In case it didn't come through clearly already, I think Runes of Magic is a terrific game. Its more traditional play mechanics make it an easier sell than Atlantica, which has been my #1 free-to-play game since July 24, 2008 (22 consecutive weeks). Now it's time to crown RoM the new king. It's not that Altantica has done anything wrong. I am still fully in love with that game, but I am equally impressed with Runes of Magic and think its mass appeal will propel it into the limelight and fundamentally change the way the West views F2P titles.

Another change worth noting is the removal of Wizard101 from the list. The game is very well done and is a blast to play. However, no one can keep playing it for free forever and really enjoy the full experience. Unlike Dungeon Runners, which reminds us to subscribe every ten seconds also, Wizard101 leaves non-paying players with a feeling of being left out of a sizeable portion of the fun. Please download it and check it out, but don't look for it to come back to this Top Ten.

Taking Wizard101's slot is Requiem: Bloodymare. This horror-themed MMOG has made the cut before, but I became annoyed with the massive grind in the mid-twenties. I have word from a reliable source that this problem is being corrected, so I wanted to bring it back into the list for consideration. A fun mix of Resident Evil and EverQuest, Requiem does things we've never seen in a game before. It is worth some time to try it out, and it's a great game if the grind really has smoothed out enough. Stay tuned for more about Requiem.

Top Ten Free-to-Play Games December 29, 2008
Rank		Game
1 Last week: 2		Runes of Magic - (www.runesofmagic.com) Frogster Runes of Magic Portal First Impressions
2 Last week: 1		Atlantica Online - (http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/) NDOORS Atlantica Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
3 Last week: 3		Dungeon Runners - (http://www.dungeonrunners.com) NCSoft Dungeon Runners Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
4 Last week: 4		Mabinogi - (http://mabinogi.nexon.net) NEXON Mabonogi Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
5 Last week: N/A		Requiem: Bloodymare - (www.playrequiem.com) Gravity Interactive Requiem Portal First Impressions
6 Last week: 6		Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine - (http://megaten.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment Megaten Portal First Impressions (coming soon!)
7 Last week: 7		Warrior Epic - (http://warriorepic.com) Possibility Space Warrior Epic Portal First Impressions (coming soon!)
8 Last week: 8		Magic World Online - (http://mwo.enjoymmo.com) Goldcool Games Magic World Online Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
9 Last week: 9		Exteel - (www.exteel.com) NCsoft Exteel Portal Ten Ton Hammer Review
10 Last week: 10		Dream of Mirror Online - (http://domo.aeriagames.com) Aeria Games & Entertainment DOMO Portal Ten Ton Hamster DOMO Portal

About This List
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