Rift (2011)

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 587 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 344 out of 587
  2. Mixed: 150 out of 587
  3. Negative: 93 out of 587
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  1. Groggle
    Apr 4, 2011
    10
    I love the game, but I was compelled to write this in response to those who would give a game of this quality a Zero, One or Two... these are not honest reviews, no one being honest can give Rift that kind of treatment unless there are other reasons for the score.
    If you want to be taken seriously don't pull that crap of a zero, any clear thinking gamer can see you for what you are.
    Okay,    I love the game, but I was compelled to write this in response to those who would give a game of this quality a Zero, One or Two... these are not honest reviews, no one being honest can give Rift that kind of treatment unless there are other reasons for the score.
    If you want to be taken seriously don't pull that crap of a zero, any clear thinking gamer can see you for what you are.

    Okay, I feel better... if you like MMO's that offer a cool world to explore with a tone of hidden content, quests, bosses, and Rifts (!), an MMO that you can jump right in and play, then give it a try.    … Expand
  2. Liquidus
    May 30, 2011
    10
    If you are a fan of WoW then Rift will blow you away . Rift is the game that WoW wanted to be. visually stunning, epic story line, game play is flawless in every way. If you are a fan of MMo's I would advice that you do not miss this game.
  3. Mrmoobs
    Sep 23, 2011
    8
    The best MMO ive played since beating my addiction to WoW. The soul system is fantastic, allowing you to personalize your own character to how you want to play it.. granted that certain soul combinations are used more then others and work the best, but that doesnt stop the option being there. :)
  4. nikkoleth
    Aug 25, 2011
    10
    Rift is just a very well designed game. It doesn't try to re-invent the wheel. Trion has seen things that work, and things that don't, and developed a game accordingly. The few bad parts about this game are more than overcompensated by the steady influx of new content.
  5. Zibarath
    Jul 9, 2011
    8
    Rift has a great first impression, deeper character customization than most MMO's except for Aion. Logging into the game you are immediately caught in the middle of either an apocalyptic future for the Defiant or a very bloody past for the Guardians. The class system is very intuitive, from the four beginning archetypes you get, you get 8 different "soul" trees plus a PvP tree. You canRift has a great first impression, deeper character customization than most MMO's except for Aion. Logging into the game you are immediately caught in the middle of either an apocalyptic future for the Defiant or a very bloody past for the Guardians. The class system is very intuitive, from the four beginning archetypes you get, you get 8 different "soul" trees plus a PvP tree. You can have 3 different souls on your current talent tree combination, and 5 different "dual-specs" you can buy from your trainer. Classes are pretty much balanced, with a few minor exceptions (mostly in PvP). Being a Cataclysm veteran, I have to say the questing is not as great, but, every zone builds up to where it culminates at some conclusion, and the game has quite a bit of lore with a much darker story line. One of the major parts of the game, the rift system, introduces a very dynamic world. Every zone has 3 rift elements, and there can be around 20 types of each rift per zone, plus the zone-wide invasions where the planar forces lay siege on the entire zone. For end game the dungeon system allows for randoms on normal, tier 1 and 2 expert dungeons, which are the "heroic mode" for dungeons. The dungeons, even are normal, are a bit hard, but expert brings that to the next level, each tier being harder. There are also raids and raid/expert rifts you can do for higher rewards. The learning curve is a bit steep but prepares you enough for the end-game. In PvP there are 4 battle grounds or war fronts. There's one where you need to hold a fang longer than the other team, one where you have to dominate the map, a capture the flag, and a flow blown battle to kill the commanding officer of the other team. This game is breath of fresh air from WoW. There are easy in-game character transfer methods, tutorials, and the game pretty much prepares you for end game content ahead of time with rifts and normal dungeons. The graphics in this game are far superior to most (if not all) good MMOs out there, if your card can handle it. There is an easy Looking for Dungeon (LFD) tool and instant queues for all battlegrounds. Rift encourages being social, guilds have weekly quests for great rewards, you get amazing guild perks, and there is no experience penalty for being in a group (like in WoW). The crafting system in the game is very easy. There are many gathering and crafting abilities, there is an easy crafting menu to manage your skills, and best of all the items you get while crafting are very useful and, if you keep your level on par with your crafting skill (which isn't too hard) you should be able to even use the armor, spells, potions, etc. that you craft. If you are one of those people who just go for those crazy achievements and to collect everything, you're in luck. In Rift you find artifacts which can be added to a special artifact collection tab. Artifacts can tell stories and clear up some lore for you, and you can trade them in for fun items. If you find a book, you can also pick it up