Unless you have been living under a rock since 2003, you probably already have heard about EVE Online. If you haven’t, EVE is a subscription based Sci-Fi MMORPG set in an uncharted region of space known as New Eden. The entire game houses over 300,000 players on one server which contains roughly 5000 sectors or zones. Players are free to choose their own path in the universe, following a sandbox style approach with freeform, skill based levelling. EVE Online has gained a reputation for being insanely complex and having what is considered to be the steepest levelling curve for an MMORPG. I’ll make one thing clear, if you are a sci-fi geek then put aside some money for new pants.

Here I go again, reminiscing on MMOs past, because frankly, I’m really just waiting for Guild Wars 2 and The Old Republic (like any self-respecting MMO gamer should be!) Today, I’ll be focusing solely on my brief love affair with Korean MMO, Aion. 
When word of this game reached my fragile, manipulable ears, I was instantly sold on Aion; a beautiful MMO threatening to kick WoW from its comfortable place on the MMO throne. The graphics were impeccable, with a certain flair I hadn’t experienced in MMOs before. The world and art style specifically, according to all the screenshots I’d been religiously sifting through, showed an amazing aesthetic I knew I could really get into. Plus, you could fly; mount not required! The thing that sold me most on Aion; however, was that it was different in just enough ways to WoW that I knew it’d be both accessible and give me a good sense that I was in fact experiencing something new and exciting.

So come release, being the huge nerd I am, some friends (The brilliant Cody Hargreaves of MMOGames included) and I crammed ourselves in a room, set up our PCs and proceeded to ingest crazy amounts of energy drinks and started levelling like mad.

Ascension

So, we’d been exhausting our little, caffeine-fuelled brains and bodies for a few hours when the time was almost upon us to ascend and finally get our wings. I don’t know if it was the caffeine, or my natural excitement, but I was incredibly eager to finally be able to fly.

Even though when you first receive your wings, you’re only able to glide around, I turned into a combination of a deathly assassin, striking from the air, and an excited child on a roller coaster, finding the optimal points to start my glide and then proceeding to do so with a glee-filled ‘Weeeeeee!’

It was a sense of freedom of movement that was unheard of in MMOs. Sure, you could get a flying mount, usually at some ridiculously high level in most MMOS, but no MMO had given the player the ability to glide wherever the terrain deemed possible. It was exhilarating, and even in circumstances where it wouldn’t really benefit you strategically, there was still always a lot of fun to be had.

Into the Abyss


After the initial rush of having wings wore off somewhat, and I had quested and grinded my way to becoming a level 25 Ranger, it was time to take the next exciting step: entering the Abyss.I had never been a huge fan of PvP; however, something in me longed for the Abyss; a special PvP zone for level 25s and up. After a relatively easy quest, I was granted the ability to really fly. This wasn’t pre-level-25 gliding; this was the real deal. Movement in all degrees and angles, with the added risk and reward scenario of PvP, which meant you could clip someone else’s wings so to speak, or conversely, have them clip yours if you weren’t careful. The war between the Asmodians and the Elyos was blatantly apparent in the Abyss.

The environment was noticeably tense every single time you ventured into the Abyss, no matter your goal. Go in on a mission to gank and you’d better hope your crew plays it smart enough not to get completely destroyed by reinforcements called by your first victims. Alternatively, go in without the intention of getting into a PvP fight and you’d better be prepared, especially if you’re playing solo, as opposing players can swiftly sneak up on you and take you out quicker than you can say ‘for Asmodae!’

The Abyss did have the tendency to become quite the nonsense cluster from time to time, forcing the team with less occupation of the Abyss to essentially be unable to quest there due to the high probability of absolute destruction. Large raiding parties would control certain parts of the Abyss and throw the balance off completely. This of course, was not entirely a bad thing, allowing for large scale PvP battles that were generally a lot of fun. If all you wanted to do was quest; however, frustration was inevitable. 

All of that having been said, the degree of freedom you had in the Abyss was unlike any other MMO I’ve played. Battles would take place in the sky at the same time that they would be taking place on each various island. Chases were absolutely intense, and you’d often find yourself comically dying to simple mobs trying to escape.

Aion and I have lost our love affair now, but I cannot forget the days where I would constantly have to check the auction house wherever I was, if I wasn’t playing, and being in class meant staring out into space, wondering how I was going to tackle The Abyss that night. After all my time dying and being the dealer of death in Aion, it’ll forever have a position as one of my top greatest moments in gaming.

