Monthly Archives: September 2009

Fallen Earth: Release postponed to the 22

FALLEN EARTH, LLC, the creator of Fallen Earth, has announced that it plans to extend its the launch date to September 22.

“Our main focus is to make sure that Fallen Earth is easily accessible to as many fans as possible,” said Jessica Orr, product manager for Fallen Earth. “We are working on initiatives that are near fruition and we simply need more time.”

Pre-order customers will still enter Early Access on September 9, with an additional six days of access before the live program begins.

 

You know what they say about men with big guns right?

Turf Battles Preview: First Looks

By Bryan King (Bryan), OnRPG Journalist

Who says the power of community can’t be strong? Due to popular demand, AeriaGames, a major F2P MMO publishing company, bought the license to Turf Battles, developed by IMAZIC. Turf Battles makes usage of the Unreal Engine.

Turf Battles is a PvE and PvP Free MMORPG in which tribes and their allies battle over vast areas of land. This game encompasses massive Turf Battles in many varied landscapes. Battle alongside other players or against them with help from your faithful pet. You can fend for yourself and fight a wide assortment of monsters, zombies and mutants. Otherwise join a tribe of other players to fight for the turfs and their resources. Form Alliances with other tribes to share a turf and become an imposing force in the Turf Battles.

There are many classes to choose from and advance to such as: Blade, Fist, Archer, Blue Mage and White Priest. You also have the option of fighting in the fast paced PvP battles and prove yourself to be a force to be reckoned with. But how did these Turf Wars begin?

Turf Battles Story

As quoted from the Turf Battles website.

“As all stories, the story of Turf Battles has a beginning. Long ago elves and humans lived peacefully but separately on a large island called Sephiroth. The elves called their nation Veros and the humans called their nation Ladianes. But the evil of arrogance and power caused the leaders of both nations to declare war and battle for control of this island. Many brave and good elves and humans died in the resulting Turf Battle. Finally an alliance between Veros and Ladianes was made and once again the land was at peace.

The stories of these brave warriors were told by bards and storytellers by the light of campfires over the passing stretch of years. Humans and elves who sat huddled around the safety of these campfires often looked in fear at the surrounding woods while listening to these stories, because the light casted by the campfires and their own fueled imaginations sometimes made the shifting shadows of the surrounding trees appear as if the long dead heroes and villains of these stories had once again picked up their weapons to continue their endless battles. Over time even these bards and story tellers became a dim memory and the legends that they song and spoke about became mere tales to tell children before they were sent off to sleep. Sephiroth was peaceful and the lessons of the original Turf Battle had been long forgotten. But the evil of arrogance and power soon destroyed this tranquility.”

The Rundown on Gameplay

Creating a character in Turf Battles is as ordinary as in any other game, you choose from a selection of randomized or limited customary selected features such as hair, body parts, etc. Players are able to choose from two races, the Humans or the Nephilim. The Nephilim may sound very unique, but it does resemble the typical elf. The goal of Turf Battles is to gather resources, such as gems to enhance weapons and armors, and herbs to make potions with. The whole center of the game is to compete over Turfs and their resources.

The races in the game do have a factor on what class you end up playing. Speaking of classes, the classes in the game are as follows: If you choose to play a Nephilim you can be either an Archer or a Blue Mage. If you decide on a Human character you can be a Fist Fighter, a Blade Fighter, or a Red Mage.

Turf Battles Mage

All of these classes have the option of basically becoming a new class at a certain level by putting points into specializations of another race. One thing that I enjoyed about the game was the constant interaction between players. The alliance of Tribes is extremely important in the game, due to the fact that there are turf battles that occur once a day per turf and whomever controls it gets riches that can help them become even stronger. Some Turfs are not owned by players, however. They are owned by powerful ghosts and monsters that require a large amount of players to capture them. In return, these turfs have a large amount of natural resources that can be harvested.

I was instantly impressed by the fact that the game focuses on territory occupation but at the same time adds great PvE elements and the need for alliances to become the best. This need for alliances brings a new sort of realism to the game, and it doesn’t stop there. Simple things make the game even more realistic, which could be very great for gamers who are tired of the casual trippy MMO. When your weapons are not engaged, your character runs faster, player attack animations are well-detailed and take the player through all the processes of regular spellcasting. Also, pets have to start out as eggs, after which they hatch and become your companion.

