Top Ten Free-to-Play Games

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Posted August 7th, 2008 by Ralsu

By Danny "Ralsu" Gourley

About This List
Please refer to the Top Ten Free-to-Play Games Portal to find out how to get a game you make or like on this list.

Week in Review
Please note that the number of weeks has been dropped from the title of this Top Ten list. I'll just keep doing it weekly, and I have plenty of links to my portal to let people find the most recent one or look at them in chronological order.

With the Closed Beta for Atlantica Online being offline, I spent most of my gaming hours on Dungeon Runners this week. But I did manage to try out Cabal Online.

I'm not through playing around with it yet, but I can give some off-the-cuff observations here. First the music is rocking. End of story. Hard guitar riffs, banging drums, fast tempos--the music in Cabal get your heart beating faster. The starter area presents a world that feel post-apocalyptic. The fighting worked like most other games but had a faster feel to it. It's hard to explain in a few sentences. Let me play it another week or two and write some coherent thoughts.

For right now, it's better than some games that have made the Top Ten, but I am not ready to replace anything on the list this week.

The List
I only have two big changes for this week. First, Warrior Epic drops to the #10 slot. That game is generating no buzz right now. The non-disclosure agreement (NDA) stops me from telling anybody what the beta is like (or even whether my silence is a good thing or a bad thing for the game). If people aren't excited about the game, does it have a future? I sure do like the features promised on the website.

The other change is that Wakfu is dropping to #9. Despite the optimism expressed by Ankama's International Marketing Assistant in a recent interview featured exclusively on TenTonHamster.com, I just see a game that is trying to make too many massive changes before launch. Look at this way: Ankama still has not lifted the NDA on their closed beta, and the game is set to release before December. Again, the NDA prevents me from telling anyone whether or not the game is good--or even whether or not my silence is good for the game or bad for the game.

Next week, I will continue playing Cabal Online, and I will try out Archlord. Plus, my sources indicate that the Atlantica Online beta will begin again soon. I can't wait.

Here are my Top Ten Free-to-Play Games for this week..

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Ten Ton Hammer network or staff.

Top Ten Free-to-Play Games August 7, 2008
Rank	Previous	Game
1	1	Atlantica Online - (www.playatlantica.com) NDOORS Atlantica Portal Atlantica will reopen soon--the beta that is. Get yourself a key and try it.
2	2	Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabonogi Portal I would love to see NEXON recycle the Mabinogi formula on a mature-themed game. I think that would make people realize how good their games are.
3	3	Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners Portal Dungeon Runners is very fun in periodic bursts. I think every gamer should go ahead and install it for those days when you can't decide what to play.
4	4	Rohan: Blood Feud - (www.playrohan.com) YNK Interactive Rohan Portal Rohan has the best graphics of any game on this list. A lot of people complain about the grind in the late twenties, but it is still fun for me. The biggest issue is finding a good group.
5	5	Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment DOMO Portal Dream of Mirror Online is like Mabinogi in that a more mature version (at least graphically) would be a huge success because the framework of the game is so solid.
6	7	Magic World Online - (http://mwo.enjoymmo.com) Goldcool Games Magic World Online Portal Magic World Online keeps crawling back up on me. It's a good game from a dedicated staff.
7	8	Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic Portal Runes of Magic will be starting Closed Beta in September. I will be a Mage for starters, but the idea of a battle cleric appeals greatly to me. The Dual Class system sparks my imagination like a good D & D romp.
8	10	Deco Online - (http://www.joymax.com/deco/) JOYMAX Deco Online Portal Deco Online has a tenuous position on this list. It's okay, but I could see it slipping soon.
9	6	Wakfu - (www.wakfu.com) Ankama Wakfu Portal Wakfu was a big deal two months ago when Closed Beta was starting for English speakers. Now the official English forums are nearly a ghost town, and the game is undergoing a major restructure.
10	9	Warrior Epic - (http://warriorepic.com) Possibility Space Warrior Epic Portal Warrior Epic looks to be a fresh take on the dungeon crawler. Wait. I said that last week. I wish I could tell you how it plays.