Tribal Wars is a browser based online strategy game from publisher InnoGames. For the last eight years, this legendary strategy game has dominated browsers with over 40 million registered players in 34 of the games localized languages. After all this time, Tribal Wars has reached Version 8.0 and continues to provide one of the best browser based strategy MMOs on the market. The update is now live on the servers and introduces a list of improvements that will not only benefit veterans, but new players as well. Read on below to discover the changes available in Tribal Wars Version 8.

New Features In Version 8.0:

• New Ending World Scenario - Players will need to collect the Secrets of Power to win the war
• New Quest Based Tutorial - New players will have an easier time learning the ropes with the new quest based introduction to the game
• Tribal Attack Planner - In improved Tribe Wars system which expert players can use to their advantage
• Resizeable Minimap - The minimap can now be resized to the players liking
• Friend Invite System & Pre-Registration For New Worlds

Visit the Tribal Wars game page to find out more!

Call of Gods is a Free to Play Online Browser Game from publisher Lekool Games that presents a unique twist to the city building genre. Combining real-time strategy gameplay with roleplaying game elements, CoG is a unique browser game that provides something fresh to the hybrid of genres it resides in. The game has gotten so popular that Lekool Games has found the requirement for a second server. On November 15th 2011, at 7:30 PM PST Call of Gods Server 2 will launch, bringing with it a host of new and exciting events.

Features :

• Beautiful Graphics – Animated battle System with beautiful 3D graphics
• Team Dungeon Attacks – Players can team up and combine heroes and troops to battle dungeon bosses. Or travel solo and take on waves of NPCs in numerous challenging dungeons.
• Alliance Quests & Upgrades – Join an alliance once you reach level 10. Players in an alliance can complete special alliance quests for exclusive upgrades. Alliance upgrades benefit all members. Plus battle other Alliances to gain valuable rewards
• Battle Replay – Relive glorious wins with a replay feature and then show off your wartime prowess to friends with a shareable URL of the battle

Visit the official Call of Gods site to find out more!

Last Chaos is a Free to Play PvP centric Fantasy MMORPG from popular publisher Aeria Games. Recently the developer announced they have launched the biggest content update for the MMO since 2009. With this massive content update, new and current players can find a list of new features such as a raised level cap, a new zone, dungeon and brand new gear. With a great community, large updates and exciting PvP combat, there has never been a better reason to start playing Last Chaos.  If you are an old player, check out what is waiting for you on your return below.

New content included in this content patch:

• New Zone – The new zone, “Tarian, the frozen Tundra,” is open to players who are at or near the level cap. This new zone contains monsters all the way up to level 175 and is in a snow map that prominently features a frozen lake, a dark tower and several new and re-imagined monsters.  
• Level Cap Raise – Players can now level up from 165 to 175, the first level cap raise since 2009. The level cap increase comes complete with new gear, new monsters, extended skills, new quests, and a brand new zone.
• Re-Imagined Dungeons – Visit the “Temple of Forgetfulness,” a re-imagined dungeon with many new features. The Temple now includes a time attack zone, a treasure hunt, a new boss and several new monsters.
• Increased Skill Level – The addition of an extra level and a corresponding upgrade in power allows players to increase their skill levels.
• New Gear – Brand new sets of gear will provide more power to players. Players must level up in order to get access to the new gear.

Visit the Last Chaos game page to find out more!

FireFall is an upcoming Free to Play Online Multiplayer First Person Shooter (FPS) set in a Sci-Fi universe. The game itself is both visually appealing, and provides fast paced gameplay that is sure to set a new standard for future scifi shooters. This weekend saw the GStar convention in Korea, and in attendance was developer of FireFall, Red5. At the convention the developers unveiled a new gameplay trailer which showcases combat gameplay, flying mechanics and various game modes.

FireFall had a brief beta test recently to iron out any priority issues before heading into a full blown beta, it gave them a great opportunity to tweak the sever load balancing. Expect to hear news about the beta soon, as well as more videos, as the guys over at Red5 have promised they will begin releasing more gameplay videos as they are able to. We look forward to taking a closer look at this open world MMOFPS as the game enters beta, be sure to keep an eye out right here at MMORPG.co.uk for all your FireFall news.

