Talgurin
07-31-2013, 06:16 AM
So i've been looking around for an MMO to play that's not "softcore" and offers something in terms of adventure that linear content games (WoW clones) don't deliver.
I heard some negative reviews about a game called "Mortal Online" but I was told it's very "sandbox" so I decided to check it out.
I actually highly recommend this game. I'm somewhat floored by it.
I played for a few hours with an F2P account. Starting out, I almost quit. You're thrown into a newbie area and it's a complex interface, and you don't know WTF to do. You start trying to kill pigs and drowning in shallow pools of water because you don't know how to float to the surface (space bar).
But as I got used to it, I discovered it's actually a really good skill based system with good combat dynamics and a great crafting system. It's designed after Ultima Online, but a big feature that makes it much better is you can remove skills you've learned but don't want anymore. In UO it was not quite as convenient as this if I remember correctly. I also find myself comparing it to Elder Scrolls, and I like this system better... I remember playing Oblivion and sort-of messing up my character because of learning skills I didn't need that affected my stats.
As I kept playing, I learned that the game is totally merciless and hardcore. Same as UO or old school Rallos Zek / EQ... people kill and take your shit. And, you have to run back to your corpse just like EQ. Like any good PvP game you have to keep going to the bank, storing your stuff, then heading back to the wild. It's always tense and you're always looking over your shoulder. Fortunately, there's incentive for players to remain "good" as murderers become outcasts.
Oh yeah, and there's THIEVES! Characters continually pretending to be nice, running up to you, and running off with your gold. You have to be vigilant almost always and ready to say "GUARDS" or kill the thieves yourself.
- Graphics
Ok, here's where this game really shines. It's not a perfect setup, oddly the textures are not the best I've seen in an MMO, it's kind of buggy and feels like an indie development project (it is)...YET, the art direction is the best I've ever seen in any game second only to maybe Skyrim or Fallout. Trust me, get out of the really boring newbie district and into the main capitol, and you'll see these massive statues guarding the imperial palace... I can't even describe it, you have to experience it for yourself. My jaw was on the floor.
- Music
The music is really great and creates a sense of adventure constantly.
- PvE
So far I'm still killing zombies, but the fighting is good. It's twitch like Elder Scrolls. Very close to Skyrim combat.
- Dungeons
Pitch black without a torch. Deep, very big, and very scary. At least, that's my impression after wandering into some sewers. No hand holding bullshit.
- Immersion
Again really impressed. In the constant quest to survive I've had some really cool experiences. Twice I was cornered by player bandits, and both times I talked my way out of getting killed. The first time I drew my sword and told them to "bring it" and they believed my bluff. The second time I started telling jokes and they let me go. That stuff just doesn't happen in many games besides old school Ultima Online. Everyone is constantly interacting, forming exploration parties, bartering things like horses for raw materials, and teaming up to fight off murderers hanging by the city gates.
Downsides:
The learning curve takes 2-3 hours at least to get through, and I think it turns people off initially (I went from wanting to uninstall it to never wanting to log off, in a 5 hour period). You also have to pay money for extra character slots, but not a big deal if you enjoy the game. Finally it's buggy in parts. I think the game is Swedish, and I notice the English translations are loaded with typos. Oh yeah, and the bugs. I hear people in chat all of the time getting stuck in walls and crashing. This is just needs more tweaking, but the game's 3+ years old and I hear it's much better than it used to be (apparently it was once virtually unplayable!)
Overall, I wanted to share this review on P99 because I know other gamers like myself are into these types of games, and Mortal Online really delivers the stuff I look for in a sandbox MMO. My character on there is "Falgurin" and you can message me here on p99 if you wanna meet up. It IS f2p (a huge 17 gig download) but skills are stuck at 60 until you pay money, which is still a pretty decent preview period.
I heard some negative reviews about a game called "Mortal Online" but I was told it's very "sandbox" so I decided to check it out.
I actually highly recommend this game. I'm somewhat floored by it.
I played for a few hours with an F2P account. Starting out, I almost quit. You're thrown into a newbie area and it's a complex interface, and you don't know WTF to do. You start trying to kill pigs and drowning in shallow pools of water because you don't know how to float to the surface (space bar).
But as I got used to it, I discovered it's actually a really good skill based system with good combat dynamics and a great crafting system. It's designed after Ultima Online, but a big feature that makes it much better is you can remove skills you've learned but don't want anymore. In UO it was not quite as convenient as this if I remember correctly. I also find myself comparing it to Elder Scrolls, and I like this system better... I remember playing Oblivion and sort-of messing up my character because of learning skills I didn't need that affected my stats.
As I kept playing, I learned that the game is totally merciless and hardcore. Same as UO or old school Rallos Zek / EQ... people kill and take your shit. And, you have to run back to your corpse just like EQ. Like any good PvP game you have to keep going to the bank, storing your stuff, then heading back to the wild. It's always tense and you're always looking over your shoulder. Fortunately, there's incentive for players to remain "good" as murderers become outcasts.
Oh yeah, and there's THIEVES! Characters continually pretending to be nice, running up to you, and running off with your gold. You have to be vigilant almost always and ready to say "GUARDS" or kill the thieves yourself.
- Graphics
Ok, here's where this game really shines. It's not a perfect setup, oddly the textures are not the best I've seen in an MMO, it's kind of buggy and feels like an indie development project (it is)...YET, the art direction is the best I've ever seen in any game second only to maybe Skyrim or Fallout. Trust me, get out of the really boring newbie district and into the main capitol, and you'll see these massive statues guarding the imperial palace... I can't even describe it, you have to experience it for yourself. My jaw was on the floor.
- Music
The music is really great and creates a sense of adventure constantly.
- PvE
So far I'm still killing zombies, but the fighting is good. It's twitch like Elder Scrolls. Very close to Skyrim combat.
- Dungeons
Pitch black without a torch. Deep, very big, and very scary. At least, that's my impression after wandering into some sewers. No hand holding bullshit.
- Immersion
Again really impressed. In the constant quest to survive I've had some really cool experiences. Twice I was cornered by player bandits, and both times I talked my way out of getting killed. The first time I drew my sword and told them to "bring it" and they believed my bluff. The second time I started telling jokes and they let me go. That stuff just doesn't happen in many games besides old school Ultima Online. Everyone is constantly interacting, forming exploration parties, bartering things like horses for raw materials, and teaming up to fight off murderers hanging by the city gates.
Downsides:
The learning curve takes 2-3 hours at least to get through, and I think it turns people off initially (I went from wanting to uninstall it to never wanting to log off, in a 5 hour period). You also have to pay money for extra character slots, but not a big deal if you enjoy the game. Finally it's buggy in parts. I think the game is Swedish, and I notice the English translations are loaded with typos. Oh yeah, and the bugs. I hear people in chat all of the time getting stuck in walls and crashing. This is just needs more tweaking, but the game's 3+ years old and I hear it's much better than it used to be (apparently it was once virtually unplayable!)
Overall, I wanted to share this review on P99 because I know other gamers like myself are into these types of games, and Mortal Online really delivers the stuff I look for in a sandbox MMO. My character on there is "Falgurin" and you can message me here on p99 if you wanna meet up. It IS f2p (a huge 17 gig download) but skills are stuck at 60 until you pay money, which is still a pretty decent preview period.