and put it in another bar specifically for books. In some cases, quests may be mundane or repetitive, but there is so much to do while you're leveling that if you don't like this quest, go do something else or just go into a new zone. Rift does have some down points, queues can be very long, the lore may not be up to snuff with what you're used to, but most of these can be easily overlooked and do not prevent you from having a great time. Rift is, as I've said, a real breath of fresh air in the MMO community. It certainly isn't a WoW killer, but if you were looking for a new MMO to play, this is for you. Also, if you don't want to pay the hefty fee that WoW costs to buy WoW, BC, Wotlk, and Cataclysm, this game is certainly worth the money, even if it isn't very old or popular. Rift has been out for 6 months and already 3 major patches with raids, so expect the amount of end game content in the future to be astounding. This is a chance for someone to start at the very beginning of an MMO, a whole new world to explore, there are puzzles, artifacts, and amazing quests. This game will feel very familiar, especially the UI (plus you can customize the UI), but it does give a very great feel to the game. I would very much recommend this to a friend (in fact, I already have friends that I got hooked onto it). Despite it's minor downfalls, Trion has created an amazing new title, and I hope new MMOs take a bit out of Rift in the future.… Expand
  6. AlphaOmega22
    Aug 2, 2011
    10
    I've played about every note worthy mmo to date and rift is right up there with the best. truly fun to play and nice to look at. every aspect is solid and fells polished, almost like its been of for a couple years instead of a couple months. Any one in to mmo's owes it to himself to give this a try.If its this good now i cant imagine one or two years from now! Great job trion!!
  7. Sargonnas
    Aug 10, 2011
    9
    Rift is a game that will surprise you. Some consider it a WoW clone, but it does enough things different to separate itself from other MMO's around it. The developers put out content faster than anything Ive seen in any MMO over the last 15 years. Its hard to really compare Rift and WoW, but the only thing WoW really has going for itself over Rift is multiple expansions. Is the gameRift is a game that will surprise you. Some consider it a WoW clone, but it does enough things different to separate itself from other MMO's around it. The developers put out content faster than anything Ive seen in any MMO over the last 15 years. Its hard to really compare Rift and WoW, but the only thing WoW really has going for itself over Rift is multiple expansions. Is the game perfect? No, not at all, but the developers do a lot to add more to the game so I am content knowing that this gem will only improve with time.… Expand
  8. mashina
    Aug 27, 2011
    8
    RIGHTS : In these hard times with a lot of whiners on forums and "WOW KILLER QUOTES" its really hard to prove your rights. RIFT took old principles from games like World of Warcraft, Aion and others .. and put them into great looking next-gen MMO shell. I can say honestly the RIFT is actually the one and the right choice for people who want to start with MMORPG. I can say this game have aRIGHTS : In these hard times with a lot of whiners on forums and "WOW KILLER QUOTES" its really hard to prove your rights. RIFT took old principles from games like World of Warcraft, Aion and others .. and put them into great looking next-gen MMO shell. I can say honestly the RIFT is actually the one and the right choice for people who want to start with MMORPG. I can say this game have a perfect nvidia surround and Eyefinity support which is not a rule in 8 games out of 10. MINUS : RIFT still need its time to grow up .. content is still little low, few dungeons, few locations making harder and harder your leveling with every new character and if you want really enjoy the game you bet have a good computer because low-details graphics looks worst than WoW.… Expand
  9. CaptainMushroom
    Oct 2, 2011
    9
    Before I went to Rift I had been playing World of Warcraft for about 2,5 years. I was tired off the same game all over again (it wasn't a bad experience though) and I was looking for a fresh new experience. I've been playing Rift for a while now and I must say Trion did an excellent job in creating Rift. The visuals are extremely well, movement is smooth, and there's a ton of things to do.Before I went to Rift I had been playing World of Warcraft for about 2,5 years. I was tired off the same game all over again (it wasn't a bad experience though) and I was looking for a fresh new experience. I've been playing Rift for a while now and I must say Trion did an excellent job in creating Rift. The visuals are extremely well, movement is smooth, and there's a ton of things to do. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that quests are still the standard quests we know from the MMORPG industry. Kill x, Go to x, Click x.… Expand
  10. veseli81
    Oct 11, 2011
    10
    Rift is a great game!!! Probajte ovu igru i sigurno necete zazaliti, wow je napokon dobio dostojnog naslednika, na zalost baza igraca sa prostora balkana je veoma mala i to je po meni jedini minus igri za sad... nadam se da ce se to promeniti:)
  11. Skumbo
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    A great MMO for "hardcore" RPG players who miss the vanilla days of wow, with a dark fantasy twist. The enemies are unique, skill system fantastic and flexible, and the visuals are top notch. PVP can feel sluggish, but is rewarding when you consider pvp rifting, etc etc.

