last hope.
Favourite of the Show
Whilst Rift can arguably hold it’s head high as the current best, if not bestselling, MMORPG out there and Guild Wars 2 has piqued serious interest in me despite bugbears over the demo, Star Wars: The Old Republic had me the most jumping up and down excited. It promises to take the grind out of leveling up and bring Bioware’s rich sense of character into a game form that can only benefit from it.
Winner!… Star Wars: The Old Republic
Suzi Inspired 