Vanguard Saga of Heroes(SHUTDOWN)

  I recently stumbled across this online game while browsing the Everquest 2 website.At first I thought what harm could it do right?Might as well try it out!After having played through the tutorial area called "Isle of Dawn" and some of the first few quests I was instantly hooked and was amazed at the amount of depth in such a game!Many games lack depth and rely on spoon feeding the players but Vanguard knows better!Leveling is no longer limited to simply your basic level and gear is no longer limited to pvp/pve gear!You can level diplomacy by interacting with npcs,crafting by...well crafting,harvesting,and can equip gear to give a boost to each profession!I haven't delved deeper into the different professions but Diplomacy is by far my favorite!
  Vanguard is a freemium game but the restrictions aren't so bad.You have access to all the content the game has to offer as a free player with four character slots and you gain regular exp from mobs as well as access to mobs obtainable in game.As a premium player you get 50% more exp,12 character slots,max vault space,and some other perks.At first this wasn't such a big deal having played Lord of The Rings Online I was used to this system...but then I saw something that just made me question the intelligence of the developers:You can't equip orange gear unless you are a premium player...WTF?!For more info visit this link: https://www.vanguardthegame.com/free.vm
  The difficulty in Vanguard is pretty high compared to most mmos...and I like it!I actually feel like every skill I cast is meaningful and as a Necromancer fan I take pride in crushing my opponents souls with my DoTs and debuffs while torturing them with my minions until they draw their last breath!This game requires you to use your brain a bit and to know your class of choices weaknesses and strengths.Running solo might work for a bit but it is NOT recommended!You will reach points where you just can't complete a quest because mobs gank you or they just hit to damn hard!Sometimes you'll even have a quest for a boss that is labeled "Soloable" but healers and some mages will have a tough time with these quests...I should know I have died a few times from such a quest.To make things easier for you and your buddies there are brotherhoods and caravans.Go here to get some more info on those: https://www.vanguardthegame.com/game-guide.vm
  I was told by some players that their is a PvP arena later on at level 48 that you can go to to test your skills against fellow players and for those of you that just want to have a friendly duel that is also available starting at level 8.I have not gotten into the PvP aspect so I can't really comment on the class balance and stuff but I will update this whenever I get the chance.
  I have encountered many players that did not know that Vanguard was still up and running.This amazed me because if I hadn't decided to be nosy I would never have found it in the first place!As I continue to play I have discovered that I am indeed a fan of exploring and Vanguard has given me the best sense of exploration by far from the many mmorpgs I have played.It is no longer that you are limited to linear gameplay where you go to a town do quests go to a dungeon kill the boss and move on to the next town.Vanguard breaks free of this linear path that games have taken and gives you an open world to explore!Using riftways you can explore different areas filled with different monsters!You can get on a mount and go out into the world KNOWING that you will find something such as a dungeon or sidequests.The map however is very poor in quality and shows only a few dots representing the different npcs or dungeons that are available.I am glad that it is this way though as it helps you feel like you are an actual adventurer with a crappy map and a world full of unknown adventure before you!
  Community wise the player base is healthy on the Telon server and there are always people online to help or are in need of help so finding a party or a few questing buddies shouldn't be a problem!I haven't bumped into any role playing groups yet so for those of you out there that like to RP keep an eye on this as I will be updating it soon.
  As I continued my adventures I reached a dungeon called Khregors End.Not knowing this was a dungeon I ventured in only to be stopped at the entrance by an arachnid that made mince meat of my creature and myself.I went back a second time but this time I asked for a group and was amazed at how quickly I got a full party with a healer and tank plus a bunch of dps!We ventured in working our way through the spiders and down the winding pathway until we reached the bottom floor.Dwarves and Bugbears were busy mining and we began the full on massacre of each and every one of them!I asked how long this dungeon took to do.I was thinking five maybe twenty minutes tops...but boy was I wrong..an hour and thirty minutes later we resurfaced leveled and with all our quests finished and ready to turn in!This aspect,though long and gruesome,was extremely rewarding!I jumped from level thirteen to level nineteen and managed to get some equipment to bolster me for the next round where we face off against the KING!Dungeons are a nice way to explore the world while meeting new comrades and creating ties with them for future adventures!