The game’s pet system is extremely well done and detailed; you can raise animals such as dragons, puppies, or unicorns that raise your stats accordingly. These pets level up and become stronger, which allows you to gain even more stat benefits. Apart from that you can use your pet to your advantage in battle.

Turf Battles does not offer much to newbie players other than fighting monsters and doing quests, which is extremely cliché. You have to be a certain level to do anything related to PvP, which some players might not be interested in playing.

How does it look? – Graphics

Sadly, Turf Battles has graphics that cannot be compared to how great the gameplay is. I noticed bad character models, for the beginning areas. The human female and male look extremely alike. I had a hard time telling which one was which, other than… you know. However, spell animations look REALLY good. When you shoot arrows it looks realistic in the sense that shooting arrows through obstacles is impossible. Fire-type spells actually show fire on the caster’s hands. The casters will move their arms and hands in certain motions that are unique for every spell, which is actually pretty cool, and breaks out from the norm of magic-based classes.

Turf Battles Visuals

KABOOM! – Sound

On the other hand, the sound in the game is actually quite impressive. The musical score in the background does bring a new sort of enjoyment in an industry of games filled with the generic poorly produced music that you see. The sound effects are pretty well-done too. Arrow shots let off the realistic “PLINK!” when shot. You can hear mom’s home baked cooking when conjuring up a nice fire bolt and heals let off the melancholy sound when casted. It’s put together realy well.

Conclusion

Turf Battles brings an awesome experience in terms of PvP. If you don’t mind heavy emphasis on Player vs. Player, more so than PvE, or dated graphics, Turf Battles is a great game for you!

Pros:
– Large amount of unique classes
– Detailed and dynamic player vs. player system.
– Amazing pet system
– Great music and skill effect sounds

Cons:
– Not newbie friendly
– Dated graphics
– Weird character models
– Limited character customization 

Krazy Aces

 

Krazy Aces is a free-to-play multiplayer online game for your PC. An aerial combat racing game, Krazy Aces is set in a vibrant and colorful world where players battle to be the first to cross the finish line.
The fast-paced races are two minutes of adrenaline rush as players bump, trap, and try to shoot down each other’s aircraft using a variety of special attacks to win first place, all while dodging monsters and the challenging and varied environments along the way. Placing first place earns you Ace Points, which will grant you access to better aircraft and equipment along your journey to rescue the kidnapped Princess and attain the prestigious title of Master Ace.
Offering both solo and party play, Krazy Aces can be played by up to 8 players racing simultaneously, with the highest ranking pilots being featured on our website.
Players can customize their characters and aircraft at Krazion’s Shop & Garage, or upgrade their craft’s abilities by collecting cards that can be obtained from mini games. A successful combination of cards will determine the strength of the plane’s individual attributes: attack, defense, intelligence, and speed.
System requirements are set low in order to maximize the ability for pilots around the world to join in on the fun.
Krazy Aces is set to launch in 2009.

 

Dragonica EU Interview: Your questions answered!

Questions by Mohammed Afzal (MageMoa), Onrpg journalist, and the Onrpg community
Answered by Max Stolberg, Dragonica Producer, gPotato.eu gaming portal

Dragonica is a game created by Barunson and it is currently being hosted in several versions. Dragonica Online is different from most MMORPGs. It is a 3D side scrolling MMORPG which offers its players to walk in a 2.5 dimensional world with their 3D characters. The game offers us loads of classes, unique features and amazing graphics. We can easily call Dragonica a game of the newest generation.

After a great preview client, which was only available to the press, gPotato, the European host of Dragonica, decided to launch a Closed Beta and shortly after that an Open Beta. Onrpg had the chance to ask one of their producers a few questions about the game and its future. The questions were publicly chosen by the Onrpg community and myself. Please be aware of the fact that there was a delay between the moment the questions were sent and the moment they were sent back.

Onrpg: Would you like to introduce yourself, please?
Hi there. Thank you very much for letting me discuss Dragonica with you. My name is Max Stolberg and I’m the Producer of Dragonica for the European market. My job is to plan and coordinate the market entry of Dragonica in Europe. This includes the localisation, testing and launch of Dragonica and successively its EU operation.