Visit the MMORPG.co.uk’s YouTube channel to watch more videos!

Sometimes it feels like I’m wading through a sea of blatantly incompetent new releases, looking for the pearls amongst the oysters. There are a plethora of new releases that simply do not impress at all, and in fact, go as far as to make me fear for the future of gaming. 

The only way I can really keep an optimistic viewpoint on the industry sometimes is to strap on my nostalgia goggles and float, remembering all of the amazing gaming moments I have had in the past. What follows is a list of gaming moments that have really stuck with me and help remind me of the potential gaming has to be emotionally captivating, jaw-dropping and, most of all, beautifully artistic. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Queen Gohma Boss Battle

‘BACK FOUL BEAST; I HAVE A SLINGSHOT!’

Even though I was very young when I conquered the Deku Tree for the first time, the memory of the final boss battle of the dungeon sticks with me even to this day. I even remember going and purchasing it… or, rather, begging my parents to get it for me at full, ridiculous Australia price. To this day, I still have my (now rather scuffed) golden cartridge.
At the time, the graphics were absolutely stellar, and the gameplay was unparalleled. From the moment I put the cartridge into my Nintendo 64, I knew I was in for a real adventure.So, when I first stumbled into the lair of the ‘Parasitic Armored Arachnid’ Queen Gohma, I was 100% immersed. I might as well have been in the game.

As you enter the lair, it’s seemingly empty. Nothing is really ‘off’, so to speak, and nothing sticks out or is memorable. That is, until you decide to look up and check the roof, which where—you guessed it—Queen Gohma is patiently waiting to pounce. She proceeds to then drop down and THIS music plays. 

I have an incredibly vivid memory of me at this very point in the game, covering the controller in sweat, heart-rate through the roof, facing off against this monstrosity. How can I beat such a huge spider-thing; I’m just a little elf with a wooden shield!? How can I even grip this controller anymore!? Surely enough though, setting standards I still try to uphold today, I didn’t back down at the challenge and valiantly destroyed the beast and saved the Deku Tree. I’d have to say that this moment would have to be the most satisfying moment in gaming I have experienced to this day, and that’s saying something. 

Little did I know, after an emotional goodbye to the beloved Deku Tree, the whole, gargantuan and mystical world of Hyrule was still waiting on this poor elf boy to save it from destruction.

Finishing The Deadmines for the first time

I don’t play World of Warcraft anymore; however, I’d like the haters to try and control themselves for five minutes while I dig deep and discuss just how this moment was special to me. Up until a friend bought his first copy of World of Warcraft and introduced me to the wonders of this new thing called ‘MMOs’; I was incredibly inexperienced. 

The whole idea of an MMO, with its massive world, huge player base, and RPG elements that allowed players to play however they liked, seemed to me too good to be true. I must have this, I thought. Of course, my computer and internet connections were less than cooperative initially but eventually I was climbing the ranks and was on the path to becoming the saviour of Stormwind. Not having played an MMO before, in retrospect to how WoW is today, levelling was painfully slow for me. There was a great sense of wonderment at each new ability I would unlock, piece of armour I acquired and new locations I could explore. I was having fun. 

Suddenly, I found myself in Westfall, gathering quests for this place called The Deadmines. I was still absolutely clueless at this point, and joined a party haphazardly, embarking on a journey through The Deadmines. Now, at this point I’m not going ot lie and say I finished it in one run, perfectly, because that’s not what happened. No; this is how I learnt of ‘wiping’, of ‘DPS’ and ‘Tanks’ and most of the essential elements you need to know to successfully run dungeons in WoW. Of course, learning all of this was not without the pain of many wipes and aggro from frustrated teammates. 

Running through Deadmines for the umpteenth time, actually knowing what I was doing was a thrill. There was so much variety, so much teamwork, and so much loot!I remember upon completing the dungeon and successfully besting the evil Van Cleef, all I wanted to do was run it again. Little did I know, countless hours had passed without my knowledge, I’d skipped dinner and literally hadn’t moved in hours. I didn’t care though; I was having way too much fun. 

Can’t forget this obnoxious little guy! *cough*spawnofSatan*cough*

If a game can truly have an effect on you, like making your heart rate skyrocket or making you completely and utterly lose track of time, it’s done its job in immersing you and—most of all—being a really fun experience, which is what I believe is most important in a game, even to this day, above all else.

