Dragon Nest Review

Gaming genres are a funny thing, they normally give possible players a fast idea of the type of game it is, however it appears that these days the MMORPG genre just doesn’t want to follow the rules. This no more apparent than with Nexon’s latest MMORPG, Dragon Nest.

Of course Dragon Nest has all the aspects of being a RPG game, you have leveling, gear, skill trees and naturally quests to complete, but the funny thing is they forgot to add the “massive part into the game.  We won’t find any persistent world here as every part of the game is instanced with the towns acting as social hubs for players to gather and form groups. Exactly what Dragon Nest really is is a single player game with multiple-player features as there’s absolutely nothing that ties the game together.

So in order to give Dragon Nest a fair review, I are not reviewing it as a MMORPG, because it’s just definitely not. Instead I will review it as a multiplayer online RPG.

Dragon Nest begins with we choosing from you of four pre-made classes, warrior, cleric, archer and sorceress, however there is very little customization available. When you have your own class selected you begin the game in you of the two starting towns, depending on your own class.

The first thing you ll notice is simply how easy everything is. Fight is point as well as click, spells are automatically laid out for we in your own 1-9 hot-bar as you acquire them and quests certainly not just point in you in the direction you have to go, but tell you how far they are. The interface is so easy, but informative that there really is no want for a tutorial, although there is you. Dragon Nest’s simplicity continues throughout the entire game including its crafting program, enchantments, skill trees, and quest themselves. While this may be a and in a few areas, including fight and the UI, other people may find the game entirely too easy to hold their attention.

As I mentioned earlier ever part of the game is instanced, thus when you need to leave town as well as venture out, we ll be greeted by one of many portals (loading screens). This is by far the biggest issue I had with Dragon Nest. There are so many loading screens you ll be spending a good amount of time staring at DN wallpapers. To make things worse, each main town has a few extensions that are kinda part of the town and have NPCs in them, but are connected by a  portal. Every as soon as in a whilst we ll get an NPC in 1 of these extensions asking you to talk to yet another NPC in the main town, thus you ll end up going through the loading screen a half dozen times before we complete the quest. Very frustrating as well as I don’t understand the reason why they didn’t just make these extensions part of the main town to eliminate the loading screen.

On to quests, that are instanced as well with each you being broken down into 2 - 5 sections, irrespective of how small the dungeon is. Guess just what that means…more loading screens. A few of these dungeons are so small, yet still have 2-3 loading screens. It’s simply baffling as to the reason why they would definitely break them up into such small sections.

Quests are additionally very linear and when you get into the high teenagers levels get extremely repetitive. You ll end up doing the same dungeon 6 to 7 times, possibly more, just to complete all the quests for it and without other method to gain XP, it’s certainly not like you can skip it and go do something else.

However there are plenty of other things to do in Dragon Nest aside from questing. There’s the Daredevil Faire, Rozin Sanctuary and naturally the PvP arena, each 1 having their own tokens to collect to unlock items, weapons and gear. The Faire and Sanctuary are type of mini-games as well as challenges that you can do solo or perhaps in groups, which are very fun and a nice addition to the game to break up the questing. There’s also a faction system and achievement list for additional collecting purposes.

The PvP arena is currently very limited with just 2 gameplay mods to choose from, deathmatch or rounds. There’s additionally some major balancing issue between classes. Its appears melee and range are evenly matched up against the same class type, but whenever matched up against each other, melee dominates. For example my sorceress may as well bend over whenever up against a warrior class. Once I’m knocked down, which isn’t hard, they’re able to combo me to death most of the time. Granted I didn’t build my character for PvP, but it’s certainly not even close in a fight between the two.

Combat however is quite fun in both PvE and PvP. There’s no tab targeting so we ll have to aim at your target if you need to hit it, which is refreshing and is you of Dragon Nest’s best features. The game uses a standard talent tree program, with the option to choose from you of two advance classes as soon as you hit level 14.