Races:  https://www.vanguardthegame.com/races.vm
Classes: https://www.vanguardthegame.com/classes.vm
Best Race for a class: http://vanguard.wikia.com/wiki/Races

Path of Exile

After having played this game EXTENSIVELY(yeah I got addicted so what!) I must say it is by far my favorite mmo!For those of you that love endlessly killing hoards of monsters in search of a better piece of equipment or levels then this game is for you!Let me get started by saying that this game has gender locked classes...which is a downer for some of you but it is still in open beta so this may change!The classes are Templar(Male),Witch(Female),Duelist(Male),Barbarian(Male),Shadow(Male),and Ranger(Female).

As you can see each class specializes in certain areas.Example the Shadow specializes in int and dex.Templar is str and int.Marauder is pure strength and so on and so forth.Now this may seem bad for a few of you but it is actually not a problem.Because the skill system is based on stones that drop from mobs.You can level these skills up by using them and you can use any skill from any of the three branches.So you can be a Marauder with a bash attack and still be able to pew pew with your lightning bolts.Experimentation at its finest!

Things get better!How?Well the skill tree is so immense that you can build up your character to have fast attack speed and damage and a lot of other combinations in whichever way you please!I never once looked at a guide to choose what passives I would get from the skill tree and I must say this freedom was awe inspiring!Some mmos could learn a thing or two from this system!If you think I am exaggerating take a look at the picture to the right.That isn't even the full thing!

Grinding Gear Games has yet to implement a cash shop so I cannot determine how this will affect the gamplay.My hopes are high though that it will not be game breaking!
The community is somewhat...quiet to say the least.I hardly ever joined others to adventure on the island and I was never asked to.The chat is somewhat quiet which seemed a bit off to me.You can party up with players so if you want post in some forums and get a group to join you!It might give you an entire new look on this game that I did not get to experience.
Path of Exiles is a good game and I strongly recommend that you check it out!Even if you aren't a fan of these types of mmos it is still worth it!

Elsword

  Elsword is a nice action game that is fun to play and visually pleasing for those that like flashy skills.Many new classes have been added as well as characters(Chung) so the choices are very nice.Character customization is limited mainly to cash shop items but you can customize your character even more later in the game.The gameplay is fast paced and fun,the controls are simple,and the exp rate for completing dungeons is awesome!The one thing that may be seen as an eyesore is the infamous stamina system which limits the amount of dungeons you can do per day.But this is not as bad as it seems!If you do dungeons in a party you will use up LESS of your stamina and you also get a nice exp bonus!During weekends you also have unlimited stamina so you can go wild and can kill all those monsters until your eyes bleed!

  You can advance to different classes as you level(15,35) and each class has all new skills to master as well as a different look!Some classes are faster than the others while others are slower but hit harder.You are the master of your destiny and the way you play this game!

  The PvE is fun like I mentioned earlier but it is in dungeons and can get a bit repetitive after a while.Quests are all over the place but they are usually the same and will have you running the same instances over and over again until you have completed them all.But hey we aren't playing an action game for the story right?Every character does have a back story that is presented after you create your character so it's not all bad.

  Elsword does have a PvP part to it and,though I took part in it occasionally,it was quite fun!Arena matches have three choices for you:1vs1,2vs2,and 3vs3.Participating in them gives you exp and if you win also gives you rank/arena points to increase your PvP rank!If you lose though you get a small amount of exp as well as arena points/fame.At times I found myself paired against an opponent that was CLEARLY out of my league and way above my level.But I suppose it is a small price to pay for everything else it does right!

  All in all I would recommend this game for those who are looking for a game that is straight to the point and fun to boot!Enjoy!