    constant, steady new content is fueling this game, and has really kept it fun and fresh unlike other MMO's slow big updates.
  12. TehBigCarp
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    I heart this game for the dynamic gameplay that no other game can provide at the moment. I love the graphics that are truly amazing with the stunning detail. The game has so many different possibilities, you are left with much to do and it is all very fun! If you do not raid, you can get to 50 and get bored quick, just like other mmo's, but Trion pushes out content faster than any otherI heart this game for the dynamic gameplay that no other game can provide at the moment. I love the graphics that are truly amazing with the stunning detail. The game has so many different possibilities, you are left with much to do and it is all very fun! If you do not raid, you can get to 50 and get bored quick, just like other mmo's, but Trion pushes out content faster than any other company out there leaving you bored for such a brief moment of time. Definitely worth a shot.… Expand
  13. xifoz11
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Rift is definitely a suggestion for an MMO I would give to my friends. I feel that Rift has very nice graphics and smooth gameplay, there is always something to do and it has decent playerbase.
  14. ePxOscuraNiebla
    Apr 7, 2012
    10
    Great graphics, great storyline, great gameplay!
    Absolutely fantastic MMO i ever played, you guys would really love this baby, if you ever played MMO before then i know that this will the best MMO u ever play :)
  15. thokongen
    Feb 8, 2013
    9
    Very good mmorpg compared to the competition, the rift mechanic is great, dungeons are great and everything is smooth. For some reason i have really enjoyed the quests too, they seem better written than your average mmorpg quests. The thing which drags it down, is the pvp, but since i'm not too interested in it, i don't really care.
  16. whaleer
    Jan 22, 2014
    8
    Great game! It's hard to find a game that has many interesting features such as RIFT. RIFT isn't just a game that relies awesome graphics, but also provide a new MMO gaming experience. Unfortunately, the use of 'play & quest' system sometimes makes the player feel bored.
  17. Flyro
    Aug 15, 2014
    8
    Rift is a very good MMORPG, one of my favorites alongside Star Wars: The Old Republic, everything looks nice, it's optimised pretty well and the class balancing is OK, like SWTOR, but some classes are a mile ahead at PVP compared to others, just like that flipping Jedi Shadow in SWTOR, always annoying my gunslinger... Anyway, Another thing about the game is that it's very enjoyable toRift is a very good MMORPG, one of my favorites alongside Star Wars: The Old Republic, everything looks nice, it's optimised pretty well and the class balancing is OK, like SWTOR, but some classes are a mile ahead at PVP compared to others, just like that flipping Jedi Shadow in SWTOR, always annoying my gunslinger... Anyway, Another thing about the game is that it's very enjoyable to play, the only problem is the difficulty of the game, sometimes it seems like I can just spam my main attack and get through the rift unscathed, as there's normally about 500 other players by the rifts, all spamming their main attacks. It would be a lot better if there was an advanced difficulty, where you gain XP faster but have less health and attack power.… Expand
  18. Lonewulf
    Sep 10, 2014
    10
    Well I really like this one, I know some may say this is a clone of WoW and War-hammer but I've never played a game so polished and bug free in like years. First is just awesome how I can change from a role to another with just a click. pvp pretty balanced and the group system for the world events is perfect, there's no need to beg for a group in world chat just get to the area and use theWell I really like this one, I know some may say this is a clone of WoW and War-hammer but I've never played a game so polished and bug free in like years. First is just awesome how I can change from a role to another with just a click. pvp pretty balanced and the group system for the world events is perfect, there's no need to beg for a group in world chat just get to the area and use the public group option its so easy. Yeah I know it can get a bit grindy later on but there's always warfronts and instance adventures that provide a good amount of exp, currencies and materials for crafting. All I can say Rift is a finished work… Expand
  19. TropicalCoconut
    Dec 31, 2014
    8
    Rift. Just... Wow. Exactly! "W.O.W" much like the game "World of war craft" (WOW) they have been able to produce an amazing mmo rpg, only rift didn't ruin it with childish games. Although it's free to play, don't let this from stopping you from trying this classic game out. In this mmo rpg there are 2 teams: the guardians and the deviants. Each with their special abilities and forgivableRift. Just... Wow. Exactly! "W.O.W" much like the game "World of war craft" (WOW) they have been able to produce an amazing mmo rpg, only rift didn't ruin it with childish games. Although it's free to play, don't let this from stopping you from trying this classic game out. In this mmo rpg there are 2 teams: the guardians and the deviants. Each with their special abilities and forgivable graphics for races. With outstanding class choices, it's virtually impossible to copy another class build! Often miss placed with wow rip offs, it's still has the special rift features that not another game has yet to provide. Although this game is in my top 10, it still hasn't met my credentials for 10 stars. Thus i gave it 8.… Expand
  20. JohnKal
    Mar 18, 2015
    8
    I believe Rift is the game for users who are looking for playing freely mmorpg games. Rift is one of the kind free to play games that it is no need to pay to play as good as a premium player! Exept from the cool graphics and gameplay that its has. Rift should make its pvp system more attractive.
  21. MelThorn
    Jan 27, 2016
    9
    By now, Rift is no longer new. It is also now free-to-play. My experiences are based on its current form, as I didn't play it in the past.

