Free Realms Review [PS3]

An MMO is nothing really new, even on consoles. However, an MMO that can be enjoyed without paying a single dime is hard to come by. For some, Free Realms just may be that MMO.

Gameplay: Free Realms is an MMO… well, everything really. Players start off by making their character, either a human or fairy, and are plopped into this massive world, pretty much told “Alright, you’re here, have fun.” There’s no grandiose plot, no world to save, no princess to rescue, just fun to be had, and places to explore. Players can switch between classes on the fly, ranging from Ninjas, Chef’s, Medic’s, Fishermen, Miner’s, Blacksmiths, you name it! Each class has a quest line as well as mini games associated with them to help level up, and some quests can be completed with multiple players working together.

Sadly however, some classes and quests are restricted if you’re a Free user. Most tower defense games, all of the pirate quests, PVP, and many other options are for paying players only. What’s most annoying is them constantly reminding you of this; they’ll still show the quests you can’t do, just to rub it in your face that you need to pay if you want some goodies. This also includes character customization, which is rather annoying. Unless you put down some cash, don’t expect to stand out in the crowd. And trophies? They have them in spades in Free Realms, but only for the paying customer.

Audio: There sadly isn’t much to say here, other than you wont exactly be running out to buy this games sound track. I know that seems lazy to say, but honestly it’s just so bland that I cannot formulate a more dedicated thought to it.

Visual: Thankfully, the visual aspect of Free Realms has far much more to discuss than the audible aspect. Free Realms has a very vibrant look and feel, with a vast amount landscapes ranging from wide open fields, snow capped mountains, bee hives, swampland, raceways, and so much more. The graphics themselves may seem a bit dated compared to more recent MMO releases, but the actual design of the game takes full advantage of what it has to offer, and really, after playing for a couple hours, you’ll have explored so many different areas that the dated graphics wont really mean a thing.

Value: And here’s where we get to the tricky part, the worth of the game. If you just want something that you can pick up and play, and keep yourself amused for a bit, this is without a question worth the download. But if your a completionist kind of gamer, like myself, you’ll get annoyed rather quickly with how little you can really obtain with a free account. However, I give Sony a pat on the pack here as well, as their payment model is an interesting spin on the usual. Should you decide that you want to pay for the additional content, you have two options: pay a monthly fee (starting at $5 for one month, and increasing in savings for each additional month you choose to subscribe for) or pay a one time fee for lifetime access, which only costs $40; this is even less than most retail games these days. I seriously tip my hat to Sony for this approach, as it gives gamers the option to either make a single payment, as if they are actually BUYING the game, and have access to everything, or to pay the monthly fee, which I see as the “support the developers” option. Everyone comes out a winner here.

Final thoughts/Score: Honestly, there’s no reason to NOT check this game out; it’s fun, easy to pick up gameplay makes it accessible to all gamers of all ages and skill types, while still delivering the addictive essence of more traditional MMO’s. Although you’ll be a bit on the limited side with a Free account, should you chose to pick up a subscription for the additional content, Free Realms easily is one of the cheapest MMO’s out there, so you wont be breaking the bank to do so. However, game play can get a bit repetitive, as many of the mini games for the classes are just variations of each other, and if you’re one of those gamers that needs intense action, you really wont find it here. Still, check this game out, you have nothing to loose!

I give Free Realms on the Playstation 3 a solid A.

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