Tales of Pirates 2(TOP2)

  Tales of Pirates 2 is a game that I first started playing before I had even the basic understanding of what the word "noob" meant.I recently went back to see how the sequel was and I must say...not much has changed.That isn't to say it is bad but graphics wise it still has the same medium graphics it had before.As I started off as a noob the first thing that came to mind was of how I was goign to make money and what build I should follow.The community was amazingly responsive and friendly when I asked and now have enough gold to buy myself that nifty level 50 crusader set!The forums are just the same though as with all mmorpgs it has its share of trolls.
  Tales of Pirates 2 has four races that you can select from!The male races are the Carsis and the Lance while the females are Phillis and Ami.Classes are gender locked though some share classes!You are shown a diagram upon creating your first character.ToP2 has a total of ten classes.You start off as a newbie and at level 10 receive your first upgrade to either Swordsman,Herbalist,Explorer,or Hunter.At level 41 you are allowed to upgrade to your advanced class.The carsise only has one class and that is the Swordsman at level 10 andChampion at level 41.The other races have many advancemnts.Swordsman go to Crusaders,Herbalists can choose to be a Sealmaster or a Cleric,Explorer changes to Voyager,and Hunter changes to Sharpshooter!
  As for game play wise it is a click to move and attack game with the option to customize your performance via stat points (1 per level and 5 every ten levels),imbedding gems,or fusing your gear with fashion items to improve the performance!This game seems very cash shop dependant but if you go to the forums you will see many ways of earning in game gold and buying cash shop items without having to waste a dime!
  Game content is mainly PvE with some instances every few hours that give amazing rewards and some PvP dueling,bar fights,and even boat battles!Some world bosses show up also and those are the ones you will be hunting for when you reach a high level.You are also given the option to rebirth after a certain level and get some nice wings and stats but this is a challenge as one of the bosses spawns every 24 hours!
  I would recommend ToP2 to those who are looking for a game that doesn't take up a lot of space on your computer and does not require a super computer to run properly!


Link :http://top2.igg.com/
Buzz Code for some goodies:22162603
If you need any help I can power level you to your second job advancement.You will have gear from the box you get at the beginning so you will be fine!
If you are interested just leave a comment here or message me my in game name is Leveron on the Epic World-Heaven Isle server!

Shin Megami Tensei:Imagine

  Shin Megami Tense Imagine is an innovative and interesting game.It takes place in apocalyptic Japan and has a nice vibe to it.In the beginning I had some difficulty getting used to the combat system but after playing a bit more I finally got to the point that it was simple.This game has a pet system that allows you to obtain demons and fuse them together to create more powerful ones.As you progress through the game you will have a variety of them to capture,train and fuse.
  Character customization is great and allows for players to wield any weapon or piece of clothes that they wish.As you progress through the game you get attribute points to distribute as you wish and you also can level your expertise.You can't max every expertise though so choose wisely!
  This game offers so much content and the player base is decent enough so that you don't feel like you are the only one left.I suggest this to fans of the series and hope that you have fun!

Dekaron Online

  Dekaron is a fast paced,gore filled,flashy,mmorpg that delivers an unforgettable experience to any gamer. Dekaron has a selection of  seven classes and will release new classes as time passes. Unfortunately all the classes are gender locked so you may need to play as a female for some classes. Dekaron is centered around grinding exp off mobs and farming so if you aren't fans of those two then this isn't for you. As I made my way into town I saw plenty of players with nice flashy armor,weapons,and even wings!But of course you have none when you start.Combat was fairly fast when I began playing and as I unlocked more and more skills things got more intense.With each level you also obtain stat points to distribute as you wish.It would be recommended to look up a build or at least get an idea of what stats are important for your class of choice.

  Dekaron has open PvP so don't think your time here will be easy.High level players WILL hunt you down if you piss them off or if they are already pissed off for whatever reason.So keep your wits about you!There is a penalty for killing players so if you decide to take part in it be prepared!PvP is also gear dependent and also the level of your gear and the amount of sockets they have as well as gems that you embed in them.So if you are one that likes to customize gear in order to suit your play style then you'll be fine here.

  Dekaron does have it's downsides though.The cash shop may seem a bit pay to win to some players but if you have time to farm items you will be fine.A recent addition to the cash shop were +9 gear for certain levels that include a weapon.Though it isn't that much of a big deal it can provide a p2w environment if the later level set and armor are purchased.Dekaron also has instances for players to go through but most of this game will be spent solo playing except in certain in game events.
  Currently there is an ongoing event that grants players a free level 65 character with a +5 set and weapons.You get more gear as you level so I suggest anyone interested in this check it out!A special npc gives you quests to level up faster!Have fun!

