NeoSteam : Upcoming

+ Publisher
+ Official Site

Technically speaking I haven’t yet heard that this game will be free to play, but I’m betting that chances are good. NeoSteam is set in a steampunk setting, with 4 races to choose from and 4 classes with 2 subclasses each. Other game systems include a pet/mount system and a realm versus realm system in which kingdoms fight for ownership of a “Neo Steam Generator” which offers various game play enhancements to characters of the winning realm.

Seal Online : Review

+ Publisher
+ Official Site
+ Official Blog
+ Official Fan Site

YNK Interactive released Seal Online last November to an English audience. The game features 6 classes; knight for defense and area-of-effect skills, warrior for direct physical combat, mage for offensive magic, priest for healing skills, jester for agility and ranged physical attacks, and craftsman for item creation. The game also features a pet system which allows players to raise various pets through an evolution tree by feeding them different items. Players can gain fame through various quests, which will allow them to equip different items as well as make other cosmetic changes to game play. Seal Online also features a combo system, during combat a player inputs various keystrokes in order to increase the damage they deal. The combo system is a large part of game play and character selection as certain classes posses different combos. Seal Online also features a wedding/relationship system which offers rewards for the time two characters spend with each other, but also punishes a character if they decide to break up. Overall I felt that this game did not quite live up to the hype. The graphics are a little jaggy for my tastes and some drops are nearly impossible to obtain while others are ridiculously easy (however this has been corrected somewhat). While there is a large amount things to keep a player busy it still feels a little directionless to me. Game play is still enjoyable however, and I do recommend trying it.

Rohan Online : Upcoming

+ Publisher
+ Official Site

YNK Interactive is currently offering Rohan Online in a series of closed betas. The game offers 6 classes, a pet/mount system, and a large emphasis on player versus player interaction. The publishers tout the game as a “SNRPG” or social network role playing game because of the importance of PvP relationships in the game.

Ghost Online : Upcoming

+ Publisher – Malaysia (English)
+ Official Site – Malaysia (English)
+ Publisher – Global

Netgame has acquired the rights to publish Ghost Online globally. Though an English Malaysian version already exists, but I’m unsure if they filter IPs or not. The game is an action sidescroller in the same vein as MapleStory. Ghost Online offers 3 classes to choose from and a “soul system” which allows characters to absorb the souls of monsters they have defeated in order to augment game play.

AceOnline/AirRivals : Preview

+ AceOnline Publisher – Global
+ AceOnline Official Site – Global
+ AirRivals Publisher – United Kingdom
+ AirRivals Official Site – United Kingdom

A few things to note. This game is most well known as SpaceCowboy published by Gala-Net, however after a legal battle it seems they lost the rights to the game last December. In the past it has also been known as Flysis. It is still unclear if the European server, AirRivals, is going to eventually implement IP filtering or not. The global server, AceOnline, comes from a Korean publisher. Because of their legal battle Gala-Net was unable to offer as many updates to SpaceCowboy as they wanted. Rumors have been circulating the the current incarnation(s) of the game will be somewhat different than older versions because of this. Therefore this is a preview, instead of a review. I am very familiar with SpaceCowboy, but not so much AceOnline or AirRivals.

In a nutshell this game is a space/science-fiction shooter. You pilot a ship around a stage fulfilling missions or attacking players of the other faction. The game offers 4 different ships with different skills and abilities to choose from at character creation, which you can customize with various parts as the game progresses. After a certain level you are required to choose between 2 different factions which are constantly pitted against each other in game play. Both factions have their own base/city at different points on the world map so that low level players are unlikely to find themselves in over their head. The faction system contributes a large amount to game play as members of different factions are given bonuses depending on a faction’s performance in different events. I find this game enjoyable. Occasionally leveling up can be tedious and certain missions seem completely arbitrary and mind-numbing. However, overall I feel this game offers a worthwhile experience.

Hello Kitty Online : Upcoming

+ Publisher
+ Official Site

You can blame my sister for this one, she love love loves Hello Kitty. This game has been promised to the English community for years and years and years and now it’s just moved into closed beta recently. My understanding is that it’s pretty much exactly what you would expect, fluffy and sugary. The game includes such features as houses for characters, a pet system, and a series of optional tasks like farming or mining.

Florensia : Upcoming

+ Publisher
+ Official Site

Burda Interactive Communities seems to be moving Floresia in to a larger closed beta. A smaller closed beta had already been initiated earlier this month, but various game site have started offering additional closed beta keys which seem to target a mid April date. At first I was worried that Burda:IC was only going to allow European players and IP filter the rest of us, but it seems they have bought the publishing rights to a large portion of the world. Including North and South America. The game offers a handful of classes, a pet system, and a ship system.

In the future…

Will someone please comment when I link to the wrong page or for some reason WordPress strips the links from a post or I spell a game’s name wrong?

Ikariam review post updated with correct spelling and correct website link. Turns out it’s not spelled “Ikarium”.
Wonderland Online preview post updated with links.

Nostale : Review

+ Official Site – Global (1)
+ Official Site – Global (2)
+ Publisher – United Kingdom
+ Official Site – United Kingdom

First, a quick note on the three different English versions of Nostale. The “.com” site (1) claims that it is the official global version and seems to be published by a company out of India. The “.net” site (2) claims it is the official global version and has just entered closed beta, I can’t find any useful information about a publisher. I am most familiar with the United Kingdom server. It is the oldest running server currently (don’t let the awful homepage fool you), and this review applies to that particular server. (Also, I believe the origin of Nostale originates with GameNGame.)

Nostale is a very fun game, I enjoy it very much. The game has a very unique quest system which is composed of your typical story quests, time stones, and raids/party quests. Time stones are scattered through out the game, some hidden, and are composed of a series of monster riddled stages. The class system is also somewhat unique. You begin with three standard classes: swordsman, archer, and sorcerer; from there a player may utilize “specialist” cards which transform a character into an advanced class for a limited time. Some specialist cards are unique to a class and some are not. For example, anyone can use the pajama card, but only swordsman can use the warrior card. The game has a decent pet system, allowing you to catch certain monsters to raise as pets and help you in combat, as well as a “nosmate” system which allows you to acquire various characters that assist you in combat as well. The game also offers players a “miniland” which you can decorate with different items and store your pets and nosmates when they are not in use. Overall I find the game a satisfying investment of my time, occasionally leveling up can be tedious and your pets can be somewhat weak without focused leveling but the game offers enough activities to stem any major boredom.

Wonderland Online : Upcoming

+ Publisher
+ Official Site

IGG recently moved Wonderland Online into it’s alpha test. Whether or not a beta will be near is hard to say, though IGG seems fairly punctual when it comes to their game releases. Wonderland Online itself is a fairly standard sprite-based isomorphic rpg with a plethora of game systems. You can receive a house to decorate, you can catch different pets, you can manufacture items, etc. Even though the commercial mmog market has moved away from sprite-based graphics I still find myself enjoying the genre, especially for casual game play. (Though most seem blatantly geared to making you buy things from their cash shops, like Trickster or Angels Online.) (Also, enough with the school girls already. Gag.)