Tune in again next time to hear me gush about more games that have really meant something to me.

Tribes: Ascend is the latest title in the series, and an upcoming Free to Play First Person Shooter. Currently in Closed Beta testing, the developers have updated the client with a few changes. Two new maps have been added to the game, Drydock: Night Map for the Rabbit Rotation and Drydock: Day Map for the Capture The Flag Rotation. Besides the new maps, the developers have introduced a large number of fixes, and one in particular is a change fans have been crying for. The movement speed cap that was introduced to the game has now been removed and the falling, skiing and jet pack physics improved.

Also included in the update were various stability and performance improvements, a cleanup of the UI and a huge list of bug fixes. If interested, players can take a look at the full patch notes here. The Closed Beta has already been so much fun, these improvements only stand to enhance that experience ten fold. Keep an eye out right here at MMORPG.co.uk for our Tribes: Ascend Closed Beta Preview, coming very soon!

Visit the official Tribes Ascend site to find out more!

Wargaming.net is the developer of the popular Action MMO World of Tanks. Recently the developer announced the relaunch of the games website. The new websites located at worldoftanks.eu for Europe and worldoftanks.com for North America, have been completely redesigned to offer a new improved experience. The site has become a global platform for the community, art and fan made content, and the Ultimate Conquest interface. With the redesign the site is now easier to navigate and provides enhanced productivity.

“Developing the new website took quite a while, and we are truly glad to finally launch it,” said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. “The design you are seeing now will become the foundation for the three-in-one “World of” web platform.” What do you think of the new design? Does it make it easier for you and your clan to plan your conquest? Let us know in the comments below! 

Visit the World of Tanks game page to find out more!

Fly For Fun (Flyff) is a popular Free to Play Fantasy MMORPG with a colorful history and a unique flying system. As the first ever Free to Play MMORPG in the US, Flyff has seen more than its fair share. To keep their dedicated community engaged, the developers have been developing a brand new massive update. Players have been testing Flyff V18: Renaissance in a recent Open Beta, which was declared a success. Now players can expect to see the new update launch on November 21st, 2011.

Renaissance brings over 100 new quests, dozens of new items, three new dungeons and an overhauled drop system. Monsters will now drop loot that scales depending on the mobs difficulty level, this allows players to get gear suited for them at their current level. Drops in the new dungeons will be geared towards mid level players, giving a boost to what was previously a somewhat stale area. The developers are working very hard to keep the ‘epic levels’ up, and there is some exciting challenges awaiting players in the new dungeons!

Visit the Fly For Fun game page to find out more!

Halloween can be an exciting time in video games, some developers show their love by holding live events while others just give away free items. Starting tomorrow, Star Supremacy is doing both of these things with their Halloween event. From tomorrow the 28th, players will be tasked with hunting down one of the GMs who will be hiding in space. If players manage to find the GM they can receive Halloween treats by sending a Private Message to the GM stating “trick or treat”. Be warned however, fake GMs and decoys will be snooping around!

Event Details
Valid time:  28th Oct—-3rd Nov 

Rewards: 

• Top 1-5: pink pumpkin helmet*1, big Halloween candy*10, longevity token*2      
• Top6-10: purple pumpkin helmet*1, big Halloween candy*5, longevity token*1      Others: small candy*5, space treasure*1

Players will receive their rewards through their in-game mail system. It definitely goes without saying, this week long GM hosted event is while rather simple, the most effort I have seen put into a Halloween event this year. Things are looking like they will be a lot of fun, I wonder if bloodhounds are still good at tracking in space?

To find out more about Star Supremacy visit the game page!

Prius Online is a free to play fantasy MMORPG with a focus on a cinematic storytelling. Winter has come to Prius Online in the form of an expansion pack. Stronghold of the North is now live and players can now experience all the latest content including 500 new quests, three new dungeons, new mounts and equipment. Not a part of this popular MMORPG already? Now is the best time to get started as gPotato has currently enabled double xp from October 28th to the 30th, allowing new players to catch up and enjoy the new content. This experience bonus isn’t all gPotato has in store though, there’s much more.

Returning players are not being left out either, now might be a good time to return as there are rewards awaiting those who do. Being the time of year it is, it wouldn’t be October if there wasn’t Halloween content included in the expansion. Players can now participate in an exciting Halloween event that will allow them to dress up their adorable animas in cute little costumes. New or old players alike, don’t miss the perfect opportunity to experience this expanding world and who can complain about free item bundles just for logging in?

