Danshir pwnd himself!

I've decided that I should get a bit more in detail with my guides. After looking over them, while they remain in accuracy in terms of score, There are a lot of factors in each game that I wanted to mention, but didn't to make it easier to scroll through each review. So, to remedy this, from now on I will post full page reviews*Like I should have done* for each of the games. Also, I will post guides for particular classes and tips and tricks I have picked up. So expect anything from How to be the best PVE rogue to raising your trade skills, etc. Also I'll go fully into each of the major categories of the game and talk about them.

EverQuest 2

Don't let the title fool you. EverQuest 2 has almost no relation to it's predecessor. While having the same story*Same deities, some cities, and landmasses*, the game play is entirely different. It plays, in terms of combat similar to other MMO's, but have a nifty lil combo system that I found to be very entertaining. Basically you cast a " Combo " starter ability/spell, then follow it up with a spell that shares a school with this wheel that will pop up on your screen*Lightning bolt icon = Evocation, so ..yeah*. What this does is gives you an added benefit, such as extra damage or a huge return to your mana pool. If you do this in a group however, the benefit can be massive. The graphics are also very nice, with great detail on the character's themselves. There is also a hefty bit of voice acting from nps, which increases the ambiance of the game. However if you were a fan of EQ1's focus on large raids and everything taking a massive amount of your time, you may not enjoy EQ2. It seems to focus on " feel like you accomplished something in an hour ", which may appeal to a lot of people. The crafting system is also very in depth and rewarding, with no limits of how many professions you can do.

The Good

• Great character customization, if not the best of MMO's.
• Spell combo system is fun, keeps combat entertaining.
• Voice acting helps with the feel of the game, you feel like your in Norrath.
• More quests then you can shake a stick at.

The Bad

• A lot of expansions to buy...A lot.
• Content " patches " that are free for other games cost money here.
• Not very clear of where to go for your level bracket unless you ask other players.
• A lot of walking, especially when your starting out.

I would highly suggest this game, despite the flaws. Though the rate of expansions does bother me, as does paying money for lil patches that World of Warcraft gives out for free, this game is a blast to play if you enjoy Fantasy MMORPG at all. I give this game a 9/10.

EverQuest

This is, perhaps, the MMO that started it all in terms of true Massively Multiplayer Online gaming as we know it today. Though not the powerhouse that World of Warcraft is today, in it's prime it was truly an experience. After ten long years, it's still running...and still making expansions. Two a year infact. Despite that*expansions get expensive*, and the fact there are almost less then half the servers then they had, it's still a game I would recommend to any " hardcore" MMO fan. By hardcore I mean you are willing to take DAYS of playing simply to level up. In comparison to the newer generation of online games, this will suck your life dry. Rather you believe that to be a good thing, or bad, is up to you. However, in terms of size, I've yet to see a game larger. The world is massive, as are the various planes of existance. Some raids could have over 50+ people, and even then fail due to a simple mistake made by any of those people.

The Good

• Tons and Tons of content, you will NOT run out of things to do.
• Massive. Just plain ol Massive. Maybe even titan'ish.
• The GM's have a sense of humor.( I got turned into a spectre once..just to mess with me)

The Bad

• Until you're max level, prepare to be alone in a huge world..very very alone.
• Two expansions a year that are almost equal to free patches other games release...
• Outdated graphics, style is nice..but still. Polygon city.
• Alot of " zoning ". Prepare to say hi to the loading screen.

Something worthy to note. Sony does have a lil device called " HotZones ". Basically if you are questing or killing in whichever zone the hotzone is for that week/month/etc, you'll get bonus exp. This has the advantage of not only giving you more exp, but encouraging others in your level brackett to hunt there. However, while this is the MMO that got me into the genre ten years ago, I gotta give this game a 6/10. It will hook you, but it will require major work to be any type of contender against the new Kings.

