Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

When a Devil Tree Fall in Atlantica, It Makes a Sound
The sound effects in Atlantica Online are mostly first-rate. Fire crackles, metal clangs, and rocks fall with pleasing sounds. The voice acting is passable, but many players will find themselves mocking the phrases their mercenaries say over and over (and over) again after a few hours of play time.

The music fares better, providing sweeping orchestral pieces outside of combat and thumping drums sequences in battle. It's not the stuff of John Williams (see "Imperial March"), but it works just fine. The cumulative effect of all the audio is more than adequate and won't distract players.

Je Ne Sais Quoi
Fun is where Atlantica truly shines as long you don't want your game to be all Care Bears and rainbows. The game isn't brutally difficult; it just requires thought. Throughout all phases of Closed Beta, Open Beta, and after launch, I frequently saw players asking for help on the first major boss, Hellish Fairy. Each time, I saw or gave answers about how to silence her so that her spells could not devastate the group or how to create a formation that would minimize the damage. Whack-a-Mole wasn't working, and gamers were confounded.

Then there is the league play, or PvP (see a PvP video here). I didn't get to play with this system much, but it's an area of gameplay guaranteed to increase sales of Monster Energy [Good looking can in that shot! --Ed.] and keep people playing into the wee hours of the morning. The game builds in rewards for PvP wins, and players can frequently dispatch someone of a higher level with the right formation and tactics.

For a brief time, many fans worried that a gameplay mechanic released mid-beta--Stamina--would ruin the game. Stamina is a pool of points consumed in battle. Players lose more stamina for fighting solo than in groups, which can hold up to three players and 27 fighters. Players can regain Stamina through PvP battles, giving gifts to lower level players, or even just resting out of battle. In the end, Stamina has not negatively impacted the fun of Atlantica, and the whole ruckus turned out to be another Y2K scare.

Parting Thoughts
I fell in love with Atlantica the first time I played it, and I tell anyone who will listen that it's a terrific game. It's groundbreaking in that it requires gamers to think a little instead of just mashing buttons, and it's rare in that it has earned the highest review I have ever given a game in my time with Ten Ton Hammer. I could stop playing pretty much everything else and be happy with just this game for a long time to come.

Finally, as I have already noted, NDOORS has shown a dedication to keeping the game 100% F2P for those who don't want to spend money. The merchandise available in the item mall does not break the game but provides conveniences to those willing to spend some cash. Unless you have a serious axe to grind with F2P games, you owe it to yourself to try Atlantica Online.

(4.5 / 5 Hammers)