Visit the Prius Online game page to find out more!

Everyone has idols, people they look up to, respect and draw inspiration from. I am no different to everyone else, but there are two people that I look up to the most. Naturally my idols are in the business of making games. Actually that doesn’t do it justice, these people create living worlds that I dreamed of as a child and the worlds I wanted to make one day. So who are my idols you may ask, they are two visionaries of game development, known as Todd Howard and Jake Song. A lot of people know Todd Howard for his work on the Elder Scrolls games, a popular open-world singleplayer RPG series. Jake Song on the other hand you might not know of, he is the creator of the upcoming Fantasy MMORPG known as ArcheAge.

As a kid I always dreamt of these huge open fantasy worlds where players could enjoy similar adventures to the ones I read about in my favourite Forgotten Realms books. I imagined games where you could truly escape to a second life (no pun intended?) in a world of magic, elves and crushing orc skulls. In a time where the main focus is on monetization and number of units shipped, these two guys lead the charge away from the ‘norm’ and return to what is truly important; making good games. Make the games you want to play and others with similar taste will join you. While developers are going crazy over their demographics, target market and installed base Todd Howard was quoted saying, “if install base really mattered, we’d all make board games, because there are a lot of tables.”

This is why these two men nay legends are my biggest idols, along with their development teams these industry leaders take the risk of creating large living worlds that a lot of us dreamed about making but never considered to be a possibility anytime soon. This brings me to the point of the article today, there is an MMORPG currently in development that surprisingly a lot of people are unaware of. This MMORPG is called ArcheAge and it is a Fantasy MMORPG set to showcase features rarely seen at such a scale in this industry. If you are a gamer like me then things like player cities, castle sieges, player shaped world and extensive crafting are just about enough to replace the girlfriend/boyfriend. Today I introduce you to the new love of your life, it loves you more than the other one ever will anyway, trust me. Prepare for the third generation of MMORPGs, courtesy of Jake Song and XL Games.

ArcheAge provides a massive, dynamic world with a deep lore and history that will not only captivate players but allow them to forge new chapters in the history of ArcheAge. Spanning across three large continents is a seamless world ready to be shaped by players, oh and yes seamless does mean no loading screens. No two servers will share the same experience, and the same location on two different servers may look completely different. In ArcheAge players are free to determine their own destiny, join the bad guys, become a fabled hero or live your days as a humble craftsman. The role you play in the world is determined by your choices and actions, if you wanted to visit a theme park then you are at the wrong attraction my friend.

There will be eight races available at launch, six of which have currently been revealed. Choose from the cat like Ferres, the human Nuian folk, rival human Hariharans, mystical Elves, stubborn Dwarves, the gigantic Warborn and two other yet to be revealed races. Each race has their own story to tell, rivalries, obstacles and challenges to face. Staying in tune with following your own path, players are not restricted by classes. ArcheAge offers preset classes such as a Warrior or Priest but doesn’t stop the player from creating their own custom class. Combine three skills from a list of ten to truly create a character that fits your playstyle.

When players enter the world they will begin their journey on either the Nuia or Harihara continents. From this point forward players are somewhat left to their own devices, as I mentioned earlier you make your own decisions. While a lot of of these freeform sandbox MMOs don’t include regular questing like more traditional MMOs, remember that this is a third generation MMORPG and that means you have freedom to make your own story while also following theirs. Embark on quests, dungeons, raids and adventure… or don’t. it really is up to you.

Under and Overachiever
In ArcheAge, quests are more than a static requirement that must be fulfilled before moving on to the next mundane task. With the under and overachiever system players choose their level of participation in quests and are rewarded accordingly. Given a quest to slay ten wild boars that have been troubling farmers but can’t be bothered? Just kill five and take a smaller cut from the original reward, or kill fifteen and receive a bonus. You choose your level of participation and the pace at which you complete quests.

Build A House
Within your territory you can build your very own house, they will come in many different shapes and sizes and serve a different purpose to each player. Do you build a humble little cottage to relax with friends and family, build a workshop for crafting fine wares or found your own village; one of the many choices you will face in ArcheAge. Most of the playable space is open for players to inhabit and shape in their image. Houses aren’t in pre-determined lots and can be dragged from the inventory and placed in the world on the exact location you want, rotate and move your building until you find that perfect spot and layout your village the way you envision not the developers.

