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 spent more time in Cabal
Online this week. The music is my favorite part so far,
but combat has a more visceral feel than the average game. It's worth
trying if you don't mind putting Xtrap (another of the anti-hacking
programs free-to-play games often use) on your computer. I know my
anti-virus detects Xtap as a trojan. I won't say much more about it
because I hope to write my first impressions soon.

I also downloaded the Perfect
World International and style="font-style: italic;">ArchLord clients
this week. I didn't get to play either because I got into the href="http://warhammer.tentonhammer.com/">Warhammer Online
beta and was busy with that. Ididn't even get as much time as I wanted
to for testing the Stamina system in style="font-style: italic;">Atlantica Online.

The List

This week's change is that I am dropping style="font-style: italic;">Deco Online off of
the list to add Cabal
Online. I haven't played style="font-style: italic;">Cabal Online enough
to tell anybody that it's great, but the music alone makes it worth
trying it out. Besides, Deco
Online had been scraping by on pure luck the past few
weeks. As I have said continually, several other games are just as good
to me: Requiem:
Bloodymare, Fiesta
Online, or even Pirates
of the Caribbean Online.

Next week, I'll dive into ArchLord
between sessions of WAR. And I'll try to share my thoughts on style="font-style: italic;">Cabal Online. If I
get extra time, I want to try the new style="font-style: italic;">Perfect World
client.

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.

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cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
colspan="4" rowspan="1"> style="color: white; font-weight: bold;">Top Ten
Free-to-Play Games

August 22, 2008 style="text-align: center; width: 75px; background-color: rgb(114, 105, 62); font-weight: bold; color: white;">Rank style="text-align: center; width: 75px; background-color: rgb(114, 105, 62); font-weight: bold; color: white;">Previous style="text-align: center; width: 105px; background-color: rgb(114, 105, 62); font-weight: bold; color: white;"> style="width: 334px; background-color: rgb(114, 105, 62); font-weight: bold; color: white;">Game

1

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

1

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/38580"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/38580/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;">Atlantica Online - ( href="http://www.playatlantica.com">www.playatlantica.com)

NDOORS

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1303">Atlantica
  Portal

The big controversy in Atlantica
is the Stamina system, which forces players to group or PvP before they
can grind again. I have not tested it enough (or at a high enough
level) to judge, but any system that tries to force a style of game
play on us is usually bad. It could be worse, though. They could have
removed href="http://atlantica.ndoorsgames.com/center/ATforum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2907&posts=47&start=1">book
stacking!

2

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

2

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/41097"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/41097/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Wizard101 - ( href="https://www.wizard101.com/" target="_blank">www.wizard101.com)

KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc.

• href="http://tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1186">Magic101
  Portal

style="font-style: italic;">Wizard101 battles
are fun, but the graphics slow the thing down a little. The schools of
magic are balanced fairly well, and the updates for the game are huge.

3

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

3

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/31567"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/31567/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Mabinogi - ( href="http://mabinogi.nexon.net/">http://mabinogi.nexon.net)

NEXON

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/856">Mabonogi
  Portal

style="font-style: italic;">Mabinogi gives
players the option to work jobs to gain levels. Nothing like relaxing
after a day at the factory by tending sheep for the villagers in a game!

4

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

4

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/33602"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/33602/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Dungeon Runners -
( target="_blank">http://www.dungeonrunners.com style="font-weight: bold;">) NCSoft

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/110">Dungeon
  Runners Portal

The rumors that Dungeon
Runners is in trouble persist. If this game folds, it will
be a great loss for free-to-play gamers. Download it and try it soon to
show some support.

5

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

5

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/35119"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/35119/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Rohan: Blood Feud - ( href="http://www.playrohan.com/" target="_blank"> style="font-weight: bold;">www.playrohan.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

YNK Interactive

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/906">Rohan
  Portal

Rohan
lets players battle it out for control of cities in its Township
Battles feature.

6

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

6

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/32333"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/32333/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Dream of Mirror Online - ( style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"
href="http://domo.aeriagames.com/">http://domo.aeriagames.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

Aeria Games &
Entertainment

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/997">DOMO
  Portal

Dream of Mirror
Online features ten classes, but you can mix and match
classes to get the unique blend you want to play. I have a
Shaman/Wizard combo that is fun for damage.

7

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

7

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/36886"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/36886/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Runes of Magic -
( href="http://www.runesofmagic.com/">www.runesofmagic.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

Frogster

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1234">Runes
  of Magic Portal

Runes of Magic
will enter Closed Beta August 28. Until then, enjoy href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/41445">the latest
screens. The minotaurs look pretty impressive.

8

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

8

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/30838"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/30838/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Magic World
Online
- ( href="http://mwo.enjoymmo.com/" target="_blank">http://mwo.enjoymmo.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

Goldcool Games

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/983">Magic
  World Online Portal

Magic World Online
is right up there with DOMO for depth of story among the Top Ten. In
addition to the overarching story of encroaching evil, there is lore
for the different factions and plenty of storyline for non-player
characters you meet.

9

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

N/A

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/41572"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/41572/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Cabal Online -
(www.cabalonline.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

ESTsoft

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/853">Cabal
  Online Portal

Cabal Online
has one of the rockingest soundtracks you can hear in any game. It's
worth trying it just for that if you don't have a problem with Xtrap.

10

style="text-align: center; width: 75px; color: rgb(188, 188, 188);">

10

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/30840"> style="border: 0px solid ; width: 100px; height: 100px;" alt=""
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/30840/preview"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;"> style="font-weight: bold;">Wakfu - ( style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.wakfu.com/"
target="_blank">www.wakfu.com style="font-weight: bold;">)

Ankama

• href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1017">Wakfu
  Portal

Wakfu
could end up being a terrific strategy game. The developers at
Ankama are dedicated to the series, and I have even heard rumors of a style="font-style: italic;">Wakfu for the
Nintendo DS.

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  Free-to-Play Games Portal