Onrpg: Will our characters remain after the wipe or will everything be reset?
Characters after CBT had been reset or wiped indeed. Characters will not be reset or wiped after Open Beta. We’ve already opened the in game shop and players can spend real money for Dragonica to equip their characters. There won’t be a wipe.

Dragonica Archerer

Onrpg: Are you planning to IP-block the residents of the countries who do not have their own version of Dragonica (such as North and South America)?
The IP block already has been implemented in Europe and will soon be implemented in Singapore and North America as well. Regions who do not have a licensed publisher yet are excluded from this IP block of course. Further, we offer European players travelling abroad to register their IP so they can continue playing on their Dragonica version.

Onrpg: Many players do not understand the complicated mission grading system. Can the mission grading system be explained more in depth, please?
There are 7 ranks in the mission map and depending several factors like combo skill, hit percentage, damage taken and speed a rank is calculated. From top to bottom the ranks are S – A – B – C – D -E – F. The higher the rank (e. g. S) the higher your reward will be.

Onrpg: Are you planning on adding special mission maps which require more than four players?
There are plans to have mission maps that require more than four players indeed. I cannot reveal any more details yet however as this system has not been fully finalized yet.

Onrpg: When a player dies, he has to pay an amount of gold to get revived. Many players are complaining about the high costs of reviving. Are you planning on lowering the costs?
We’re not planning on lowering those revival costs currently. First, you can always buy feathers from the in game shop which revive you with full health and full mana and secondly, you do not have to die actually. This can be avoided you know.

Onrpg: What is the maximum level going to be?
The maximum level currently is 60. When we open the next continent I expect the level cap to be 80 and then progressively 100 and 120. This however is not 100% confirmed and can change if Barunson sees a change necessary.

Onrpg: When the Cash Shop will be released in the official release, will you also release (new) in-game items to buy?
The in game shop is already released even though we’re still in Open Beta phase. Just check it out please. Our in game shop however is built around the philosophy that we do not sell items that give players an unfair advantage so we refrain from selling in game items or balance breaking items.

Onrpg: What makes Dragonica so different from other games?
Dragonica is unique in its approach to form a hybrid MMO & action side-scrolling game. You’ll not only find all the normal MMO features including achievement system, housing, customizable characters, marriage system, pet system, guild and group PvP to just name a few. Just imagine a mix of “Golden Axe” and “Super Smash Brothers”. It’s retro with modern, hack and slay with skill and coolness with fun. And if you want, you can even get one of those freeware programs to plug in your console and play Dragonica with that. A PC MMO on a console so to speak.

Onrpg: Where do you receive your content from? The Chinese or the Korean Dragonica?
We receive our content from our developer Barunson who has licensed the game to several different publishers worldwide, including ICE in China, NCsoft in Korea, IAHgames in Singapore and THQ in North America. All of those publishers basically receive the same content but of course have the right to either request specific changes according to their market needs or not apply the update at all.

Onrpg: Are you planning on adding unique content that only applies to Gpotato?
We certainly will add unique items or events that only apply to gPotato but as far as whole system features go, I cannot imagine the costs Barunson would have to bear if they’d develop game systems uniquely targeted at one publisher. I think such a thing is out of the question, unfortunately.

Dragonica NPCs

Onrpg: What kind of updates can we expect? Are there incentives for PvP, are you going to raise the level cap, are there new class evolutions etc.. ?
The next big update will see more content added in the level 50-60 region with new mission maps and new monsters to beat. Also, the PvP system still will be worked on as well as class balance, class design and class evolution. Barunson also will continue to work on high end level content, new in game features like the housing and pet system and many more. We’ve launched the game now as we believe it’s good enough for a release and good enough for players to thoroughly enjoy it but it’s far from finished. There’s much more to come and to look forward to.

Onrpg: What would you like to see added in Dragonica yourself?
PvP and PvE end level content. Mission maps with 10 players having a really challenging boss fight.

Onrpg: Can we expect more games of Gpotato this year? Could you at least mention some title(s)?
We’ll indeed add another AAA title this year with Allods Online, a sci-fi fantasy game developed by the Russion developer Nival Online. Look out for this game as it’ll be a blockbuster among free to play games.