Seige Warfare
Those who wish to live on the edge may travel north where players reign over territory they claim for player built castles and towns. This land is not safe however, other lords may try to claim your land for their own. ArcheAge features a full seige warfare system, launch catapults to crumble enemy walls, scale towers and breach the defenses; bring your enemies to their knees. With destructible environments and open warfare, players will be required to remain on their toes if they wish to keep their land. To train warriors for battle there is also a battlefield training mode that allows players to practice their tactics and strategies in a simulated environment against other players. Do you rise to power through force or politics? You shall decide how the north shall be ruled.

Labor System
Constantly, whether online or offline, a player generates labor power. This power is used for performing various activities and to complete certain tasks. Whether building a house, crafting items or participating in entertainment activities, you will require labor power. If however a player does run out and requires some immediately, labor power can be borrowed from other players or NPCs hired to complete the work.

Merchant, Crafter or Farmer?
As I have spoken about, players inhabit and shape this world in many ways. One of these methods is through crafting, which offers the opportunity to forget warfare and focus on a more peaceful life. Do you become a merchant who travels from town to town, buying goods at a low price in places where resources are abundant and then selling them for a premium in a far away location? Perhaps you prefer to craft wares, becoming famous for your equipment and making a fortune out of your home workshop. These are two great options, but there is more to the “other” life than just crafting goods and selling them. ArcheAge allows players to plant seeds, which grow into plants of all kinds. Players can start their own farm growing crops, or even plant trees and if determined enough; a whole forest.

Transportation
The world is massive, to the point where walking just isn’t an option. Early in the game players are given access to horses, not just because mounts are cool but because you really do need one to get anywhere. Horses can wear equipment and players can even fight from horseback, something we haven’t seen much of in MMORPGs. For players who don’t want to ride, or haven’t received one yet there are other modes of transportation as well that cost nothing. Carriages run along fixed routes between locations, players may jump on or off at any time to explore, hunt or quest.

Due to the game being spread over three continents, players need a way to navigate between them. Players can build ships in ArcheAge, allowing them to travel the open seas between the continents. The game world is completely seamless, meaning no loading screens and you can explore wherever your heart desires. If you can’t afford a boat then players can take the airship, but this has no loading screen either and you can take in all the scenery from above along the way.

Naval Battle System
If you have a big ship with a bunch of cannons, you need to put them to good use. ArcheAge features a full naval battle system that allows players to fight it out on the open sea and assault shoreline towns. Ships are realistically sized and whole crews are required to run them efficiently, players will be in shock the first time their ship is surrounded by pirates relentlessly shooting cannonballs at their ship. Ships can be sunk, but not permanently lost as players can repair their boats at the appropriate NPC for a fee. Have pirate MMORPG’s failed to impress you lately? Well now you are free to go on swashbuckling adventures within this fantasy world. Become a full blown pirate, sail the seas and raid innocent villages for loot and plunder.

Prison System
If players kill someone of their own race in their own territory they receive a criminal point, receive enough of these points and you are summoned to a court hearing. At this court hearing the judges will determine your fate according to the crimes committed and evidence provided. Players can call forth witnesses, but ultimately if found guilty players will be imprisoned. While imprisoned players will have two choices, complete communal service by digging holes and spending time behind bars, or make a break for it and tunnel out of there! Oh, and as a fair warning to players, if you don’t turn up to caught you become wanted and other players will undoubtedly hunt you down and bring you to justice.

This is but a small glimpse of what is in store for players in ArcheAge. As you can see, players can truly choose their own path and help shape the world. The possibilities and scenarios that can unfold drive my imagination wild and the freedom to make these dreams a reality is why I recommend you keep a close eye on this game. If you ever wished there was a fantasy Star Wars Galaxies style MMORPG or wanted to experience a world with true freedom that still offers the same features of a traditional theme-park MMO then support ArcheAge! 

Let us know about your hopes for this game, what you would like to see and best of all what type of character you will become. If you share my passion for games like this, then don’t be shy, let me know and we will bring more ArcheAge your way!

Visit the Official ArcheAge Site to find out more!