The graphics are fairly good, even though I’m certainly not a fan of the character design, as everyone looks like a bunch of kids to me, but if that doesn’t bother we, then we ll find the graphics are up to par with many of today’s MMO games. The story-line also is very good as well as there’s a lot of humor throughout the game to keep things light as well as enjoyable.

Overall the extremely intuitive user user interface as well as fun combat were definitely not enough to save Dragon Nest. The constant loading screens, linear gameplay and repetitive questing, not to mention a deficiency of PvP modes, makes Dragon Nest a pass in my book when it comes to online RPGs. This is definitely certainly not a game for the hardcore to even slightly hardcore player, but if we re new to the genre or perhaps simply need something simple, then we should check it out. I hope this Dragon Nest review was useful.


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Multiplayer FPS Action Games

Ever since Quake started offering options for play over the Internet, multiplayer first-person shooters have been a dominant force in online gaming. Today FPS fans have a remarkable variety of settings and mods to choose from. These are the titles I would most recommend for the PC - the list is not based soley on the game's popularity. Hands-on experience, user feedback, and an active community are among the things I consider when compiling these lists. The emphasis is on current games for current computers, not classics that peaked before the turn of the century. They are ultimately just my opinion, so if you feel I've missed something, you're welcome to make a suggestion.

This is a stand-alone remake of the famous Team Fortress mod for Quake that helped popularize online gaming back in the late 90s. Team Fortress 2 isn't the most sophisticated multiplayer shooter on the market, but it recaptures the player classes and teamplay of earlier games in the series beautifully. It features a distinctly cartoonish appearance that fits it extremely well and gives it an extra dose of character. It has received steady updates since its release in 2007, including plenty of new maps, and recently, a cosmetic item shop. Now selling for just $10, you can't really go wrong with TF2.

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Written Legends: Nightmare at Sea

A peaceful sea voyage with your father turns into a Nightmare at Sea when your ship is sunk by the legendary Davy Jones.

As you begin to explore the bottom of the ocean, you will discover you are not the only one to suffer this fate.

Uncover the secrets of Davy Jones as you meet the other lost souls he has trapped for eternity in Written

Legends: Nightmare at Sea, an intense Hidden Object game!

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Darkspore Review

During the multi-year development of Spore, Will Wright promised the universe. And while the evolution sim’s insanely rich creature creator wound up being a diversion unto itself, the ambitious 2008 game wound up disappointing most. Darkspore, a new PC-only RPG-mutation of the original, feels like a marketing person’s response to all the gripes against the shallow sandbox of Spore.

The first step in Darkspore’s attempt to capture the hearts and minds of the gaming demographic is to go pre-fab. You don’t design your own characters from the ground up, but rather recruit from a pool of creatures that look more Bionicle than badass. There’s a hint of “gotta catch ’em all” here, but the recruitment of said aliens is mostly uninteresting; players merely unlock new units when you level up.

Said creatures are thrown into squads of three and used to muscle through Diablo-style dungeon crawls. The environments are lovely, ranging from verdant but poisonous jungles to futuristic fortresses that look straight out of Starcraft. Combat is fun enough. Your units wield special skills, three unique to them and another three shared across the squad, and squads work like a three-way tag team, teleporting in and out of fights when health runs low. Darkspore’s most interesting wrinkle on the loot game is that all the new gear you earn during and after missions doesn’t just get slapped onto your character. Using a neutered version of the Spore creature creator, you add new claws, armor, eyes, and tendrils to your characters as you see fit.

Some will gripe that Darkspore requires an always-on Internet connection to play. If you consider having to log in and connect to a server—even if you want to play single-player—as a form of DRM, then you might agree. But there are rewards for playing Darkspore online apart from the virtual companionship: Bonuses to character experience and loot encourage you for engaging in the game’s thin but workable online community. Darkspore feels like a sliver of Spore. It has a mostly silly and self-serious story and a portentous soundtrack a la Mass Effect. But at the micro level, there’s substance to its meat and bones, and lots of stats, gear, and levels to chew on. Its hard, though, to say if that’s an improvement.