    For almost ten years now, I've sifted through multiple MMORPGs, from Final Fantasy XI, to Everquest, to WoW, to Shaia, to Lord of the Rings Online, to Wildstar, to Aion and Tera (neither of which I enjoyed much). I've tried almost every MMO under the    By now, Rift is no longer new. It is also now free-to-play. My experiences are based on its current form, as I didn't play it in the past.

    For almost ten years now, I've sifted through multiple MMORPGs, from Final Fantasy XI, to Everquest, to WoW, to Shaia, to Lord of the Rings Online, to Wildstar, to Aion and Tera (neither of which I enjoyed much). I've tried almost every MMO under the sun that I can possibly think of, and if I haven't tried it, it's because of a rumor that the game was "pay to win" and I didn't wish to be sucked into that.
    Of all MMOs, WoW took the cake for me. Until... it didn't anymore. As time went by, WoW has sunk into a cesspool of awful design choices, awful communities, and awful repetition. The problem was that I like being part of a big world with lots of people, so I wanted to find a new MMO to play.
    After finding out that Lord of the Rings was not my cup of tea after they wanted to charge me for leveling zones past level 30, I quit that. Then I took a look at Rift, saw it was free-to-play (like most non-WoW MMOs these days), downloaded it and played it. My heart was captured almost instantly.

    Rift is most DEFINITELY a WoW clone... but in the most amazing way. It takes all of the dumb BS that WoW does wrong and turns it into a glistening diamond of improvement. The UI, the auction house, the talent trees (which are actual trees instead of those weird and pointless talent... cubes that Blizzard thought was cool all of a sudden), the crafting, the quests, and exchange of "dungeons" for one continuous "instant adventure" which starts as soon as you queue and ends whenever the hell you want it to (and gives a TON of experience and gold), it seems that Rift was already WoW 2.0 to me. As I looked at the AH and saw that it showed the popularity of an item I'm about to sell, I screamed, "WHY ISN'T WOW DOING THIS?!" (without addons, people)

    Am I bitter about WoW's terrible decline into swirling muck? No. I walked away from it without a care in the world. While I don't intend to come back to it, I did want to quench my MMO thirst. Rift accomplished that in ways other MMOs weren't doing it for me.