Onrpg: Are you planning on adding new content in the future? Could you tell us a little bit more about that?
As I mentioned we’ll add additional monster and mission maps between level 50 and 60. For other content updates, please be patient and wait a little bit longer.

Onrpg: Is there anything else you would like to mention?
I wish all of you a lot of fun playing Dragonica and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Onrpg: Thank you for answering our questions!

MapleStory Europe: Knights of Cygnus make their entrance!

August 5, 2009 – MapleStory Europe has been updated with a new major content update.
The patch adds an entirely new set of classes called the “Knights of Cygnus” and brings a whole new storyline to Maple World.
 
The Knights of Cygnus characters are available for all players at every level and once enlisted as a knight, players start over at level one and need to complete their training and a few exciting adventures to reach level 10 to select from a set of five new jobs: Soul Master, Wind Breaker, Flame Wizard, Night Walker or Striker.
 
The Knights of Cygnus were recruited by Goddess Cygnus to defend Maple World from the evil Black Wizard, and are called to the game’s new map “Erev” for their trainings and missions to keep Maple World peaceful. Following their own story line within the game, Knights of Cygnus characters can advance up to 120 levels and make use of various and exclusive new features such as new sets of skills depending on the character class.
 
Today’s update further includes numerous events celebrating the launch of “Knights of Cygnus” and the opening of the new server “Demethos” at the same time.

MapleStory Europe - Knights of Cygnus Join Maple World

Seafight Review: You Are a Pirate!

By Kei Beneza (Dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

Seafight is a free (MMORPG) that lets you live the life of a pirate. Roaming the seven seas has never been this fun as your take down enemy vessels and sea monsters while “yo-ho-hoing” to the pirate life. As a fresh new pirate, it’s your duty to fight battles, roam the unforgiving seas and expand your territory while gaining the heart of your crew on your journey to become one of the most feared pirates ever. You’ll be fighting notorious pirates as you make your way through the raging currents, firing cannons and savoring the sound of battle while trading cannonballs with enemy ships. Despite its outdated graphics, the game is still being played by a total of 22 million people, of which around 30 thousand playerss can be online at one time. Hard to believe? Let’s take a closer look!

Shiver me timbers! This be better than most’e them MMOs

Character creation is a breeze in this game. After entering your name and choosing your server, your Pirate Captain Persona is up and ready. You’ll be upgrading your ship as you progress through the game. There are tons of upgrades and enhancers to choose from so you won’t have to worry about uniformity taking the fun away. Earning money is the same as any other MMO. You’ll be doing various quests while fighting dreadful sea monsters in order to gain in game cash that are either used for consumables or upgrades. The interface is user friendly and easy to get used to. The game’s not that complicated so you won’t have to spend more time learning the curves before getting into the action.

The game also has a sort of “SIMS” element that makes you take care of your crew in order for them to function well. This means you have to provide them with enough food and necessities (alcohol) to keep them in tip top shape. This is done by accessing their individual windows and looking at their status. It’s most essential for you to keep track of your crew’s health so don’t go around fighting without attending to them first. It is also important that you check your ship’s status most of the time, especially since most pirates won’t think twice about blasting you up to the sky. Getting upgrades may get a bit trivial as you go through the game. In fact, it’s always hard to find the ideal character build that compliments your play style.

I’ll be sendin ye to Davey Jones locker!

Aye aye! This game does have PVP! If you’re that desperate to prove that you’re the best captain there is, then don’t just brag about it, make them see it with their own eyes. Combat is one of the best elements of Seafight. Like the title suggests, the game is built entirely on ship battles at sea. The combat interface is relatively easy to comprehend. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that this game has a technical combat system, but it does have its strategic moments. 

