What We Liked..
Excellent gameplay
Immersive 3rd person perspective
Other game modes are great fun
Gold sharing system encourages team play
.. and what we didn't
Slower unlocking for non-paying players
but this is nothing new
Smite is a third person MOBA developed by Hi-Rez Studios where you fight as one of the ancient gods of world mythologies, taking out enemy Gods, towers, minions and bases, all while playing in the refreshing new third person perspective.
It wouldn’t be a MOBA without a classic 3 lane map, but Smite has lots of other play options that are actually good fun – something that is sadly missing among MOBAs. Whether it’s the speedy Arena mode, the battle heavy Assault mode or one of the crazier Match of the Day scenarios, there’s plenty to do in this game.
Add to this an unobtrusive cash shop, decent graphics and well developed gameplay and you have a winner. Smite is highly recommended, a free to play title that is as enjoyable and challenging as you want it to be.
What We Liked..
Unique MMORPG experience
Social friendly community
Plenty of content
Mobile version available
.. and what we didn't
Restrictive free trial
Dated graphics
Star Stable Online is a free to play MMORPG that's all about horses and female heroines.
Players create their characters and horses, and are taken to Jorvic, a fantasy island in which you'll quest, raise and train horses, and grow your heroine and stable while making new online friends.
The game has been around since 2011 and contains thousands of quests, but quantity doesn't mean quality as most of the questing mechanics are old-school in nature and mundane.
Gameplay mechanics are rather clunky when it comes to horse control, but key systems like racing are fun to participate in.
The game while free does have a limited trial up until level 5, when a payment becomes necessary to continue playing.
Overall, it's a unique MMORPG for younger audiences and horse lovers alike.
What We Liked..
The Marvel Universe
Free to play and balanced cash shop
Constantly updated
.. and what we didn't
Characters and costumes are expensive
Marvel Heroes has a strong foundation with Brian Michael Bendis (author of Marvel comics) and David Brevik (designer of Diablo) on the development team. Although the game didn’t get off to a great start in open beta , Gazillion has since listened to players and done a much needed overhaul. And the effort was worth it - this is a very entertaining game and if Gazillion continues to be as responsive as they’ve been so far, it’s only going to get better.
The gameplay is fun and the story will appeal to many people, drawing as it does from the rich and complex Marvel universe. Add to this a well-balanced cash shop and this title is a must for Action RPG fans and Marvel fans!
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..
Original and intriguing theme
Dizzying variety of quests and items
Thriving online community
.. and what we didn't
Very basic tutorial with no in-depth explanation
Vast amounts of information to take in
Gameplay between quests becomes repetitive
Watch the trailer:
Perfect World is a stunning MMORPG which is heavily influenced by Chinese mythology; casting players into an immersive, spiritual world of magic and intrigue. Some predictable RPG elements are present, including character customization and XP building, but that in no way hinders the enjoy-ability of the game.
With countless PVE quests, items to collect and character skills to learn, this game is more than capable of stealing hours off your life with its huge variety and captivating game play.
Perfect World is an in-depth, mystical experience well worth your time and dedication if fantasy RPGs are your thing!
What We Liked..
Highly addictive combat and game play
Good amount of maps to make up for the small number of game modes
Surprisingly deep progression including skill trees
Crafting and itemization
Good match-making for balanced fights
No pay to win
.. and what we didn't
Long wait times for match queues
Unnecessarily long tutorials
Released in 2013, Panzar is a team-based arena PvP MMO that features eight fantasy RPG classes to pick from, and players can fight on a large variety of maps and modes . Panzar is incredibly polished, and its 3D game play emphasizes on skillful combat that's made interesting thanks to the unique skill abilities of each class that resembles an MMORPG or fantasy RPG game. Expect a group composition to comprise of Tanks, damage dealers, healers and even support roles.
While game play is fun and addictive , the semi-low population causes long queues, especially on non prime time. The in-game cash shop on the other hand is a refreshing take on paying to progress , as Panzar's progression revolves around spending time to enhance your class, and not paying for items outright. Overall, Panzar is still a stellar game that could benefit from a shot in the arm and new players.
What We Liked..
Vampires are super fun to play
Maps are beautifully rendered and detailed
Team Deathmatch stands out
.. and what we didn't
Little development of the Legacy of Cain universe
Vampires and Humans feel unevenly matched
Watch the trailer:
Genre: strategy, action, shooter
Setting: fantasy, historical
Graphics: full 3D
PvP: guild or factions matches or duels PvP
Nosgoth is a spinoff of the popular Legacy of Cain series. Long time fans will likely be disappointed that Psyonix and Square Enix have chosen to follow the free to play model, creating a game that's very accessible if not very intelligent. There's little reference to the much loved series, other than a couple of scattered names and design motifs. But if you can forget the brilliant Cain games that came before it, there's still fun to be had in Nosgoth.
Play as vampire or vampire hunter, with several classes on each side to choose from. The main draw is Team Deathmatch, which sees teams of four pit against each other, human versus vampire. Here, you'll hurl across Nosgoth's beautifully detailed maps in two rounds, playing one species and then the other. This is a much needed swap, as the vampires - who can fly, climb walls and make joyous, deadly leaps - are both more enjoyable and more powerful to play.
As a free-to-play game, Nosgoth gives a fair amount without requiring you to pay up, and most rewards for sale can also be earned by the patient. Haters of the model can choose instead to pay a one time fee and get all the purchasable content at once. Overall, it's a fun, easy title, though it doesn't live up to the epic Legacy of Cain universe it inherited.
What We Liked..
Fast matchmaking
In-depth level and gear progressions for long term gameplay
Loads of maps and game mode variety for PvE and PvP
Decent balancing
.. and what we didn't
Occasional cheating and hacking
Real money transactions offer very good permanent benefits
Warface is a free to play MMOFPS that's developed by the same studio responsible for popular game franchises such as Far Cry and Crisis. In Warface, the gameplay revolves around the game's four unique classes, which introduces interesting gameplay mechanics including special movement and most importantly team work through dynamic class skills in order to dominate matches.
The game has a plethora of PvE Co-op missions and PvP modes and maps which is great for replayability. This also helps Warface's deep progression systems, as players require experience and currency gains in order to unlock classes, weapons and gear to perform better in matches.
Boosts and permanent weapon unlocks are available in the cash shop which may turn off players, but Warface still offers a ton of fun for casual FPS enthusiasts who enjoys modern day graphics and gameplay in their shooters.
What We Liked..
Challenging missions
Incredible graphics
Traps are fun to use.
.. and what we didn't
Buying your way through the game can make it too easy.
Orcs Must Die! Unchained is one of the latest Tower Defense Games in which your aim is to repel a hoard of orcs trying to breach your defenses and reach the innermost area of your base.
A number of paths are accessible to your orc enemies which they can use to point their offense in an effective way.
On the contrary, you have mines and other repelling items to stop them and, in turn, try to breach their base.
Orcs Must Die! Unchained allows you to team up with your friends or go solo with a number of tactics available for either option.
Just like other similar games, a number of classes are available for character selection with each class having a unique set of abilities.
In-game purchases can also be made to upgrade your characters and pose an even more serious threat to your opponents.
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.