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Castaway 2: Isle of the Titans

You ever walk into a room, only to forget what it was you came for? Ever do the same thing, only on a deserted island full of cute technicolor monsters and cryptic talking statues? This is what happens to the towheaded hero of


Castaway 2: Isle of the Titans. The sequel to last year's Castaway, Castaway 2 is an addictive action-RPG with plenty of hacking, slashing, and island-bound amnesia.

After you name your hero, move him about the island with either the [arrow] or [WASD] keys. You can interact with the environment in a number of ways with the [spacebar], including attacking, picking up and using items, and chatting with various stoney shopkeepers and quest givers. When you've learned some cool RPG skills, you can drag them to the quickbar at the bottom of the screen and activate them with the number keys [1-6]. Use your mouse to navigate the various game menus, including those for your inventory, stats and skills; useful for powering up as you gain levels.

Even without the totally optional Premium Content the game offers, there is a lot to do in Castaway 2. In addition to the typical RPG fare of killing monsters, taking their gear, and leveling up, there is also a great deal of exploration, helpful pets to collect, and items to craft. Pets are friendly monsters you hatch from eggs collected throughout the island. Crafting involves collecting raw materials from monsters, shops, and the environment, and combining them to make something new and useful. With so much going on, it is a good thing that the in-game tutorials are so helpful and clear. Collect resources, kill monsters, level up, and figure out why the Titans have brought you to their island.

Analysis: How much you like Castaway 2 will depend a lot on how much you like mindless hack-n-slash RPGs. The story is not particularly deep, and while some enemies require strategic positioning and skill usage to defeat effectively, the overall gameplay is not very complex or tactical. But as an addictive timewaster, Castaway 2 is tough to top. The soundtrack is inviting, the graphics pleasant and colorful, and the monsters fun and cute (almost too cute, as I wondered why the Titans were so keen on me dispatching so much unique, adorable wildlife). The wide number and variety of missions you receive, from killing monsters to finding and creating unique items means you will never want for something to do. Castaway 2 is the sort of game where you tell yourself you are going to stop soon, except you just need to find one more iron ingot, so you can craft the Magical Monster-Bopper of Bopping, and hey, where does that gate lead to? It's not the sort of game you can pick up and drop during a coffee break (unless you're more disciplined than I), but for such simple gameplay, it's engrossing.

Fans of the original Castaway will find much they like from the first game, plus many improvements. The somewhat confusing isometric map has been replaced by a more straightforward square grid, which works a lot better with keyboard controls. The game auto-saves between screens, so you no longer have to worry about backtracking to town every time you want to save your progress before a dangerous battle. And while Castaway 2 still involves a lot of grinding, the steeper power curve moves things along, and the addition of crafting and crafting missions adds variety to the monster killing.

Castaway 2 isn't the deepest RPG around, but it's perfect for casual fans of the genre. The Isle of the Titans has a lot to do and a lot to see, and will keep casual RPG players well occupied. Just don't let it suck you in too much, or you might find that you suffer some light amnesia of your own.

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Death Worm

The say size isn't everything, but that only applies if you aren't a massive, carnivorous, desert-dwelling hell-worm that needs a steady diet of camels, civilians, ambulances, and jaguars to survive. Oh... sorry, did I say hell-worm? I meant to say Death Worm! Play Creek's surprise hit 2007 indie download gnaws its way into your browser with 15 levels, 30 different enemies, achievements, and a whole lotta explosions. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Turns out steering a Death Worm is only slightly more complicated than riding a bike; use the [arrow] keys to maneuver and build up momentum, popping up out of the ground to snatch your unwary prey, and burrow down deep within the earth to reach even higher when you burst out next. While your foes start off small-time the ante is quickly upped as everything from tigers to soldiers to helicopters and detonators roll out to put an end to your feasting. Which would be discouraging if not for the fact that you're a Death Worm, and can upgrade your abilities between levels and even gather power ups to let you put on a burst of speed or spit freakin' fireballs. (Still not as freaky as Goblin Sharks, though.) To pass each stage you'll need to meet the requirements, usually "eat some dudes" and "eat even more dudes".

