Runes of Magic Review

• Release Date: 19/03/2009
• Genre: MMO, RPG
• Rating: 5
• Studio: Frogster, Runewaker Entertainment

Runes of Magic (RoM) is a free massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by the Taiwanese developer Runewaker Entertainment and adapted for the English and German speaking market by German company Frogster Interactive.

After going through an open beta phase, the game was launched on 19 March 2009 and Chapter II – The Elven Prophecy was launched on 15 September 2009. The next chapter, Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms, started 22 April, however all of Chapter III did not become available until August 11, 2010.

The game client is free to download, and no monthly subscription fee is required because the service is funded by real money transactions (RMT) in the Runes of Magic Item Shop.^[3]

Graphics

The graphics are really quite good, rather like WoW, mostly not quite as good but sometimes better then vanilla Wow, definitely not as good as LoTRO or Aion, but nice graphics, and for a free MMORPG they are excellent.

The animations and spell effects are rather good, and do the job nicely. Just like WoW the GFX run very well even on an older laptop or PC which is a big plus.

I consider the graphics to be better then EQ2 even running on a monster PC (not saying much)

Gameplay

The game plays like a cross between WoW and EQ1 which is a good thing, RoM has a classic class based system, with Druids, mages, Knights, priests, wardens (pet class), scouts, and rogues.

The difference is you can duel class once you reach level 10, so for example you can chose any combination of primary / secondary class, e.g. Knight / priest, or Mage / druid etc, this makes the class system fresh with lots of different combinations and play styles.

The itemization makes sense, the classes are more or less well balanced, there are many types of mounts, housing, you feel more powerful as you level up and equip new items (unlike AoC)

Tradeskills are in there and for once they are well thought out (unlike EQ2), over all A grade for free to play, plus options of PVP servers which is brilliant for the hard core player

Forsaken Abbey instance gameplay

Story

Its an MMO, not much in they way of story, with lots of the usual Fed-ex missions and kill AXZ, but like I said its an MMO, I never read the missions anyway.

Sound /  Music

Surprisingly good music, actually I would say sometimes as good or better music then WoW, the music is mood music similar to Lord of the rings or Braveheart, with a tough of Legends of the fall, so very impressive music, especially amazing for a free to play game .

Overall

I would give this game a 4 out of 5 for quality and fun, however its free, totally free to download and play, so its definitely a 5/5 for this reason. Eurogamer giving it a 6 is a disgrace, but they are rapidly going down in their review quality anyways.

This is a top class free to play game which feels like a quality MMO, better then WAR for example which is a premium MMO.

Its not perfect (the instances could be better), but its very very good and free.

[rating:5]

Runes of Magic Episode 1

What the others are saying

IGN 8/10

At its worst, Runes of Magic is a solid, by-the-books affair. At its best, Runes of Magic is a surprisingly deep game and is a great showcase for what a free-to-play MMO can be. Check it out; what do you have to lose?

Eurogamer 6/10

Runes of Magic is by and large a robust, enjoyable game. As a free-to-play title, it’s impressive. Although Western gamers will still have their reservations about amorphous RMT versus those nice straightforward subs, Runes of Magic is something of a landmark: it won’t dislodge the subscription-based model in the West by any stretch of the imagination, but it does demonstrate that free-to-play doesn’t necessarily mean rudimentary, shallow, cheap or totally brutal in the integration of RMT.

Game trailers Review

No review from Game trailers, I have no idea why they have not bother to review Runes of Magic

Batbat my level 26 Druid / 18 Scout on the Smacht PVP server