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. jazzif
    Jun 29, 2011
    3
    Rift has a decent lore, graphics and a unique soul system that allows customization beyond other mmo games. Unfortunately that is about all it has above the rest because the rest is just good old fashion grinding and same old boring dungeon runs. Yes you will have to grind reputation, many different currencies and the rift feature is also just another form of grinding and are just reallyRift has a decent lore, graphics and a unique soul system that allows customization beyond other mmo games. Unfortunately that is about all it has above the rest because the rest is just good old fashion grinding and same old boring dungeon runs. Yes you will have to grind reputation, many different currencies and the rift feature is also just another form of grinding and are just really quick public quests that aren't anything special. You should be pulled into a rift, that would be much cooler :P Even warhammer had public areas similar to the rifts so its nothing that hasn't been done.

    If you are a pvp junkie (like myself) then Rift will let you down completely. The potential for great pvp play is in Rift but with the amount of stunning, silences and confusion along with spammable "polymorphing" and severely overclocked souls pvp play becomes frustrating and boring very quickly. PVP also has no affect on the game world as its just arena scrapping in small, chaotic and simple warfront maps. Once again, even Warhammer has this beat as well.

    Even though the game is all around plain and identical to the rest, the player base is very friendly and can be a lot of fun to play along with, so if your just a casual gamer this game is for you, but if your more hardcore and don't leave your basement often, I wouldn't recommend investing your time in it. Even at 50, raiding is just the same old stuff, nothing new at all. You will just once again have characters on a game that will eventually be behind within a year or two.

    We need something original! Rift gets a 3 for its effort at graphics, soul system and decent enough lore.    … Expand
  2. Flash_Over
    Jun 23, 2011
    5
    I will start with the Pros. The games graphics are very impressive. The dungeon system is smooth. Basically everything you would expect from a paid MMORPG is here. Also RIFT brings more things to the table, like multi-class system tree which allows for good variety of game play. Character customization is also more in-depth then most other MMORPGs. The rift events also add a good twist.I will start with the Pros. The games graphics are very impressive. The dungeon system is smooth. Basically everything you would expect from a paid MMORPG is here. Also RIFT brings more things to the table, like multi-class system tree which allows for good variety of game play. Character customization is also more in-depth then most other MMORPGs. The rift events also add a good twist. Cons: The graphics and cities could be a major lag issue for people with less powerful computers. Even by lowing the graphics the mire presence of many players in fairly small cities could cause a major lag issue. The dungeon system is smooth, but they do not make key factors in boss fights easily recognizable (Which could be a con and pro). Rift events especially major ones cause such huge lag problems and can be chaotic with 50+ players attacking the same target, thus moving or even fighting nearly impossible. The armor and some weapons from level 1-40 are pretty much the same looking, 0 variety. The game also lacks a in-game re-customization of your character like WoWs and Lord of the Rings Online's Barbershop. It also lacks a dungeon finder leaving instances easily skipped to avoid the headache of spamming for LFG. Most of all the combat experience is smooth, but leaves you empty hearted and yearning for the "I just kicked some butt" feeling. That eventually leaves you bored and uninterested in grinding. Over all, this games a dud, but by far the best MMO to be released since 2004. If you like casual RPGs with low intensity leveling and combat. Rift is the game for you!… Expand
  3. ojinneal
    Jun 16, 2011
    4
    I feel there's something missing. Rifts and invasions were fun for a little while and I liked tinkering with the soul tree, but after that it was just another mediocre MMO.
  4. Cruz
    Jun 9, 2011
    3
    Despite the seemingly innovative rift system for dynamic content, I found that Rift was one of the least imaginative, most formulaic MMO I have experienced in some time. It looks gorgeous on a high-end PC, but the game has little substance. The setting isn't very immersive or memorable, and there is almost no attempt to provide any mission content beyond the bog standard "hunt X of Y"Despite the seemingly innovative rift system for dynamic content, I found that Rift was one of the least imaginative, most formulaic MMO I have experienced in some time. It looks gorgeous on a high-end PC, but the game has little substance. The setting isn't very immersive or memorable, and there is almost no attempt to provide any mission content beyond the bog standard "hunt X of Y" stuff. The game is linear to the extreme; there's not much opportunity to cut your own path through the world. The dynamic rift events turn out to be context-free grinding...chaotic and not all that fun. The character customization is one of the more impressive features, but it is not as robust as it first appears since here are only certain soul combinations that are practical...a small minority of the technically possible combinations.… Expand
  5. dondon
    Jun 9, 2011
    6
    Been there done that. Nothing new to make the game call itself it's own. Something new to look at and better graphics. If this was my first paying MMO ever I would keep going with it but it's not. If your looking for ranked PVP you won't find it here. Devs themselves stated they will not implement ranked arenas but there is battlegrounds for those light pvpers. Combat a lot like WoW,Been there done that. Nothing new to make the game call itself it's own. Something new to look at and better graphics. If this was my first paying MMO ever I would keep going with it but it's not. If your looking for ranked PVP you won't find it here. Devs themselves stated they will not implement ranked arenas but there is battlegrounds for those light pvpers. Combat a lot like WoW, nothing new except learning mechanics for the bosses.… Expand
  6. Grygus
    Jun 1, 2011
    8
    I'm a long-time MMO whore, and have tried perhaps two dozen, including all of the major ones. Rift is essentially a "best of" collection of MMO ideas that came before it, with a few small innovations of its own. If you have played World of Warcraft then you will be instantly at home with the interface and msot of the character advancement concepts, but the talent trees and characterI'm a long-time MMO whore, and have tried perhaps two dozen, including all of the major ones. Rift is essentially a "best of" collection of MMO ideas that came before it, with a few small innovations of its own. If you have played World of Warcraft then you will be instantly at home with the interface and msot of the character advancement concepts, but the talent trees and character customization are far beyond WoW's meager offerings. Despite being a better game overall, this isn't a WoW-killer - it's too similar for that - but it's the first legitimate competition that game has seen. If you like fantasy-based MMOs, you should at least check out the 7 day free trial; this is currently the best MMO on the market.… Expand
  7. 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.
  8. disorient
    May 29, 2011
    7
    Rift decided WoW is a genre and added to it this game has been methodically conceived and implemented. The development must have been tightly perfected because it preforms really, really well and with no compromise. Few places are completely safe for a character so the entire experience is much more lively. World combat features that were limited to special events (eg, zombie invasion) orRift decided WoW is a genre and added to it this game has been methodically conceived and implemented. The development must have been tightly perfected because it preforms really, really well and with no compromise. Few places are completely safe for a character so the entire experience is much more lively. World combat features that were limited to special events (eg, zombie invasion) or zones (eg, halaa) in WoW are accessible in different modes of play all over the map. The originality of this game is in the technology instead of the immersion, and on the latter Trion is making no pretense.
    This is the best example of a mainstream MMO right now and would deserve a 10, but I can't give it a higher rating because may God help you if your account is plundered.    … Expand
  9. NorCalRoach
    May 26, 2011
    10
    I enjoy this game for its fantastic character creation, skill specializations options, model artwork, and rift invasion concepts. I especially enjoyed the rift invasions because players generally band together for common battles outside of a dungeon or pvp. It's fun defending a settlement or city against a massive invasion with other players that would otherwise be roaming around doingI enjoy this game for its fantastic character creation, skill specializations options, model artwork, and rift invasion concepts. I especially enjoyed the rift invasions because players generally band together for common battles outside of a dungeon or pvp. It's fun defending a settlement or city against a massive invasion with other players that would otherwise be roaming around doing their own thing. Rift includes this as well as all the other basic content you've known and come to love in other MMO's: good lore, pvp, guilds, etc.). I highly recommend giving it a shot.… Expand
  10. ImmortalGamer
    May 24, 2011
    9
    The Good:  A beautiful MMO that offers a vast set of customization options for the character creation as well as character advancement. Easy to pick up and learn for first-time MMO-ers. Allows the option of changing your character's party role (DPS, Healing, Tank, Support, CC) throughout the game and almost dynamically. A truly immersing story line driven by questsThe Good:  A beautiful MMO that offers a vast set of customization options for the character creation as well as character advancement. Easy to pick up and learn for first-time MMO-ers. Allows the option of changing your character's party role (DPS, Healing, Tank, Support, CC) throughout the game and almost dynamically. A truly immersing story line driven by quests that make sense.

