[Review] - Runescape
There's no such thing as a free lunch, they'll tell you. Everyone has to pay the piper sometime, they'll drone. But Jagex has fixed the bills and laid on a feast - Runescape is the finest piece of free gaming around!
We like games. It's a fact. People play games, either intentionally or not (see previous articles), and they do enjoy them. The essence of gaming for many people, however, is not the games but the culture it generates. Ironically, what was once the most anti-social hobby this side of the law has now become a source of social inspiration for many generations. In short - people play games because of other people. To meet, to play, to chat - games let them do all of this and more.
If socialising is why gamers play, then for many Runescape will be the only game they ever need.
The pitch is this - for free, you can join a huge MMORPG and walk, talk and progress in a huge, organic world. It's a grand aspiration, effectively removing the only barrier to the success of online gaming - namely the pricetag. After a short signing-up procedure and a painless tutorial (whose only annoyance is the number of other players), you're placed in Lumbridge and allowed to do whatever you choose.
And so stands both the greatest and the worst aspect of Runescape - freedom. There is no purpose whatsoever to your existence, save the occasional quest which seems to have no impact on... anything, really. So, although some may find solace in training as a woodcutter or learning the arts of magic, it will soon dawn on you that there isn't a way to complete the game, there is no story and there is no clear enemy. It's up to you to make a difference.
But don't get me wrong - that isn't a bad thing necessarily. The question is whether you want compulsive gaming or comfort food gaming. This isn't Diablo, and nor is it Final Fantasy XI. There isn't much of a guild. The graphics are a bit rough. But none of this should matter to you - because much like the real world it is what you make it. Take a boat ride and pick some bananas. You'll get given 30 gold pieces - completely worthless, but you feel like you've done something.
Or learn to cook and create an impromptu meals-on-wheels service for the new players. Anything you want to do, see if you can do it.
But when you've done it, you see... the only thing left to do is do it again. And again. And though the gameplay is oddly compelling, it is also irritatingly repetitive. Runescape suffers from the problem of Diablo, but unlike Diablo the repetitiveness seems less forgiveable.
At the end of the day, though, Runescape remains a free game, and a huge one at that. It's certainly one of the largest free gaming experiences on offer, and though it won't be to everyone's taste (certainly not if you're playing EVE online or anything similar), for many it will prove to be an amazing experience.
50,000 gamers can't be wrong...
www.runescape.com
We like games. It's a fact. People play games, either intentionally or not (see previous articles), and they do enjoy them. The essence of gaming for many people, however, is not the games but the culture it generates. Ironically, what was once the most anti-social hobby this side of the law has now become a source of social inspiration for many generations. In short - people play games because of other people. To meet, to play, to chat - games let them do all of this and more.
If socialising is why gamers play, then for many Runescape will be the only game they ever need.
The pitch is this - for free, you can join a huge MMORPG and walk, talk and progress in a huge, organic world. It's a grand aspiration, effectively removing the only barrier to the success of online gaming - namely the pricetag. After a short signing-up procedure and a painless tutorial (whose only annoyance is the number of other players), you're placed in Lumbridge and allowed to do whatever you choose.
And so stands both the greatest and the worst aspect of Runescape - freedom. There is no purpose whatsoever to your existence, save the occasional quest which seems to have no impact on... anything, really. So, although some may find solace in training as a woodcutter or learning the arts of magic, it will soon dawn on you that there isn't a way to complete the game, there is no story and there is no clear enemy. It's up to you to make a difference.
But don't get me wrong - that isn't a bad thing necessarily. The question is whether you want compulsive gaming or comfort food gaming. This isn't Diablo, and nor is it Final Fantasy XI. There isn't much of a guild. The graphics are a bit rough. But none of this should matter to you - because much like the real world it is what you make it. Take a boat ride and pick some bananas. You'll get given 30 gold pieces - completely worthless, but you feel like you've done something.
Or learn to cook and create an impromptu meals-on-wheels service for the new players. Anything you want to do, see if you can do it.
But when you've done it, you see... the only thing left to do is do it again. And again. And though the gameplay is oddly compelling, it is also irritatingly repetitive. Runescape suffers from the problem of Diablo, but unlike Diablo the repetitiveness seems less forgiveable.
At the end of the day, though, Runescape remains a free game, and a huge one at that. It's certainly one of the largest free gaming experiences on offer, and though it won't be to everyone's taste (certainly not if you're playing EVE online or anything similar), for many it will prove to be an amazing experience.
50,000 gamers can't be wrong...
www.runescape.com
posted by FinalSin at 1:57 pm
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