Land ahoy! I see em pixilated land lubbers

The visuals are pretty impressive for a game that deals only with ships. The game is presented in 3D but can easily be dismissed as a 2D game due to its isometric view mode that makes the ships and the other elements look a bit flat around the surface. Explosions and other effects look similar to red alert 2 (which was completely 2D by the way). Ships turn at ultra fast speed which makes it kinda funny. Then again, who’d want to use a slow ship at a time like this? The interface still looks MMO-ish despite its red alert-like visuals. Damage numbers still show whenever you hit your opponents with skills and such. The buttons look easy enough to understand, making it easier for people to know what they’re pressing. Some skills and special weapons are expressed through different balls of light. It’s quite simple compared to other MMOs that actually render cannonballs during game play, but the colorful projectiles do look quite appealing. It’s like you have an idea how hard that ball of light will hit just by looking at it. These types of effects add up to the game’s visual harmony and must not be taken lightly. The objects look crisp and the elements look awesome.

The game runs on real time, meaning you’ll be squirming around the seas day and night. This boosts the sense of realism since you’ll be planning ahead like a normal pirate whether in sunlight or under the crescent moon. Might I say that this game possesses an impressive set of visuals that are sure to make Black Bleard himself proud.

The Verdict

All in all, the game’s one of the best pirate games to ever hit the seven seas. The customizable features and ship upgrades really lets you take charge of what type of ship you’re trying to make. The crew may be needy at times but is quite essential for players since it immerses them deeper into the role of the captain. The visuals are steady. The water looks nice with the current unchanging despite certain conditions. The visuals may need a bit of work but it’s not too bad on its current state.  The sea monsters and ships do build a form of realism due to its crisp 2d-ish 3d skin. The game runs swiftly with a nice frame rate that would leave any player breathless. The game play is definitely different from other MMOs. What’s better is that the game doesn’t suck despite the lack of traditional features like character archetypes and mass visual exploration. I myself don’t know what makes this game good. It’s not really the best game in the world but its uniqueness is quite charming, making it a must play for any MMO gamer out there. AHOY MATEY!

The Good
– In depth character customization
– Sense of Realism
– Decent Visuals
– Explosive combat looks good despite the lack of detail
– PVP!
– No installation needed.

The Bad
– Graphics need improvement
– Needs more BGM
– Gives you digital sea sickness after a while (colors are too flat at times, its sickening)
– Some ship archetypes may help. 

Rumor: Third Star Wars MMO in the making?

Rumors about a new (third!) Star Wars MMO are getting louder and louder!
After SoE’s Star Wars Galaxies and Bioware’s The Old Republic rumors are now circulating about Sony working on a third Star Wars MMO based on the Clone Wars universe.
Interesting side note is that rumors from PAX are now surfacing that this game may be under development in the engine that Sony already uses for Free Realms. As the look and feel of this game is not that far of the cartoony look of Clone Wars we are inclined to believe (and hope) there is some credibility to these rumors.
So far there are no comments from any official sources, but we are keeping our eyes and ears wide open!
As soon as we hear more you’ll be the first to read it here on OnRPG!

Star Wars Clone Wars - Perhaps an MMO in the Making

Zero Online Celebrates it’s Second Anniversary With a BUNCH of Events!

To celebrate the two year anniversary of Zero Online there are a truckload of in-game events taking place between the 10th and the 16th of September.
 
1. Alliance Carnival (September 10th – 16th)
You can go to the Gift Box on Steel Warship every hour to claim a Carnival Gift for free. You will also win some ZPs (bound) with just a little bit of luck!
 
2. Anniversary Salute (September 13th)
To celebrate the great carnival, we have prepared to fire some mortars as a salute to our troops! You can kill Othello forces to reclaim the Mortar Shells needed for the salute celebration and claim your reward.
 
3. Carnival Cake (September 10th & 16th)
You can talk to Andrew to acquire the cake recipes and gather ingredients from the Othello. In this way, you will be able to make Lower Cake, Ordinary Cake, or Higher cake. Different cakes make for different rewards.
 
4. Chocolate Workshop (September 11th, 4:00 – 23:30)
As we known, chocolate symbolizes love and romance. If you want to share a piece of chocolate with your lover, don’t forget to participate in this event. Find Octovia to learn how to make chocolates, but remember that only the female pilots are permitted to make chocolates. If you are a male pilot, hurry up and find your spouse now!
 
5. Crystal City (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
On a far away planet, there is buried an ancient cache of treasures in a place called Crystal City. Since it is a dangerous trip, only pilots above level 50 are allowed to enter the gate! Come to Crystal City and open the boxes for your treasure!
 
