What We Liked..
Tactical team-based fun
Great graphics and sound
Good amount of freelancers
Easy to learn
.. and what we didn't
Must pay to unlock all freelancers
No built-in voice chat
Atlas Reactor by Trion Worlds is a refreshing turn-based tactical team PVP game that pits two teams of four players against each other. The game's unique gameplay is its selling point, proving that MOBA isn't the only option when it comes to competitive group play.
The game boasts well designed and balanced heroes called Freelancers, and their ability to influence games is largely down to the skill of the player, the strategy of the team and how well they communicate as a group, rather than the strength of the Freelancer.
Overall, Atlas Reactor is a very fun game to play and offers hours of strategic fun for both hardcore and casuals. The game is easy to learn but hard to master, and considering that it's free to play, it will keep gamers coming back for a long time to come.
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..
lots of strategy involved
clean graphical style
easy to pick-up and play
.. and what we didn't
really slow going
lots of gated elements
gold can give too great of an advantage
Call of War: 1942 is a strategy game set during World War 2. You build, you expand, you go to war, and yes – you exploit. Call of War is most definitely a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) game, and even if that genre isn’t quite familiar to you, you’ve probably heard of another immensely popular 4X game: Civilization. Call of War takes the concepts of a 4X game and applies them to a free-to-play model.
What We Liked..
Minimal system requirements
Large weapon pool
Plenty of game modes
Community
.. and what we didn't
Dated graphics
Occasional hacking
Weapon balance
Combat Arms is a first person tactical shooter game that has been around for quite some time, and features a solid core FPS gameplay that is on par with genre favorites Counterstrike and Crossfire. The game stands out by giving players a huge amount of in-game weapons to embrace, and as a result it has created a unique culture of weapon progression unlike any other game has done.
Combat Arms also has highly customizable systems which includes outfitting and up-gradable weapon parts, giving players even more reasons to keep playing regularly to gain experience and ranks. While there are downsides such as dated graphics and occasional hacking, the game still offers plenty of content and fun for FPS aficionados. Overall, Combat Arms is great shooter game that will be around for a long time to come.
What We Liked..
Ridiculously fun PvP battles
Quick match-making
Good graphics
.. and what we didn't
Optimization is a hit or miss
Bland PvE mode
Watch the trailer:
Conqueror's Blade is hybrid blend of medieval MMO gameplay and deep tactical warfare, which places your characters in kingdoms that you'll represent in this feudal age. You'll play as a Warlord, utilizing a chosen class inspired from both Eastern and Western cultures. In its PvE, you'll level up your class, gaining skills and recruiting units for the looming battles ahead. In PvP, expect fun 15 versus 15 siege battles where you and other Warlords fight for regional supremacy that results in better crafting yields, trading opportunities and fame. Conqueror's Blade is a free and unique MMO, but not one without its flaws.
What We Liked..
Imaginative environment and engaging graphics.
.. and what we didn't
Massively automated gameplay and lack of character customization.
Dark Era is a free RPG game released by Game123 which involves the time-space concept in its storyline for the player to fight against the armies of a Dark Emperor. The game majorly focuses on guiding the players in their conquest against the Dark power which the automated gameplay of Dark Era clearly shows.
Even though the rather well-designed environment and competitive graphics of Dark Era are a positive, it is a very small consolation for the lack of action and involvement of the player. Yes, there are certain character upgrades during the course of the game and the introduction of beasts and mounts does spice things up a little bit, but not nearly enough to make up for the disappointment of the automated character movement and decision making.
What We Liked..
Highly realistic thanks to modern day setting and accurate depiction of military units
Active player base with Alliances recruiting across all game worlds
Dynamic weather system that can change battle outcomes
Achievement system that's uncommon for this type of game
.. and what we didn't
Slower than usual progression to encourage the purchase of premium Diamonds to speed things up
High learning curve for players that aren't familiar with military language
Graphics and artwork aren't the best to look at
No horizontal progression such as Champions to break the waiting game monotony
Watch the trailer:
Desert Operations is a highly realistic military themed strategy game that is free to play and has a modern day setting. The gameplay revolves around familiar strategy mechanics such as building, researching, resource management and real time-based PvP warfare. The game worlds are populated and advancing your nation is a fun challenge as players navigate through mechanics like a dynamic weather system that could change the outcome of battles. In addition to that, joining social Alliances will be crucial for the late game, but there are there things to do like hunting Achievements which is rare for games of this genre.
Other aspects of Desert Operations aren't the best such as graphics and aesthetics, but that won't matter too much if you're used to browser-based strategy games. While Desert Operations is easy to jump into, it does have a high learning curve for non-military enthusiasts and there is a very slow rate of progression which encourages you to spend real money on Diamonds to progress things like building or recruiting faster.
What We Liked..
Good graphics
realistic character movement
excellent map and locations
detailed tactical battles.
.. and what we didn't
Cocky dialogue with misplaced emoticons
dialogue skips very quickly at times.
One of the latest team-building MMO games, Dragonbone Dynasty, has come in with a lot of hype.
Class selection has taken an extra step allowing users to choose the gender as well as the non-playable allies.
Serious thought has been given by the developers into battle tactics allowing you to place your allies in a good position to be of best use.
One of the core elements of Dragonbone Dynasty is combat, and that doesn't disappoint either.
The action is semi-automated with you having the option of removing a move from your character's skill-set altogether to present a more precise, yet lethal combination.
The map size, graphics and character movement and physics are particularly impressive and make playing this game worthwhile.
What We Liked..
Very innovative
Unique and rewarding quest progression
Game of Thrones!
.. and what we didn't
The technical qualities
Still a pretty standard pay-to-play type of game
Setting: fantasy, historical
Graphics: plain text and images
PvP: all vs all guild or factions PvE PvP
Game of Thrones: Ascent is a new browser game developed and published by Disruptor Beam. The game chronicles your “ascent” to the throne of one of the eight royal houses of Westeros.
Ascent is a very story driven game, much like the original series. Unfortunately, where the game differs the most from the TV show is in the action. This isn't to say that fans of the show will not enjoy the game; fanboys and girls who feel the need to engage themselves in more GoT lore may find Ascent to be the perfect way to get their fix in between episodes.
Standard RPG fans may also take interest in the unconventional take on the combat system (if you could even call it that). The game also has the typical western RPG conversation based cutscenes, allowing you to align your character towards good, evil or somewhere in between.
Game of Thrones: Ascent has many attractions to many different types of gamers. Quintessential RPG gamers will appreciate a new take on the traditional combat system and more story driven gamers will love this game. Ascent even offers something for RTS gamers! There's plenty of resource gathering and “base-building” to be found in the game. And of course, GoT fans will find themselves right at home with the storyline.
Ascent is a game that reaches for the stars and all in all, it's a great use of the Game of Thrones license.
What We Liked..
Addictive gameplay
Active community
Long PvE campaign
Fun PvP
.. and what we didn't
No crossplay feature
High gap between free and paying players
Genre: strategy, war, managerial
Setting: fantasy, historical
Graphics: animated artworks
PvP: guild or factions matches or duels PvE PvP
Hustle Castle is a free to play idle-management RPG that's 2D in nature, taking place in a fantasy medieval setting. Players must build their castle up by constructing and upgrading rooms, each offering progression purposes like food, gold and army training. Dwellers are how players will progress, as these little settlers can be trained and armed, and then sent out on missions in the PvE campaign to bring back all important loot. The game's simple and addictive idle-sim management gameplay will keep you hooked on either the PC or mobile phones. Expect PvP battles, clan features and a cash shop to quicken progression.