Top Ten Free-to-Play Games

Tags: in

Posted August 14th, 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
I owe a big thanks to Ten Ton Hammer reader RipperMcGee for reminding me that Wizard101 is now in Open Beta. Faithful readers may recall how I have frequently noted that I am in some betas that I can't talk about--at all. Wizard101 from KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. was one of those betas.

In Wizard101, the player is a young wizard attending the Ravenwood School of Wizardry (a dash of Harry Potter). Players choose a school of magic (Fire, Ice, Storms, Myth, Balance, Life, and Death) and learn to summon creatures to fight for them via spell cards (a dash of Yu-Gi-Oh). The combat take place in a circular grid that allows for 4 on 4 battles, so players get to see full graphical effects of their summoned warriors (a little Pokemon Stadium). I won't say much more because a full preview belongs on Ten Ton Hamster.

Why does Wizard101 belong on the Hamster? Because the game is designed for and marketed to children. KingsIsle has taken great steps to make the chat "kid safe," including required persons under 18 to use set of pre-programed chat messages. Never mind all of that. The combat is fun, and the player-vs-player action requires some thought. I have had a blast with this title. Since anyone can get in Open Beta now, check it out.

The List
I have two changes again this week. First, Warrior Epic drops off the list. The non-disclosure agreement (NDA) has stopped me from telling anybody what the game is like, but the recent trailer released by Possibility Space shows something very key to the public for the first time. At 2:37 in the video, viewers can see the game lobby and the player in the video asking someone to play with him. This part of the video shows that Warrior Epic has no real persistent online space, and it drop from the list for that reason. That new video is pretty cool and gives the best peek at the game yet. When the NDA is lifted, I will say more. Just understand that no game with a lobby in lieu of a graphical world as the hub will make this list until Cody allows me to cover Diablo III.

The other change is that Wizard101 comes onto the list at #2. Yes, that is pretty high praise for a children's game, but it's very fun. And I would rather play it than any other game on the list aside from Atlantica Online.

Next week, I am starting a new super-secret beta that will eat much of my time. Still, I will continue to look at Cabal Online and try to start my exploration of ArchLord.

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 14, 2008
Rank	Previous	Game
1	1	Atlantica Online - (www.playatlantica.com) NDOORS Atlantica Portal Atlantica has introduced two major points of focus for this session of the beta: challenges (PvP) and stamina. The former is very fun. The latter forces you to group or PvP until you get enough stamina to solo again. Boo.
2	N/A	Wizard101 - (www.wizard101.com) KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. Magic101 Portal Sure, Wizard101 is a kid's game. But I like it. Think Yu-Gi-Oh meets Harry Potter with a persistent online world. It's close to that.
3	2	Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabonogi Portal Mabinogi feels like the grand adventure it is supposed to. It encourages exploration and taking chances.
4	3	Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners Portal I am hearing rumors that Dungeon Runners is in trouble. I hope not because it is a great game.
5	4	Rohan: Blood Feud - (www.playrohan.com) YNK Interactive Rohan Portal Rohan seems to need a few more "evil" races to balance out the PvP, but the game is gorgeous.
6	5	Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment DOMO Portal Dream of Mirror Online takes the player through a rich tradition of Eastern mythology. Perhaps a Western-themed game would be more appealing to Ten Ton Hammer readers, but DOMO is really good.
7	7	Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic Portal Runes of Magic is getting me excited. The graphics in the public videos remind me of World of Warcraft, but the class mechanics described on the website remind me of DDO.
8	6	Magic World Online - (http://mwo.enjoymmo.com) Goldcool Games Magic World Online Portal Magic World Online has massive PvP battles if you play long enough to see them.
9	8	Deco Online - (http://www.joymax.com/deco/) JOYMAX Deco Online Portal Deco Online gets lucky and stays on the list another week. It's not a bad game, but I know it's not true Top Ten material. Give it a try and tell me if I am wrong.
10	9	Wakfu - (www.wakfu.com) Ankama Wakfu Portal Wakfu has fallen a long way over time on my charts due to the lack of information coming out of Ankama and the big changes proposed by the development team. When it goes into Open Beta, I'll be able to share my assessment of the game itself.