6. Egg Smash (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
In the arena, there are plenty of gold eggs on the ground. Just smash them with your Steel Hammer, you will get your reward! Sometimes, there will be a big monster hiding in the egg to attack you. If you can defeat it successfully, you will receive extra rewards.
7. Extreme Hurdle Race (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
Running at full speed is a something everyone enjoys. Every pilot has a chance to test their limits in our carnival now. You should try to reach the endpoint as fast as you can while avoiding attacks from cannons and defenders along the way to your target location. Your reward depends on how fast you can finish the race.
 
8. Extreme Simulation (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
There are 9 kinds of enemies in this field, each of which is quite special and needs you to charge one transform skill to defeat. So try your best to defeat 9 Thunder Warriors to prove yourself a truth fighter and claim some presents.
 
9. Galaxy City (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
Space pirates like to bury their treasure in beautiful places or buildings. You can kill Aron Pirates to salvage any treasures they might have. You can find Cordy to sign up for this mission and claim an Electronic Pickaxe from Captain Red. Remember to keep an eye on the powerful Argo Rogues.
 
10. Mechsorption Pursuit (September 14th)
It is high time for us to strike back against the Othello bandits! Those Pod Mechs are the keys to our vengeance. You can hand your masterpiece to Clark to claim your reward! If you can offer up 4 types for the Ultra Mechs, you will get an extra reward!
 
11. Military Review (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
In this Carnival, the annual Military Review will be held as usual. All we need to inspect is whether pilots like you are familiar enough with Zero’s world. You will receive an order from the commander every minute. According to the orders, you need to proceed to the corresponding zone within one minute. You will get 20 orders to complete in each round. Have fun!
 
12. Piglet, the Patrolman (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
You must have seen them before and their big ears always leave an impression. This time, they are here to give out presents! What you need to do is to go follow them and pick up the things they may drop. You need to pick up these materials and finish the corresponding quests to win the ultimate reward! Good luck!
 
13. Pollution Prevention (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
It is our duty to save the universe from all kinds of pollution, isn’t it? You can talk to Cordy to enter the campaign and begin infiltrating an Othello base. Their security system will change the password every ten minutes randomly. But don’t worry, our new technology has completely cracked the system and will tell you the new password every time it changes. You just need to input the new one to hack the whole system. Then you will save the universe from nuclear pollution. You will receive a great deal of rewards for succeeding.
 
14. Snowmen Meltdown (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
You must miss the times when you made a snowman and had a snowball fight with your little friends. From September 10th to the 16th, the alliance would like to invite all pilots to join in the Snowmen Meltdown to re-experience those moments with us. You may be rewarded with Rose Quartz, Sapphires, EXP or various kinds of Zero Points (bound) Packs!
 
15. Universal Sheepherder (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
The alliance has invented some mech sheep with advanced nano technology. This time, your mission is to head to the enemy’s military base and escort them out of there. Teamwork will be the most effective way to accomplish this mission. Don’t forget to protect the mech sheep while eliminating enemies! Have fun!
 
16. Warship Casino (September 12th & 15th, 4:00 – 23:00)
Welcome to the fabulous Warship Casino! Officer Chelsea will provide our hard-working Alliance pilots the chance to be billionaires! All you need to do is find Officer Chelsea on the Steel Warship to start placing your bets! Good luck to everyone!
 
17. Werewolves Elimination (September 10th – 16th, at specific time)
The werewolves’ target is the Moon Fortress, which is the Alliance’s stronghold. Officer Cordy is recruiting soldiers to defend against this invasion. There are 4 types of Werewolves: Alda, Swanda, Icho, and Hollis. Complete this mission and you will be awarded with ZPs (bound), EXP and gold.
 
Congratulations to Zero Online!
 
For more information on the individual events you can check the eventpages on the official Zero Online website.

Zero Online - Two Year Anniversary Events

Gekkeiju Online: An MMO with an Attitude

By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), OnRPG Journalist

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to wake up one day with no memory of what happened to you the night before, and with an orc near your bed calling you honey? Well, look no further because that is how you start off your adventure in Gekkeiju Online.

A little background

Before I continue on the review, a short backgrounder for the game must be done because there are several aspects in the game that is hard to actually convey without at least a prior knowledge of the whole thing. This is not like most of the games you see out that you can immediately judge from the get go.

