What We Liked..
Easy to jump into
Free to play without pay to win
Plenty of content
Promotes player creativity
.. and what we didn't
Bland main story quests
Must pay to use world chat
MapleStory 2 is a free to play hack and slash MMORPG featuring cute anime cartoon graphics and art style. The game offers an incredible amount of PvE and PvP content from questing to intuitive Mini Games and even a Battle Royale mode without a content paywall. While there is an in-game cash shop, it sells mostly cosmetics and convenience, although one great thing about it is you can sell your own custom designs on there as well using the User Generated Workshop.
What We Liked..
Low requirements
Short battles ideal for playing a few quick games
Around 50 units to choose from for each faction
gives players lots of options
Great fun for casual players
.. and what we didn't
Recycled assets and forgettable music
Long endgame grind
Balancing and cash shop issues
Slow matchmaking
After being in closed alpha for several years, Total War: Arena has finally opened up to the public. A collaboration between The Creative Assembly and Wargaming, Total War: Arena is based on the famed franchise of the same name but with a twist.
Instead of focusing on a single-player campaign, the game focuses entirely on player versus player combat, with massive 10 versus 10 battles taking place with thousands of units on the field at once.
The Total War series has always had issues with PVP game modes, specifically balance, or lack thereof, and although Total War: Arena is an entirely PVP game, these issues have not been fixed. Be prepared for lengthy queue times and bad matchmaking a lot in higher tiers in particular.
The game's cash shop is relatively mild. Players can have plenty of fun in the lower and mid tiers, however, in the higher tiers, players who spend money will have a significant advantage, and players who don't will be at a significant disadvantage. Balance wise, premium units aren't a big deal compared to non-premium units, but they do offer up increased XP and silver gains. The endgame is almost completely inaccessible to non-spending players, and it is nigh-impossible to reach and stay in the highest tiers unless you spend money in this game.
Total War: Arena is a flawed game with a pretty harsh ceiling for F2P players, but offers up a lot of fun for fans of the genre.
What We Liked..
Fresh concept for a MOBA
Free to play with no pay to win
Great UI layout
.. and what we didn't
High learning curve with insufficient tutorial
Only 1v1 mode available
Beyond The Void is a free to play 1v1 MOBA that infuses RTS mechanics for a solid, fun and addictive gameplay. Matches are all about destroying the enemy's Mothership, while ensuring yours survives to upgrade, build and gather resources on an excellent evolving map that orbits around the sun.
The graphics are very attractive and the game run smoothly, but could use a better new player tutorial as the learning curve is high. The game also uses Ethereum blockchain to manage the in-game economy, allowing players to obtain cash shop cosmetics to be freely sold or traded with other players using the blockchain which creates a non pay to win environment.
What We Liked..
Excellent graphics
Over 60 maps
Large range of content and enemies
Fast-paced gameplay
.. and what we didn't
Some tricky controls
Hazard Ops is a third person shooter MMO developed by Yingpei Games and released by Infernum. A spiritual successor to the highly popular Mercenary Ops (and actually called Mercenary Ops 2 in some markets), it is a well-made title chock full of content and variety for the shooter fan.
Choose between PvP or PvE to play in teams either against other players or against waves of mercenaries, zombies and pretty much any enemy imaginable – Hazard Ops has them all. Battles themselves are fast paced and thrilling, arenas where every second and move count. The maps are truly impressive and can be combined with the range of different play modes expected from any decent shooter nowadays.
While the weapons and gear you get by playing the game will get you through the beginner stages and PvE, those looking to compete seriously in the PvP ranks will likely have to pay real money.
What We Liked..
Classic RPG Style
Great PVP fighting mechanics
Armor and weapons still look cool
.. and what we didn't
Dated graphics & low res character models
Heavily P2W PVP
Unbalanced economy
Very low player base
Shaiya holds a place in many people’s hearts as the first MMO they’ve ever played. And as such, people looking back on it today might be viewing it through those dark-tinted nostalgia glasses which may obscure their objectivity when talking about it.
Over 11 years since its’ release, does Shaiya hold up? In a way (Private servers), yes, but for the most part, Shaiya is as dead as an MMO can get. The way it works with old-school MMOs is they either need to have a large enough player base to keep them going, or they need to modernize with the times to draw in newer players.