    However, the game isn't without its flaws, though to me, they aren't severe enough to make the game unplayable. Since the game is free-to-play, you must make a real life purchase in the in-game store with credits in order to sell things on the AH (you can still buy things). Okay, that put me off a tiny bit, but I love collecting things, so I knew it was only a matter of time before I purchased something from the store. I eventually did, and not only got AH access, but Loyalty points, which included giving me some free stuff for my contribution to the game. That was pretty cool. You don't have to spend a lot of money on credits to get AH access. You could just spend a few bucks on some Minion cards.

    The game gives you a chest every ten levels with some awesome gear and possibly a few other things (I've gotten two free mounts so far of increasing speeds). Regardless of what server you're on, crafting and materials can still be profitable. The community, while not always mature (or tolerable), is also not as toxic as WoW's. Guilds still exist and they still recruit. They try to recruit me constantly. Whether or not they do anything special is left to interpretation, and I'll only know after joining a substantial one.

    The grind to max level isn't terrible with Instant Adventure, which is basically one continuous dungeon queue, but rather than get placed in dungeons, it throws you into an open questing zone. Your group of 20-something people are tasked with killing a number of enemies or gathering things, then murdering a boss. These instances give awesome experience, and I got to level 50 this way, as the questing zones were proving to be painfully slow.

    By now, I believe the max level is 65. There are raids in existence. I haven't tried them yet, but people still do them. I don't know how many more expansions will be released, but I hope there's more.

    There is a Patron subscription, but it's totally optional. The game isn't pay-to-win at all. There's wardrobe customization as well. Instant travel between discovered ports. Varieties of mounts of many speeds. I really can't think of a better game to replace WoW, or any other MMO, really. While some things could use some work, overall, the game is worthy of my time, and if I feel like spending it, my money.    … Expand
  22. switchkong
    May 31, 2018
    9
    I must say I am very impressed! Playing it right now. As a longtime fan of Blizzard's WoW, Trion's Rift has been a great secondary game to get into. The art is different and unique and makes you want to explore to no end all of the content! Unlike WoW and other MMOs, I love pressing the "." (period) key and diving right into scaled raids and other content for XP and other rewards! TheI must say I am very impressed! Playing it right now. As a longtime fan of Blizzard's WoW, Trion's Rift has been a great secondary game to get into. The art is different and unique and makes you want to explore to no end all of the content! Unlike WoW and other MMOs, I love pressing the "." (period) key and diving right into scaled raids and other content for XP and other rewards! The questing is fun and the NPCs and enemies are neat. The free-to-play option is unnecessary but makes you able to afford mounts and other cool items in the game! Trion is not forcing you to pay for anything. I see buying shop items from them as more of a donation feature, which is good! This has been a great, non-confusing and frustration-free MMO. A great experience for me, and I look forward to playing it for many years to come!… Expand
  23. Klokord
    Mar 31, 2021
    10
    O Jogo é cheio de conteúdo, ótimo demais, rende MUITAS horas de diversão, tem farming, housing, dungeons, e a premissa de quebra de fenda para mobs, muito show mesmo, o jogo é ótimo, melhor do que uns mais famosos por ai.
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PC Game of 2011
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
50
#50 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. AusGamers
    Nov 29, 2011
    90
    There have been obvious comparisons made to WoW, with some even going as far as calling it a clone. But what makes Rift so special is that it goes out of its way to avoid falling into the same traps as the many that have fallen before it. It avoids the painful, mindnumbing grind, makes incremental patches everyday and listens intently to its rapidly growing community.
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  2. Computer Games Online RO
    Jul 20, 2011
    89
    It's true that the soul trees offer outstanding flexibility for character development and the rifts bring a welcome sense of insecurity into Telara's everyday life, but for some players this simply might not be enough.
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  3. Gamers.at
    Jun 28, 2011
    88
    Rift offers a really polished MMO experience but looks and feels much like a mix of many good MMOs like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online and Warhammer Online.
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