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Roberts Review: Free Realms
belua
Member Posts: 3
Pros:
Beautifully realized and varied environments thanks to a team of great designers
Animations are well done
Lots of games and mini games
Decent MMO for young kids who do not have much computer gaming experience
Cons:
By far the worst chat filter ever seen in any MMO
After playing the different jobs you realize how similar they all are
Many of the mini games are reused with slightly different tiles or rules
No general chat
No auction system or even trade channel
Trade jobs like black smith are pointless because you find equipment just as good or better on your own
Combat is simplistic and repetitive
Review:
After unlocking every job and playing with them all including grouping and levelling three jobs into their teens (Cap is 20 for every job) I feel I have a very good amount of information to base a review off of. I have also gathered information from friends of mine that play the game. I will break the review up into four categories social, combat, trade skills, and fun stuff.
Social: This is one of the most important aspects of any MMO which is what it is so surprising that everything is so highly filtered, moderated, and restricted. There are no chat channels just local say in which people near you can see what you type and private messages. As previously mentioned the filter is terrible and filters almost any word with an A and an S words like something, someone, chosen… It is ridiculous and makes communicating more difficult than it already is.
Combat: The combat in this game is very simplistic every combat job starts with two skills a regular attack and a special attack. The second attack is usually a ranged attack, an AOE attack, or a stun. A total of 5 skills are acquired (one every 5 levels) by the time you reach 20. Brawlers, ninjas, and warriors are melee jobs. Archers and wizards are ranged damage jobs and the medic is a healer. Free accounts can be ninjas or brawlers only. The combat is ALL instanced. You see a mob wandering and you have to click on it to enter an instance with it.
This may be a problem for people with slower connections. I am on a T1 so I have no problems but I have observed long load times for my friends who are on cable modems. The environments in the instances are generally beautifully realized and varied enough to bring some enjoyment from just looking around but the combat lacks any real sense of strategy other than click... click… click… even the special attacks rarely seem useful other than the stuns or healing abilities because it is usually more effective to take one target down quickly than to slowly take multiple targets down thus increasing the time the multiple targets are hitting you.
The combat is very easy and if you are willing to invest in healing potions, or bring / play a medic, or play a class that gets a good stun ability you should be able to solo 90% of the content in the game. After about 20 hours of combat play you will have seen most of what the game has to offer and probably not care for the rest as it is all so similar.
Trade Skills: At first this was my favorite part of the game. The mini games they use for you to harvest materials and create items are quite enjoyable at first and take some thinking. After playing all of the harvesting and crafting mini games however they get very old very quickly. Allot of them are very similar. You basically have to line up similar tiles and draw lines connecting them to either get certain tiles to fall to the bottom of the screen or achieve a certain number of collected items. This would all be well and good if there were some real payoff for spending hours doing these mini games.
I achieved level 15 blacksmith and miner and was dismayed to see that although the weapons I made for myself were decent they were just as good as the weapons I got for free from just playing combat instances and levelling up my character. This means that there is no real incentive for leveling up black smith and mining other than the enjoyment you get from the process of levelling which as previously mentioned is only fun for the first 5-10 levels. Cooking provides you with healing and buffing foods but because the combat is so easy and healing pots are so cheap there is also no real reason to level up cooking other than the enjoyment gained form levelling it up.
Fun stuff: My favorite part by far is demolition derby. It is basically what it sounds like. Mario Kart on steroids! You ram the crud out of each other for points. Unfortunately my favorite game is plagued with bugs and performance issues. As I mentioned before I am on a T1 so I had no lag in these mini games but after playing on my friends’ computer which was connected with a cable modem I saw the serious issues this game has. No wonder I was stomping other players in derby, they were lagging badly…
Also to even get other players to play a specific mini game with you is a real task since there are no general chat channels I would sit for ten minutes advertising in normal say before I got one person to derby with me. The other issue is that the derby and racing jobs currently have no advancement and there is a bug with the ranking system so that the first and second place is usually not accurately reported or no points are listed at all (for first and second).
There are other mini games such as tower defense where mobs try to invade your tower and you place AI NPC’s in strategic locations in the maze leading to your tower. This was also fun for about half an hour. These mini games mentioned such as derby, racing, and tower defense provide no rewards outside of the enjoyment that comes from playing them.