City of Heroes / Villians

If you have ever at all enjoyed any type of super hero, comic book , etc, then more then likely you will love PlayNC's City of Heroes / Villians. This is one of the few games I've ever played for hours on end, simply making characters.
The customization ability is astounding! I've made classic iconic video game characters such as Mega man, Raiden, and even old cartoon heroes such as Captain Planet.*Hey, it was funny* That aside, the actual gameplay is fun, though I personally think that the City of Villians game is alot more interesting and fun then Heroes, especially with the archtypes*think character class*. However, after about level 10, I quickly became bored. There isn't alot of variety of missions, they're either save/kidnap this person, steal this item, etc, all in different instanced areas.

The Good

• Unrivaled in character creation. We are talking thousands of possiblities...
• The Bank missions are a hoot, and money system is more laid back*AKA not a problem to get cash.*
• Easy to find Teams/Super teams*aka Groups/Guilds*

The Bad

• It quickly gets boring, more so then even WoW did.
• Some huge issues with Pet AI for the Mastermind archtype.
• Graphics are not astounding
• Boring missions later on in levels.

Thankfully, you get another free trial game here. So try before you buy. It's alot of fun, but more then likely you'll get your fill with just the 14 day free trial. I give this game a 7/10. It's good, but I would love to see some heavy improvements upon it. If you are interested in trying it out, then City of Heroes® - Download and Play Now

Lord of the Rings : Online

From the very start this game held my attention. The moment I started playing I was quite in awe by the way it seemed to make you feel like you were actually being part of the story, something most MMO's fail at entirely. That soon ended, becoming more of a normal MMORPG, however the game is still worth a peak. With excellent graphics, and a control scheme very similiar to World of Warcraft, and the very story and geography ripped straight out of such a rich world, Lord of the Rings Online is a fantastic way to kill the hours.

The Good

• The game content is from a very well known source.


• The combat is fun and exciting.


• The graphics are fantastic.

The Bad

• It's really just World of Warcraft with different graphics..


• After the first 15 minutes, it quickly became just another MMO


• I didn't find the PvP content as fun as WoW's

Overall, I would rate this game a 8.5/10. It's a great game, but it*and many others* are just WoW clones with different source material. There is a free trial however, so check it out. And be sure to check out the elite link for LOTOR!

World of Warcraft

Instead of beating around the bush, I'll start with the critically acclaimed giant of the MMO world. There is a reason this is the first MMORPG to get such a mass media regonition. With millions of subscribers, you will never have a problem finding people to play with. With quests ranging from giving a guard his equipment to fightning popular Warcraft characters such as Illidan Stormrage, Lord of Outland. However, WoW is not without its flaws, especially for "hardcore" RPG fanatics. One of the game's strength's is it's ease of play, and almost arcade like feel. It's easy to pick up, customize your ablities and level. However, this also means it lacks the large amount of depth and difficulty that older MMO's had, such as EverQuest. You'll quickly find yourself at the peak of what you can do. While I think World of Warcraft is one of the best, if not the best, MMORPG out there, I quickly became bored after I got my character to max level and got the best gear that one can get.

The Good

• Large player base, you'll rarely (if ever!) fight alone.


• Easy to start out, even if you're new to RPGs.


• Player Vs Player content is a blast and gives unique weapons/armor.


• Runs great even on older machines.

The Bad

• Graphics are somewhat too cartoonish.


• Character model customization is small.


• Most Raid encounters can take several hours to complete.

Overall, I give World of Warcraft a 9.5/10 score. It has some minor issues, especially the lack of customization to your character model. I would love to see the use of armor dyes, and more detailed editing with face and body. Still, this is a fast paced game that deserved to be tried out. Now.

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The place to help you find the right MMO for you!

Hello, and welcome to The MMO Experience Blog! The place where you can get the pro's and con's on today's MMO'S! A few years ago, this wasn't really much of a choice. You had EverQuest, Ultima Online, and really not much else. However, in recent years the evolution of this genre of game has truly gone from massive to gargantuan. But which should you buy? All of them have a hefty price tag upfront, not to mention the monthly fees. Some are nice enough to offer a free trial to let you try before you buy, but not all of them give this option. It is truly painful (Especially to your wallet) for you to pick up the latest MMO only to find you can't fathom why it had so much hype! So instead, I'll give you the lowdown of each MMO. What it excels at, what it doesn't deliver, and other information.