Today Frogster, known best as publisher of Runes of Magic, announced the launch of the official website for Eligium. Never heard of it? Well Eligium - The Chosen One is an upcoming free to play fantasy MMORPG that focuses around five races uniting to fight back a horde of demons. The website consists of a community forums, an in-depth library of information about the game and plenty of screenshots and videos for gamers to feast their eyes on. To celebrate the launch of the website, Frogster has released races and classes to the public, check them out:

Spending their lives training in secluded Monasteries the Panda race aspire to achieve enlightenment and to ascend as a monk in complete control chi energy. Utilizing this powerful force of life the Panda are able to devastate foes in closed and long ranged combat, either of which a Panda can choose to master. Do you breathe fire from a distance or overcome your foes close range with several clone mirror images of yourself?

Since the beginning of time the Elves have inhabited the dense forests of Galgaron, becoming masters of hunting and long ranged combat. In this world Elves follow one of two paths, as Scouts who are deadly and accurate with bow in hand or creatures of shadow, utilizing concealment and the element of surprise to win the battle. This strange race of beauty and wisdom holds many mysterious traditions, and as one of the older races has a long and rich history.

Frogster have done a great job with Runes of Magic no doubt, with a huge community and some great titles under their belt we are expecting big things from the guys in Berlin. We highly suggest you head over to the official website to find out more about Eligium’s races, classes and game features. Don’t forget to check back regularly on MMORPG.co.uk for more news about Eligium as we head into beta. The demons are coming, prepare for war!

Visit the Official Site to find out more!

Rise of Immortals is a Free to Play MMO based around the popular ‘Aeon of Strife’ gaming genre, which includes games like Defence of the Ancients (DotA), Heroes of Newerth (HoN) and League of Legends (LoL). In essence, you’ll be given a choice from one of twelve Immortals, and asked to team up with other players to defeat teams composed of enemy players and/or AI opponents.

Save the tower; save the world.

Rise of Immortals offers several different modes, including 2v2, 3v3, 5v5 and 3 PVE. In 3 PVE (Player vs. Environment) you are placed with two other players and must work together to defeat enemy minions. Doing so will allow you to gain experience and gold that can be used to purchase upgrades, attack enemy AI Immortals, defend your base and, ultimately, destroy your enemies. In, 2v2, 3v3 or 5v5, your goals are the same; however, instead of AI opponents you be matched against enemy players.

Unlike other MOBA’s, Rise of Immortals has a certain casual playstyle to it, which offers it a unique advantage over other hardcore titles in the genre. While playing I was able to pick the game up quickly, which meant I didn’t have to spend two days playing against the AI before I could step into the arena with actual players. And the community, though only small, is a vibrant and friendly place. I was amazed at all the help other players gave me, offering advice on which upgrades, Immortals and attack paths I should choose.

My scythe is bigger than yours…

As with most other titles in this genre, you can purchase upgrades which help assist you in defeating your enemies and defending your base. These items increase attack damage, critical strike chance, mana, health and armour, and also potions, which help to get you out of sticky situation and back home to heal.

These items are purchased with gold that is earned from slaying enemies on the battlefield. Choosing the right items for your style of play can be difficult at first, so there are many recommended items that are displayed at the top of the shop menu. After getting to know where your weaknesses lay, you can increase those areas and take full advantage of your Immortals strengths, and each Immortal has a unique реrk branch on thеir skill trее which allows you to customize your Immortal even further.

Some players are less helpful than others…

Rise of Immortals also features a ‘cash store’ where you are able to buy new skins for your characters, and new Immortals to better suit your preferences. Most of these purchases simply offer small aesthetic changes to look of your Immortals; however, there are some which really stood out from the pack, such as the Michael Jackson skin for Netheurgist, which was very tempting to buy, and the Grim Reaper skin for Lazarus, which I did buy.

On the negative side, I did find some balance issues between some of the Immortals which, in certain situations, let to some very frustrating events. Aislynn and Ichorr, for example, are described as ‘support tanks’, though in reality they often fill a much larger role (read: they kill you so quickly that you’ll be afraid to ever leave your base again).

3vTree. lol.

In summary, Rise of Immortals is a great Free to Play game, and it a much needed addition to the genre. Too often in the MOBA genre are casual players left out of the mix, and it’s nice to see a game that caters to a less competitive audience. Sadly, balance issues with some of the Immortals do need attention, and the matchmaking system is less than perfect, but the friendly community and ‘casual’ atmosphere make it a must-play for those new to the genre and looking for their start.

-James Creaton

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