Legend of Ares Online is a free-to-play MMORPG by MGAME, an Asian company hoping to make headway in the US marketplace of games. It has many interesting features available, and although different, will seem slightly familiar to anyone who has ever played Runescape. It is also a game that, like its name hints at, is all about the warfare. The storyline, and the entire game, revolves around two nations that are in perpetual warfare and there is really no way to avoid it.
Gameplay
Legend of Ares has four distinct classes you can pick when you begin playing: Knight, Archer, Sorcerer, and Spearman. Each class has a distinctive spot, whether you’re talking about PvE or PvP, and the jobs are much more differentiated than jobs in many other games.
Legend of Ares is also very PvP based, and the entire endgame revolves around this. You aim to join a guild, and just do large involved PvP fights against guilds formed from the other nation. There are a few zones that you are unable to be attacked in, but in the vast majority of zones, you simply cannot avoid being attacked by even large groups of people from the other nation unless you’re involved in a guild that can help protect you. This gives the game a very ‘sink or swim’ mentality where if you don’t really enjoy PvP, you won’t like this game.
MGAME also included a feature in Legend of Ares where you can purchase in-game items and currency with real money to smooth the way to reaching endgame and jumping right into the action. Items for the game range anywhere from $1.80USD to $27.00USD for the more elite items.
In the past also, Legend of Ares has had many problems with hackers and bots and item duplicators. There have been many purges attempting to rid the game completely of these bottom-feeders, but unfortunately there are still a few hanging around in the game with hacked stats and gear. It is simply something that has to be endured in this game.
Graphics
Legend of Ares has a lighter, more colorful look than many other MMOs. Everything is set in earth tones with no blindingly bright blues or reds, and they use many (very well done) different shades in a well-lit background to keep everything from looking drab. The actual graphics themselves are decent, although not as crisp as you would expect for a game as new as Legend of Ares is.
The character customization isn’t very detailed either. Every job has the same character models, and until you reach a higher level to get fancier gear to separate you from everyone else, you look pretty much the same as every other person you run across. Even the men and women models look so closely related that they could even be fraternal twins.
Summary
Legend of Ares is a solid game to immerse yourself into and spend a good bit of time playing, if you’re a person that enjoys large group PvP. There is really absolutely no way to avoid being involved in PvP unless you simply never leave the beginner towns, and the PvE leaves much to be desired.
Pros
– Solid look in-game.
– Very nice music and sound in-game.
– Good class separation.
Cons
– Too little content for people not interested for PvP
– Graphics aren’t as crisp as you would expect