Once you've mastered the controls, you're golden. Death Worm isn't actually that difficult, apart from a few frustrating levels where you're required to devour a certain amount of enemies without taking damage (and the count resets if you do). It's actually fairly easy to coast along beneath the surface and peek just the top of your head up to snack on some poor sap, then duck back down before anyone else can react. Of course, that's if yer yella. Death Worm's real entertainment shines when you rocket out of the ground and rack up big combos for higher scores, sending limbs flying and causing helicopters to careen out of control into a pack of terrified tigers. Compared to its original release, Death Worm has undergone a significant visual upgrade, but still retains that fast-paced monster worm action that captured the hearts of men and women everywhere.

Sometimes you want complex strategy or a deeply moving story that changes your personal outlook; Death Worm has neither, but it does have the ability to swallow you whole, so maybe you shouldn't tell it that. For awesome arcade action, Death Worm satisfies.

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Terraria: Action-Adventure Game From Re-Logic

Many kids used to spend their time at the beach building sandcastles. Not me, though. I built sand empires. I constructed little sand fiefdoms which I could rule over my sand lords from my sand throne. Believe me, it was awe-inspiring. Terraria, a new action-adventure-creativity game from Re-Logic, is perfect for a sand emperor like myself: it offers the thrill of discovery mixed with the chance to meticulously construct your own little village, city or empire. And before you think it: yes, it's a lot like Minecraft, only in 2D.

Control your character with the [WASD] keys, press the [spacebar] to jump, and wield your currently equipped tool with the [mouse]. There are a variety of tools available — pickaxes allow you to dig in the ground, axes let you chop down trees, swords help you fight off monsters, and so on. Later on you can obtain even more interesting gear like grappling hooks and firearms!

With this gear you'll set out to accomplish your goal, which is... pretty much whatever you want it to be! You can focus on constructing a fantastic town, in which case you'll attract NPCs who offer services like shopping and healing. You can explore the land which will lead you to mysterious dungeons and vast underground cave systems. You can collect items and use them to summon boss monsters to battle for valuables. There's really no shortage of things to do!

Terraria is presented in 2D in a style similar to a few old-school Super Nintendo RPGs. While the action can be a little small, it's generally easy to pick everything out from the screen after some time getting used to everything. The game boasts some endearing music and sound effects as well — for instance, the main theme is bound to get stuck in your head for days.


Analysis: It's pretty easy to compare Terraria to Minecraft because, well, that's exactly what it is — multiplayer features included. The similarities are clear and even the creator of Minecraft has acknowledged Terraria, giving it a bit of early attention just a few weeks before its surprise release.

Terraria takes the sandbox formula a bit further, though, by boasting a feature list that dwarfs Minecraft's even at launch. Perhaps most importantly, Terraria is available through Steam, making it much easier to obtain the game and eliminating the chance of the game becoming nearly unplayable should a main server on the developer's end go down — a problem that has plagued Minecraft for months.

Terraria is also much more of an actual game than Minecraft. There are dungeons to explore, many more varieties of monster and boss to fight that offer rewards for their defeat and NPCs to attract to your town. The exciting sense of exploration is still a key part of the game, but in Terraria exploration tends to be a lot more rewarding. You never know when you'll stumble across a treasure chest full of goodies or some valuable ore!

The real question is if Terraria has the longevity to stand alongside Minecraft. While you can create as many worlds as you want, in Terraria each is bordered on the far left and right unlike in Minecraft where they are effectively infinite. Time will tell if this means that players will eventually run out of things to do and grow bored with the game.

In terms of game design there are a few minor flaws. It's easy to be swarmed with massive amounts of monsters in Terraria, so players who'd rather focus on construction than combat might get a bit frustrated. Since the individual "blocks" that make up the world are smaller, it's also a little more difficult to be precise when building or mining. With practice, though, this becomes less of an issue.

Terraria offers such a variety of experience that both Minecraft fans and those who have never touched that game can find something to enjoy. Hop on in, chop down some trees and start your own empire. Plus, your work won't all get ruined when the tide rolls in!

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