Shaiya does neither. Few veterans of the game are left, and the changes that the developers have made to the game over the years have only pushed old-school players away even more. There’s nothing on offer here that the new generation of gamers won’t find somewhere else. Somewhere better. The uniqueness of Ultimate Mode, is little more than a novelty feature now, and the P2W aspects of the PVP just kill the game, despite its’ potential. Shaiya still has its’ high points, but the official game is long past its’ prime.
What We Liked..
Fun and fluid action combat
Sandbox world with plenty to do and no loading screens
Free content updates
Populated in-game servers
Excellent graphics
.. and what we didn't
Very grind-heavy and time consuming
Heavy RNG and cash shop reliance
PvP griefing is normal
Genre: war, action, mmorpg, simulation
Setting: fantasy
Graphics: full 3D
PvP: guild or factions matches or duels PvE PvP
Black Desert Online is an open world sandbox MMORPG that features Asian style graphics and some of the best action combat in any MMO game to-date. The graphics ranging from environment designs to the character creator is top notch.
There’s plenty of content for players to soak their teeth into for both PvE and PvP. Besides the decent amount of class choices, players can also dive into Life Skills, which is a refreshing take on crafting systems within the MMORPG genre. One great aspect of Black Desert Online is that it rewards you for simply playing the game and doing the activities you enjoy most, as players gain a multitude of XP and points to spend that progresses their characters further. The game does offer something for every playstyle.
Overall, Black Desert Online is the poster child and an excellent example of a Buy to Play Asian MMORPG that’s done right. It may have its issues such as the heavy grind and over reliance on RNG and luck, but the game deserves to be played nonetheless.
What We Liked..
Fun combat system
Great graphics for a browser game
Not required to buy anything from cash shop
.. and what we didn't
Takes a long time to load graphics
Limited class choices
Repetitive gameplay and questing
Dark Omen is a high fantasy browser-based MMORPG that pits you and other heroes against a demon invasion and you must save your world. The game is free to play and features in-depth MMORPG systems like PvE dungeons, PvP arenas, Guilds and more which is great for browser players.
The game offers limited class choices at launch, but makes up for it with very good graphics and combat mechanics. Content isn't original, but offers enough progression such as upgrading mounts, gear and more to keep players interested at the end-game.
What We Liked..
Engaging combat system
Fair free to play
Great graphics
.. and what we didn't
Can feel repetitive
Grindy
Dauntless is a free to play monster hunting MMO that lets players hunt solo or in groups to take down the world's most dangerous behemoths. The combat system is deep and tactical due to a good range of weapons and combos available, while fights are engaging as hunts take a long time to complete. The result is a rewarding experience overall. The game offers RPG elements like crafting systems and gear progression to chase, and the world is gorgeous thanks to its marriage of cartoon art-styles with gritty and realistic textures for its monsters, armor and environments. Dauntless is an incredibly polished and exciting alternative to paid monster hunting games out currently.
What We Liked..
Detailed voice-overs
Player interactions
Comprehensive base building
.. and what we didn't
Influent cash shop
Rigid combat system
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, war, managerial
Setting: fantasy, historical, sea
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: PvP
Pirates – Tides of Fortune is a complex and charming browser game released by Plarium Games. In this game you are a commander of your own haven (base of operations), where your goal is to expand, conquer and form brotherhoods with other players.
Tides of Fortune allows you to take several approaches on your gameplay; economical, defensive and offensive. The game leaves you enough room to learn how to fend for yourself during the first few levels, so you don’t have to worry about getting raided and pillaged by other players right off the bat.
What We Liked..
Intense FPS action
Small download size
.. and what we didn't
Mediocre graphics
Unbalanced cash shop
Similar to other titles
Piercing Blow is a free-to-play MMOFPS from Korea, where it’s been out for a while. It’s low on character customisation, but high on map variety, offering several modes across over 40 maps for you to explore and kill people on. The majority of the environments and scenarios are completely without novelty for any experienced player - all the old favourites are here.
While the game may not feel the need to add anything new to an already successful formula, it does offer fairly decent shooter gameplay. Maps are well designed, even if the Counterstrike-era graphics are mostly ugly, and with a small, undemanding file size, Piercing Blow runs smoothly.
A wealth of guns and weapon upgrades are available to those willing to pay real money for them, a factor that significantly unbalances the playing field. The only other way to unlock decent gear is by playing and winning daily tournaments. Basically, if you’re not already a skilled shooter or ready to pay for a better gun, you’re not going to make it here.