Havent
found a game yet that strikes your fancy with our Summertime Gaming series? We
have covered older games and free to play games, and now it's time to check out
which recently released games you should be playing this summer! Whether you
are a student enjoying the long lazy days of being out of school or a working
stiff who is left with nothing to do during the TV hiatus, we will surely find
something to inspire and entertain you!
Recent Releases
This last
year was big for MMORPG releases! Weve seen a few major titles launch as well
as some smaller projects become contenders in the competitive gaming market.
Some of these games are brand spanking new and others are months old, but with
numerous content updates, they might just be worth picking up again. Which of
these newer games should you check out? Keep reading to find out!
The Chronicles of Spellborn
Youd
think that once the world ends thatd be it, right? Nope, not even close.
Centuries after the humans and daevi lost their world through an apocalyptic
catastrophe, they find themselves in a new and strange world with the task of
searching out what went wrong and how their world was left in tatters.
The Chronicles of Spellborn
is developed by Spellborn N.V. While this game has all the bones of a good
MMORPG, the relatively newness of the developer has kept it from flying too high
on the radar for many gamers. Small development studios need love too!
Why play
it?
Im a fan
of sword and sorcery games of all types but The Chronicles of Spellborn has some
interesting twists that make it just a little bit special. First, TCoS players
are completely free of armor dependency. There really arent any limits in what
you put on your character and armor is mostly just for aesthetic purposes. You
can enhance your armor with sigils that provide stats, but a fighter can don
robes and still have all the fighter ker-pow that they could ever desire. Talk
about freedom! Combat in TCoS is also more engaging than many MMOGs are.
Strategy and tactics are far more needed than a lucky roll of the combat dice
and youll find yourself needing to plan your attacks rather than just sitting
there and waiting for your enemy to die with auto-attacks.
How do I
check it out?
The
Chronicles of Spellborn is a freemium game. The basic game is available as a
free download and you can enjoy it without monthly costs with fame and zone
limits. If you like the game and want to progress, just add premium membership
to your account! You can find all you need to know about The Chronicles of
Spellborn on
their website.
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
It has been my long standing opinion that
Age of Conan
got a bad rap over its mediocre launch. With so much hype and not enough
delivery, players flocked in at the beginning then flocked right back out within
a couple of months.
Since
launch, Age of Conan has become one of the hardest working games out there.
With quality content updates and huge amounts of fixes many of the gaps have
been filled in since launch. The wow factor that won so many over with the
first 20 levels of gameplay has spread into the upper levels and technical
issues are just a distant memory.
Why play
it?
Age of
Conan boasts amazing graphics, involved combat, and an array of interesting
class choices that still give it an edge over many other games. The most
engaging part of AoC is definitely the lore and storylines. The Hyboria tales
give such a subtle richness to the background that even when you dont realize
it, you are experiencing it every moment you play.
All these
things along make AoC worth checking out or giving a second chance!
How do I
check it out?
Age of Conan offers a
7-day trial
that allows you to download and play your heart out for a week. If you decide
that you love it, then you can upgrade and pay a monthly subscription fee. Its
alss worth looking your local stores for the box version as many have found
great deals on AoC this way.
Warrior Epic
A great war tore apart
Warrior Epics
land of Aberas and now it is up to the warriors of the land to bring back its
once glorious empire!
One of my
favorite aspects of Warrior Epic is its ability to stay somewhat simplistic and
yet innovative all at the same time. Its the sort of game that anyone can pick
up and play and many will be surprised at how much fun they have with it.
Warrior Epic is not a traditional MMOG and youll find it more like a RPG with
multi-player options. Much of the game is played in fast-paced instances with a
specific goal in mind so you arent left roaming aimlessly through a open world.
Why play
it?
Warrior
Epic is a low maintenance, no hassle game. One of its big benefits is there
really isnt much to download. It loads as you play so even if you are sneaking
in a little afternoon gaming delight, you can load it up on any computer and get
right into the action!
My
favorite feature of Warrior Epic is definitely the spirit system. Where in most
games you die, revive, play, die, revive, play, etc. Warrior Epic tosses in
death as another strategy. During a quest, your warrior gets 3 lives to spend
during the instance. Once all 3 have been used, your warrior is sent to your
sanctuary and the quest is failed. You may draw upon the spirit of the warrior
later on and that is where the game gets very interesting!
How do I
check it out?
If the unique style of play appeals to you, then all you need to do is create
and account and
download the free client.
There is no monthly fee but there are little items you can purchase to give your
gaming time a boost if you so choose.
Warhammer Online: Age of
Reckoning
Mythic
Entertainment put together the PvPers dream game in
Warhammer Online
and with only 9 months under its belt, WAR is already bringing more to the
masses. The recent content release, Rise of the Tomb Kings, added more for
the face pwners to enjoy with new zones and updates to several features and
while complaints regarding class imbalance is still audible, devs say that fixes
are coming!
Why play
it?
Warhammer
is undoubtedly a game for PvP players. PvE players arent completely left in
the cold with a good amount of quests and non-PvP areas, but Mythic knows how to
make realm versus realm sparkle and they certainly have done that here. With team
scenarios that allow PvP dabblers to taste a bit of the action to open RvR areas
that give blood hungry players a good amount of high-paced gameplay, and finally
the large scale sieges for the big boys to take part in, there ends up being a
little bit of something for all levels of PvP experience! WAR is a particularly
great game for the novice PvPers as the scenarios give a bit of wiggle room on
the learning curve and allow a player to build their skill in a controlled
environment.
How do I
check it out?
Warhammer Online offers a
10-day free trial
for interested gamers. The trial does limit players to tier one and capital
city content, but that is often enough for one to decide if they want to buy.
If you do want to keep it, purchase a key for the game and set up the monthly
subscription and you are good to go!
Dont be
afraid to try new things! Most games out there have some sort of trial and with
the latest trend of free-to-play games happening, there is no reason why you
cant find something great to play this summer!