I have played the trading card game a little bit and quickly saw it for what it actually is, a clever scam to get people to pay tons of cash for virtual cards. A friend of mine got into the TCG and spent 80$ on boosters after playing it for a week he got bored and quit what a waste of money… I suggest that if you do play this game and you do enjoy the TCG that you complete ALL of the card duelist job quests before you even consider buying a virtual booster pack for the ridiculous price since you get free cards from the quest line.
Conclusion:
What Free Realms is:
An amusement park with allot of mini games
An MMO with an easy combat system
An MMO with a briefly amusing trade skill system
An MMO with a few fun mini games
What Free Realms is not:
Not a decent social MMO because the filter is horrible and there are no general chat channels
Not a challenging combat MMO
Not an MMO with a deep and rewarding crafting system
Not an MMO with rewarding mini games
If you do try this game I suggest not subscribing until you have tried all of the free jobs and mini games and level brawler or ninja up to at least 15 because you will clearly see that there is no incentive to subscribe for the extra combat jobs since there is no new content offered for those jobs other than the level advancement of said jobs. Likewise there is no reason to make your own weapons since the weapons you find are just as good.
EDIT
Made corrections due to new information.
Such as:
Children do not see chat
Which raises the question:
Why do they need to be so strict and have such a ridiculous filter if children can not see chat... LOL?
The obvious answer is that children may be young but that does not mean they are stupid. They can and will make free accounts and just lie about their age. I know of 5-10 year olds who get around normal "adult" MMO's just fine so it is unlikely all children will always be restricted to a childrens' account.
Comments
Excellent Review. Spot on.
Review is incorrect about the game being "unsafe for children"
Children never see player text
forums.station.sony.com/freerealms/posts/list.m
By default, child accounts aren't able to read any player-generated content or text,
so there wouldn't be a way for others to contact them beyond emotes and canned chat and no way for your kids to give any information to strangers. Hopefully that helps alleviate some concerns.
EQ2 fan sites
Oh maybe this is why the kid that grouped with me for help in a quest was so silent hehe. I get a lot of silent invites for things most of which I ignore or turn down cause I"m busy, but I got one really insistent one last night and it seemed like he was trying to complete the brawler quest line. He was an obvious very young kid because he was running full speed ahead into mobs in the little dungeon lol. He learned how to pull from me last night, but he was "mute". I thought had to be a kid that is not wanting to talk, but I"m wondering if it was he could not see what I was saying etc and I could not see his chat. Anyhow it was a very strange experience I just went into the dungeon with him and we both queitly cleared it so he got his note for his brawler quest.
I have grouped with others and chatted and had no problem so this must be the underage filter they have installed. Okay now I know why he was so silent lol.
I'm sorry but I have to say this review is very poor. It seems the reviewer totally missed the point of this game. belua, did you really expect to find "challenging combat", and "a deep and rewarding crafting system"? I mean, seriously, did you look over the website, read anything about the game before playing it?
Free Realms is designed for a younger, more casual audience. As Nadia pointed out, there is restricted chat (filters and no global chat) as a safety measure for children. There are other games that employ the same restrictions, it's nothing new. A lot of people seem to be comparing this game to standard MMOs like EVE, Everquest, LOTRO and the like. But it's really not in the same category.
I have been playing Free Realms for a while and haven't run across any bad behavior either by players or mods. The OP states: "The ref’s will descend upon you and openly threaten you if you make a joke which they consider inappropriate they are like evil nazi ninjas in this game its crazy how they treat paying customers." Come on now. What "joke" did you make that got such a strong reaction?
Combat is all instanced. That's the idea. The devs did not want players to be attacked by npcs in the game world. All combat is started by the player. I knew that before I started playing.
Some of the mini games give lots of rewards such as coins, stars (used for skill ups), treasure tickets, resources for crafting, gear, etc. Some games do not have rewards currently but I believe that will be added at some point.
As for the trading card game being a "clever scam to get people to pay tons of cash for virtual cards". That's called capitalism, not scam. They sell things to make money. As for your friend spending $80 on cards, ever hear of let the buyer beware? The games been out for a week. Why not wait and see if you like the game first before dumping a lot of money in it.
This review screams troll. And Sony hater. Or maybe just totally clueless. All of the above?
yeah it does which is kinda why I ignored it. I think most people are who know these boards.
Tis better just to let these guys get it off their chest lol cause quite franky there is no other way to deal with it. There is nothing that can be discussed because discussion implies certain things which I long realized that were not going to happen. All they want is affirmation or to argue so its better just to well not bother.
