What We Liked..
Simple to grasp
Easy mechanics
Short game duration
.. and what we didn't
Long queue times
Low playerbase
Needs more progression mechanics
Lack of customization and maps
Battle Arena is a free to play 2D multiplayer shooter from ShadowWolf Games, available for download on Steam. The game offers a singular mode, five different characters, and over 15 unique weapons that players can use and power up during matches. For a platform shooter, games are tentatively short, and players don't require any FPS experience whatsoever. Unfortunately, progression systems and unique customization options are far and few between, meaning there isn't much to keep you playing beyond the easy matches.
What We Liked..
Good storyline
15 classes and sub-classes and challenging missions.
.. and what we didn't
Graphics have a room for improvement.
The world of NosVille has turned to chaos and your character comes in with tremendous power and fighting abilities to bring it to peace.
You'll have a number of NosMates (computer-controlled characters) to help you in this quest, as well as pets. Over the course of the game, you will also gain access to different cards that will give your character newfound skills.
NosTale comes with a number of unique classes and their interesting sub-classes with each character possessing special abilities depending on which group they are from.
To make the game less gloomy and more fun, you can train pets as well and make them get involved in missions too.
With all these features and so much more, NosTale really promises to be an excellent adventure for you.
What We Liked..
Graphically beautiful presentation
Imaginative and vibrant locations
Huge variety of items to find and skills to learn
.. and what we didn't
Repetitive gameplay
NPC's seem "wooden" and lack personality
Combat can be frustrating
Runes of Magic has everything you might expect from an old-style MMORPG.
It is captivating, extremely varied and rather vast; offering a fun and challenging experience to new and veteran RPG players alike.
The game's strengths undeniably rest with its variety, as there are hundreds (if not thousands) of objects to find, collect and / or create.
Whilst the graphics may appear dated by modern standards, Runes of Magic is a perfectly good title for anyone who wants a decent MMORPG without having to spend a fortune.
What We Liked..
vehicle customization
earn real money currency on the market
engaging combat
.. and what we didn't
heavy grinding
dated graphics
ultimately light on content
Crossout is an online shooter based around vehicular combat in a post-apocalyptic future. One might go as far as to say that it is mad… to the max. Or at least, one day it might be, but for the moment Crossout is a few interesting ideas bundled into a grindy open beta. So naturally, a lot of what the game is and offers is subject change over time. Until then, though, Crossout is all about grinding for weapons and car parts in order to build a better vehicle to allow you to continue grinding for even better weapons and car parts.
What We Liked..
User friendly
Excellent war and resource sim
Exciting social PVP gameplay
.. and what we didn't
Slow progression rate
Lack of graphics and visuals
No sounds and music
Developed and published by Gameforge back in 2000, OGame is a web browser and text-based sci-fi war simulator and MMO that many consider to be the "lite" version of EVE Online.
With no visual animations and sounds, the game functions using only texts and graphics. At the beginning, players are thrown into the game and will own a single planet, and they will have to master the concept of resource management and empire building in order to progress and become a force in the galaxy. The game's learning curve is steep but there are plenty of tutorials and guides within and outside the game to assist players.
The main objective of OGame is to be the most dominant emperor in the galaxy with a strong space empire spanning multiple planets and a large armada of ships as an army. The game features exciting PVP with other real players and they have the option to form alliances with a group of players to strategically co-ordinate raids and defenses.
For a veteran browser game, OGame is still going strong as the community is still large and the game is regularly updated with more content expansions being released. There is a cash shop to buy premium currency but there isn't a dire need to get them.
Overall, OGame is a simple and strategic game that can offer space war fans with weeks of enjoyment, especially with friends.
What We Liked..
Clean user interface
Rich gameplay
Animated villagers and artwork
.. and what we didn't
No sound or music
Slow progression
Ikariam is an animated, historically-themed 2D browser-game that features a rich strategy game experience involving resource management, multiplayer PVP and empire building. The game advances in real time and while progression is slow, the gameplay offers plenty of choices for the player when it comes to being the ruler of their township on an island that is ripe for any plans of expansion.
Graphically, Ikariam is pleasant to look at with good graphics and surprisingly has animated motions of villagers getting to work and constructing buildings or collecting resources. Unfortunately, the lack of in-game sounds and music may be an immersion buzzkill for some players.
Ultimately, Ikariam is a great strategy game that players can play for no cost, even in the presence of an advantageous cash shop.
What We Liked..
Strategy and ARPG layers that work
Tons of systems and progression
Big community
.. and what we didn't
Expensive cash shop
Eternal Fury is a free to play browser-based strategy game with a twist. While raising your kingdoms, armies and alliances are all key gameplay features, you'll also need to upgrade your singular hero ruler, with RPG-like gameplay system in place that offers a good time.
Battles are fought on both maps - the kingdom world view and in arena-style battles that shakes up the usual boring and monotonous gameplay. While free to play, Eternal Fury's cash shop is a mixed bag and borderline hovers over what's fair.
What We Liked..
Great graphics
Interesting Company System
Addictive gameplay
.. and what we didn't
Repetitive missions
The cash shop unbalances the game
Audio hiccups
Watch the trailer:
Dark Orbit is a free to play browser based MMO with a heavy focus on ship battles, resource collection, and clan interaction.
Developed by Bigpoint, Dark Orbit (now dubbed Dark Orbit Reloaded), aims to replicate the likes of Eve Online, within the confines of and top down isometric browser game.
Bigpoint creates a wholly enjoyable experience with very few hang ups.
Select between one of three different companies to earn glory and fortune for both the player and the employer by completing quests, collecting resources and killing space baddies.
This gameplay loop, along with some solid sound design and interesting ships to create and customize makes for a very enjoyable browser game. However the repetitive quests, over reliance on grinding, and difficulty may grate on some players’ nerves.
Graphically speaking the game is top notch: we’ve rarely seen browser games as visually impressive.
The sound design is good, however some audio sounds compressed and low quality.
If you’re a fan of browser games or have a rig that doesn’t allow for more intensive titles, Dark Orbit may be an excellent choice for you.
What We Liked..
A fun twist on battle royales
Free to play
Fair way to earn cosmetics
.. and what we didn't
Lack of maps and modes
Queue times are long
Optimization issues
Cuisine Royal is a refreshing battle royale game that pits players against each other either in solo, duo or squad groups on a large open map. The game features similar gameplay to other battle royale titles such as gearing up through searching houses and other buildings on the map for weapons, and moving to secured locations when the safe timer is up. Cuisine Royale stands out by letting players use kitchen utensils like cooking pans, pots and chef knives as part of the equipment players can fight with.
For a free to play game, Cuisine Royale offers some limited character progression through its crafting system that lets you earn cool looking rewards like masks and outfits. While there are three sever locations currently, the player base fluctuates and it can be hard to find matches off prime time hours.
What We Liked..
One of the best space sim MMOs to-date
Plenty of content
ships and players
Huge battles are stories worth experiencing
.. and what we didn't
Can be too complex for new players
Grindy in-between fun moments
EVE Online is a legendary space simulation MMO that first launched in 2003. The game puts players in a compelling visual game world that's all about conquering space for your race, corporation and faction. With almost two decades worth of content and updates, EVE Online offers PvE and PvP that's unique in the genre, where both solo players and large guilds can carve our their own fun and history through huge battles where everything is at stake, in addition to exploration, economy, crafting and more. While it's an intricately complex game to get into for new players, the time investment pays off in the long run if you have an end goal in mind. The game is free to play and its microtransactions aren't that intrusive. Overall, it's still a household MMO title and worth playing even today.