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.

Month in Review
I made my way through three games this month. Archlord did not impress me enough to play it more than a couple of hours. Red Stone wasn't much better for me. By contrast, the Open Beta of Perfect World International impressed me quite a lot. It's always nice to see a company put in the effort to deliver a solid translation for Western gamers. That is just one of the many reasons Atlantica Online finishes its third consecutive month ranked as the best available free-to-play game. Atlantica just entered Open Beta, so now there is no excuse not to try it.

Runes of Magic started its Closed Beta this month, so the excitement for that game continues to build. Meanwhile, regular Ten Ton Hammer reader RipperMcGee helped me get the latest response to the rumors that Dungeon Runners is doomed. The development team may be smaller, but the game seems firmly in place for now. This restores my faith in the game and allows it to climb back into the top five.

Looking Ahead to October
I feel that at least seven of the Top Ten are about as solid as a person could get in the free-to-play market. I have reordered the list to reflect those seven at the top while also giving preference to games that are live or not under NDA.

My goal for the month of October is to replace at least one of the bottom three games. I'm looking for solid titles with replay value. I wouldn't mind finding something outside the fantasy setting so long as it is not twitchy. At the end of the month, though, I want to be closer to having a list of ten games that I would be willing to play ten hours per week if I had time. Stay tuned for how that search goes.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear from readers about their worst ten free-to-play games. I won't do any such ranking in this space because I am dedicated to celebrating the best of the free-to-play around here. But it would be interesting to see what readers say. Let me know your worst experiences in our forums.

Here are my Top Ten Free-to-Play Games for September 2008.

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 September 2008
Rank	Previous		Game
1	1		Atlantica Online - (www.playatlantica.com) NDOORS Atlantica Portal Atlantica just entered Open Beta. It will be interesting to see how the population grows. What new combination will be the flavor of the month?
2	2		Wizard101 - (www.wizard101.com) KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. Magic101 Portal Wizard101 can keep its place on this list because of the amount of free content available. People who decide to upgrade can now get a family rate. KingsIsle is doing a lot to bring families together in gaming with their revenue model.
3	3		Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabonogi Portal Mabinogi has a new teaser video out for Generation 3 Season 2. It gets me excited again. The rock-paper-scissors approach to combat makes the game sound simpler than it is. It is a lot of fun to play.
4	10		Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners Portal Dungeon Runners has been fun in bursts for me since I tried it. It always feels good to smash a few baddies after a long day at the office. The self-deprecating humor is charming, too.
5	5		Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment DOMO Portal Dream of Mirror Online is a fun game, but it is next to a pure grind for the person who tries to solo. Play it with friends to see why it belongs in the top 5.
6	4		Rohan: Blood Feud - (www.playrohan.com) YNK Interactive Rohan Portal Rohan sports robust graphics and a solid foundation. It gets thinner at higher levels. I like some of the wide open dungeon designs.
7	7		Magic World Online - (http://mwo.enjoymmo.com) Goldcool Games Magic World Online Portal Magic World Online is the opposite of Rohan: it has mediocre graphics with a story that stays solid.
8	6		Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic Portal Runes of Magic has started Closed Beta. Here's hoping it lives up to the hype. It seems to have graphics on par with World or Warfract and promises to deliver some serious quest-driven character advancement.
9	8		Pefect World International - (www.perfectworld.com) Beijing Perfect World Perfect World International Portal Perfect World International is pretty and has a much better translation that its earlier port. Still, I'd rather play any game 1-8 on this list than PWI.
10	9		Cabal Online - (www.cabalonline.com) ESTsoft Cabal Online Portal Cabal Online has a rugged environment and a hardcore soundtrack. Also prepare for a hardcore grind.

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