So yeah back to my "shallow game" for another evening. ^^ Its the most fun I have had in awhile. I long ago tired of "OMGWTFPWN BBQ" type stuff which unfortunately no matter how you slice it present in most games and is actually the section of the population that the "sony hater" seems to come from. Teeth gnashing drum beating foot stomping noise making. If they aren't hating sony then they are hating something else as long as it makes use of that kind of emotional crud and drama this personality type will be there to take advantage of it.
or in this case watch the thread fail as people just ignore it for what it is.. lol
QFT.
Regarding the OP I've never had any problems with any of the Referees. Actually I only have praise, I've gotten items, Station Cash disappear from my account, problems with my name reverting back to a temp name. Everything was taken care fast, they were all extremely nice and efficient.
No trade chat and Auction House...well its normal for a game that isn't based on loot and everything you see, you'll get it from doing quests.
TCG isn't a scam, you don't have to pay anything since they actually give you a Deck for you to play with and if you subscribe, they give you a booster pack once a month. So in the end if people decide to pay, its their own fault.
Booster packs (which is the only thing one can buy ingame) cost 400 coins ($4) and they give you an ingame decorative items, potions, outfits, nothing that you can actually consider game breaking, since once again this game isn't about Loot.
the best weapons are Station Cash bought but that was clarified in a Dev chat before the game launched
freerealmsforums.com/forums/showthread.php
Will items that are bought with station cash or a membership give that player an advantage over other players playing the game or will these items be just cosmetic?
We sell a mix of items at the Station Cash marketplace. Some items are cosmetic, like potions that turn you into a cat for a period of time. Others do affect your gameplay, like weapons that have greater damage. That doesn’t mean you can’t beat the player who buys items in our competitive minigames, though. Player skill also has an effect, especially in the more action-oriented minigames.
EQ2 fan sites
The OP is missing the point.This game is designed for kids,you should never factor reason into it beyond the realm of a kids game.
When young kids play a game,they are not thinking i need to kill other people nor are they skilled beyond the point of never losing a battle.They just want to go in and have some fun ,with graphics they can relate to.If anyone has tried Wizard 101 their chat is setup to keep the kids 100% safe,so this game is following along the same lines,and it is a good approach.
Basically you can never put ones needs or wants above the scope of the game,it is a kids game designed for kids.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Can this be played on the PS3 to?
--John Ruskin
not yet - expected later this year
www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/233011/PS3-info.html
EQ2 fan sites
i onli played it for a few hrs soo um so far it is preti much designed for kids so yeah um simple as that. my opinion is done lol
Just because a game or other entertainment medium is designed for younger audiences doesnt allow it to be inferior, buggy or lacking in value. The incredibles, Toy Story, Princess Bride, Aladdin were all aimed at kids and I loved them all, while other kid movies are horrible.
Wizard101 is an excellent MMO that I play myself. Fusion Fall isnt half bad either. The problem with Free Realms is it has a bit of an identity crisis. It doesnt know if its an MMO or a glorified chat room ( with no chat) minigame amusment park. Choices are good but not to the point where everything it watered down and meaningless.
So if the game is built for kids, yet it is SOOOO overly protected that the kids cant even see chat, then it's basically a single player game for them. SO whyy do they half to be so strict with the adults who can see chat? This is hardly a MMO at all.
Not really spot on. You need to play Free Realms for what it is not what you want it to be. Free Realms will not appeal to everyone that is a given. What SOE has created is a fantastic experience unlike any mmo out at the moment. It was not designed to be a deep experience it was designed to offer simple varied fun. The more I play it the more I apprecaite what SOE has created.
The game is very polished with a good clear interface. The tutorial is clear and gets kids right into the experience, no 4 hour install and patching. The graphics are excellant and are exactly what the game needs for it's target audience. There is a ton of stuff to do and most of it is very fun. Lot's of quests of all sorts, Combat is optional with no agro to avoid, this allows players freedom to run around and explore the interesting world. Combat is not deep but it is fun and at time does offer a challenge. Sound is fantastic but some music does get repetative. This game is setup to offer a ton of new content and jobs in the future. This game is simple but it will offer years of gameplay to many.
Free Realms is not flawless but SOE hit a homerun with this one. You will see many review of Free Realms over the next few weeks but I think what you may find are the reviewers will not be review Free Realms for what it is but what they think an mmo should be. Free Realms gets a 9/10 from me.
That's the key right here: keep it simple but also fun and entertaining!! That's wat FR is, and not just for kids!
yeah it does which is kinda why I ignored it. I think most people are who know these boards.