First, according to the site’s Wiki-page, the developers of Gekkeiju Online does not consider itself an MMO, their reason is that the game population is not that big. Next would be that the game considers itself an ‘Independent Project’. It means that the game is not forced to earn the developer a huge amount of profit. Third, the game prides itself that unlike most MMOs, the game is in a constant flux meaning the game updates itself in a constant manner totally unlike most commercial MMOs that are finished products when they start operation.

Graphics

Gekkeiju Online does not pride itself for having the best graphics in the industry. The characters are roughly done and if you would notice, there is a huge difference between the male and female characters which shows the bias the developers have in terms of genders. The male characters look bad while the female characters are better rendered. It is quite obvious that the game’s graphics engine is using some old 3d engine because the monsters look like chunks of big blocks. Oh and before you get surprised, during character creation your character does curse you  by chucking his or her arms at you, so better be prepared for that. 

The game background quality is also similar to how your character looks. If you are expecting to having a little reprieve from all the visible polygons you see when you do look at the game’s horizon, I must be honest and tell you that you will be disappointed.

Gekkeiju Magic

Controls

What your eye perceives in Gekkeiju Online is what you will get when it comes to the game’s controls. Your characters move awkwardly and robotic, it’s as if your character is like those round-up robot toys you get when you were a kid. That is not just limited to your character. Even the monsters movements are not as smooth and there are times where you can just laugh at how they move because they look like string puppets.

Game Features

Gekkeiju Online makes up for the poor graphics with tons of game features that are exclusively unique to the game. One of the first things you would notice is that the game has a different leveling system compared to the usual MMORPGs. IN Gekkeiju Online level advancement must be done through an NPC that is found in the villages. You do not get stat points nor get to jump to the next level of the game by just merely killing monsters. Though you do get to receive experience points, but these serve as payment for the advancement of your character.

Another unique feature the game has its character creation. Gekkeiju Online lets you choose what kind of character you have, what god does it worship and what kind of ‘character’ your character has in the beginning. You can have the option of getting a certain background for your character which sets the stat bonuses your character will get.

Another character related feature the game has is that it has an NPC that gives allows you to change races in the game. This gives you the opportunity of trying out the other races without having to create another account. Of course it would mean that you would have to start from scratch but it beats having you make another character just to know how it feels to be an elf.

Some of the other features the game has include the option of sailing on boats and travel the seas of Gekkeiju Online.  There is also a game system where you have to bury your kills or they return from the grave as undead skeletons hell bent on bringing you to hell with them.

Gekkeiju Power Spells

Charm

One of Gekkeiju Online’s biggest asset as an independent game is that the developers are given free rein on almost everything about the game. This would mean that they can do whatever they please without worrying too much what the players would think. This freedom gives way for the game to have a charm you would not normally find in any commercial MMORPG. Where would you find a game that welcomes you into its world by introducing you as an orc’s lover regardless of your character’s gender or that would you even encounter a game that insults you when you die? These are but a few of the little charms that make Gekkeiju make a gem even if the game looks like it was made in the 90s.

Conclusion

For a game that has a huge disadvantage because it has such a dated graphics engine, the game does deliver its promise of having a feature heavy online game. The amount of features the game has can in fact offset the game’s visual limitations. There is also the charm the game has. Gekkeiju Online is a game that has stepped over the line and is a game that bites back because its developers do not have the need to earn a lot from the game. As of the moment, the developers have yet to disprove any of the claims they have and this gives the game a different and fresh feeling that most MMOs have failed to achieve.

If you are the type of person who doesn’t rely too much on visuals and prefers a game that offers something new to a genre that has lost its luster then by all means go ahead and try Gekkeiju Online. A word of caution though, you better prepare yourself for the abuse you’re going to get from a certain orc when you start playing.

Pros:
– The game has a lot of unique features that you won’t find in other games
– The game has attitude and won’t be taking things sitting down
– It’s fun to see NPCs cursing you and insulting you after being saturated with ‘kid friendly’ MMOs.

Cons:
– Very dated graphics
– The BGM becomes irritating if you play the game long enough
– If you are used to a ‘friendlier’ gaming environment then you should think twice on playing the game.