Forsaken World-UPDATE

  Forsaken World was one of those games that seem like every other...but it isn't!From just looking at a few videos I was able to tell that Forsaken World was graphically intense as well as game play intense!To those of you gamers that claim to have a "real life"(pfft yeah right) Forsaken World is limited to how many instances,events,and of course daily quests you can do.After you have done all of those quests you have to wait until the server resets the next day so you can do them again.This might seem like a bother but it is actually very smart.Due to the amount of exp these quests and events give it would be insane to not have them limited!You are forced to do quests later on to level up and this requires you to do some instances,so be careful which ones you choose to do!Also Forsaken World has some quests that give a huge amount of experience as well as some nice items!

  Now I am not going to sugar coat this and scream "OMG BEST GAME EVAH!" Forsaken World like any other mmorpg has its flaws.One of them being the boredom from levels 1-40.I had rolled a Protector and wanted to get into crafting epic armor for myself so I could tank more efficiently.It was only later that I found out that crafting became unlocked at level 30.Though the grind to level 30 wasn't slow,it was quite difficult to do due to not having the appropriate gear!Of course to make things easier you can farm shards from elite monsters and get gear that way but at the time I did not know about this!Thankfully some friends were kind enough to help me farm sapphire shards for my gear and I was ready to go from that point on!Population wise Forsaken World is filled with people!Not crowded to the point that questing is impossible but just enough so you don't feel alone.And if you are feeling emo you can switch to a more empty channel at any time!

  As for races and classes Forsaken World has a nice selection of both!Even a Vampire race and class for you Team Edward peeps...no werewolves yet though!You have a total of five races to choose from and each have certain classes special to them only.Dwarves and Stoneman are stuck with one class though and Stoneman can only be male.As for Kindred,Human,and Elf, they have a total of four classes each!Racial abilities are obviously included so for you hardcore players out there be sure to choose your race and class wisely!

  Forsaken World also has a pet system where certain monsters can turn into souls for you to capture!This pet system should interest certain people since they can provide the player with buffs in PvP or against instance monsters!They also get stat points per level up so you will have something to do when you are bored.Some monsters can only be caught by a character that has chosen the Tamer profession so if you want that awesome looking boss as a pet you will want to choose Tamer.The pets can also learn skills and some pets will have different attributes or have better stat growth so don't think it is as simple as catching one.You can also fuse pets together to make one stronger or have certain skills.

  Equipment wise you can infuse your gear with gems provided they have an empty socket!You can obtain said gems from doing instances or completing quests.But this is where I had a problem with Forsaken World.The cash shop takes advantage of this system and sells stones,ingredients used to combine stones and items that are used to remove stones.These items can be bought of course from players or you can trade in in game gold for a certain amount of cash shop currency.The only downside is that you cannot obtain in game currency from doing quests.Quests give you "Soul" currency which is currency that is bound to your character.You can't trade or deposit with it and you cannot exchange it for "real" in game currency.So unless you learn the ropes of playing the auction house you will have trouble with this system.

  The new expansion has added more areas as well as a new race the Lycan.Unfortunately the Lycan do not receive a unique class and are only limited to one class that is gender locked.Males can be assassins and females can be priests.This is a disappointment because honestly a sword wielding Lycan would make for a more interesting choice.Now the Lycan can transform into a werewolf and use skills to keep the transformation up.But aside from that there racial skill is horrible.They get an increase of 100% movement speed for 2 seconds.You know what I can do with that? Absolutely nothing.
  The new "Soul Leaf" system has made things a bit less cash shop oriented.You can get these by mentoring or by doing "Life in Freedom Harbor" quests.There may be more but I have not fully explored this new system.The items you can buy with the soul leaves is limited to a few pets,mounts,and costumes but nonetheless it is helpful and I expect the developers to add more things into it such as refining items and fusion materials.

  The community has not diminished and is very much alive.You can find parties and guilds for whatever you may need be it help,info,or just a casual guild.Currently they have a 2k soul leaves+title+goodies event going on.You can find more info here Event Thread

Final Review:

Gameplay: 9/10

Population: 8/10

Content: 8/10

Cash Shop: 6/10