Tis better just to let these guys get it off their chest lol cause quite franky there is no other way to deal with it. There is nothing that can be discussed because discussion implies certain things which I long realized that were not going to happen. All they want is affirmation or to argue so its better just to well not bother.
But...But....the trolls!!! We can't let them win!!
Besides, what about getting my anti-trollism off my chest??! A person can keep it inside just so long you know before going postal!
Anyway, I think Sony has the basis for a really nice family game with Free Realms. They just need to work out a few kinks and add some features. I'm having fun with it at the moment.
I've tried having my 7 yr old play this. Have to say disapointed. It took about 10 times to get through the create character screen to allow an account to be setup. Once he is in and playing, the site has been down more than up. Considering just opening another WOW account and going with that. Very disapointed at this games uptime so far....
I had none of these problems. I made two characters and got right into to game in minutes. Also since launch there has been only two time the servers were down that effected my wanting to play. This has been the smoothest launch of any mmo I have played.
Agreed with your posts Eco. This is a very polished MMO with stunning graphics, crisp music, and a million different things to do. I played the Beta and have restarted with the launch; easy to create characters and boots up in a heartbeat. It's not the dark and grinding type of MMO like Warhammer or the epic saga of LoTRO but it's fun as hell.
This seems like a pretty fair review. I'm not quite sure where this "troll" talk comes from. The OP seems to be pretty even handed in the review.
And before you protest that someone doesn't "get" the purpose of the game, lets not forget where exactly we are. We're on an MMORPG website, and most of the people who come here, read the forums, and post on these forums are interested in the things the OP is talking about in his review.
-R
When you are a fanboi then anybody that has an opposing view will be labeled as a troll not knowing what a troll really is in an online context.
The reason for the strict chat filter is probably so those children who lie about their age in an attempt to get around it still have some protection. It's not possible to 100% guarantee all children can be restricted to safe content so game developers do what they can. Other games do the same type of thing like Toontown, Wizard101, etc.
If I went to the Age of Conan forum and gave that game a poor review because of it's nudity and strong language, people would say that was dumb because it's a game aimed at adults and that type of content is a part of that game by design. Get the point?
The reason for the strict chat filter is probably so those children who lie about their age in an attempt to get around it still have some protection. It's not possible to 100% guarantee all children can be restricted to safe content so game developers do what they can. Other games do the same type of thing like Toontown, Wizard101, etc.
If I went to the Age of Conan forum and gave that game a poor review because of it's nudity and strong language, people would say that was dumb because it's a game aimed at adults and that type of content is a part of that game by design. Get the point?
First, I wouldn't call the OP's review "poor." It was even handed, it explained the good parts of the game, and then critiqued the parts he felt were lacking. He wasn't "attacking" the game, he was reviewing it for the MMORPG.com community.
And by all means, avail yourself of your right to post in the Age of Conan forum and say whatever you'd like. Its not a fair analogy, because you'd be critiquing the art work and not the game mechanics, but as long as it was actually a "review" and not just you trashing the game because of its M rating, then I wouldn't have a problem with it.
And lets be clear here, the OP is NOT trashing Free Realms at all. You should try and not be so defensive.
-R
The reason for the strict chat filter is probably so those children who lie about their age in an attempt to get around it still have some protection. It's not possible to 100% guarantee all children can be restricted to safe content so game developers do what they can. Other games do the same type of thing like Toontown, Wizard101, etc.
If I went to the Age of Conan forum and gave that game a poor review because of it's nudity and strong language, people would say that was dumb because it's a game aimed at adults and that type of content is a part of that game by design. Get the point?
First, I wouldn't call the OP's review "poor." It was even handed, it explained the good parts of the game, and then critiqued the parts he felt were lacking. He wasn't "attacking" the game, he was reviewing it for the MMORPG.com community.
And by all means, avail yourself of your right to post in the Age of Conan forum and say whatever you'd like. Its not a fair analogy, because you'd be critiquing the art work and not the game mechanics, but as long as it was actually a "review" and not just you trashing the game because of its M rating, then I wouldn't have a problem with it.
And lets be clear here, the OP is NOT trashing Free Realms at all. You should try and not be so defensive.
-R
yeah unfortunately he has changed the review a LOT since the original post lol
the first one was rather trollish. >>> This message was edited on 5/13/09 at 3:11:32 PM <<<<
Its ashame I guess that it was not quoted at the time
just pointing that out
things are not always as they appear.