    The Bad:  Public grouping system as it stands is a bit annoying. Gear could be a little more epic-looking. Not enough starting locations.

    Final Verdict:  I have about 30 hours in on this game and I am still itching to play it every day. The graphics are great, the storyline is fun and enjoyable and the wide array of character options make it loads of fun to think about when I'm not playing. If you are an MMO fan or want to be, buy this game.    … Expand
  11. Thane
    May 22, 2011
    7
    Polished and with a broken public quest features inspired from WAR, Rift doesn't bring enough worth playing for veterans, but for new people in the mmorpg genre, can be a fun experience.
  12. Darken
    May 21, 2011
    8
    I have actually started to play Rift beyond low levels and while I miss the stamina/sprint system of AoC, and especially the directionall combos and realistic movement. I have to admit being blown away be the graphic in Rift. The scenery is stunning and while the characters have pets and there are trolls etc. the actual look of the characters themselves is realistic in my view. I get aI have actually started to play Rift beyond low levels and while I miss the stamina/sprint system of AoC, and especially the directionall combos and realistic movement. I have to admit being blown away be the graphic in Rift. The scenery is stunning and while the characters have pets and there are trolls etc. the actual look of the characters themselves is realistic in my view. I get a good frame rate to with loads of players around, the coding is very good. I started playing on EU but switched to US servers because there are a tonne more players there until servers merge. Expected more players then they got however there are a few points about the game that I do not like. It favours range classes. I hate that in games, that some coward can be a mile away and kill me while I am engaging someone in melee and do "more" dps than me. I hate it but I have tried it and it is fun and easy do I see why the majority do go that way. Its the same in all MMO's. You always have tonnes of Rangers, Mages etc. The melee rogue I am playing is fun though and I do manage to get kills in mini games so far at low levels but I can see problems with having tonnes of people playing mage and marksman classes because its easy and OP ... Rifts can be small OR totally take out a complete zone. I have covered most things. I am rewriting this review and this is my new opinion of RIFT after playing longer.… Expand
  13. Rakajj
    May 19, 2011
    10
    As an MMO veteran with literally tens of thousands of hours played, I can confidently say Rift is an astonishing release that truly impresses me. Both Trion's willingness to listen to the community while still maintaining their vision for the game is something we haven't seen from a major MMO in quite sometime. Rift takes the concepts created in Everquest, Camelot, and Warhammer andAs an MMO veteran with literally tens of thousands of hours played, I can confidently say Rift is an astonishing release that truly impresses me. Both Trion's willingness to listen to the community while still maintaining their vision for the game is something we haven't seen from a major MMO in quite sometime. Rift takes the concepts created in Everquest, Camelot, and Warhammer and fleshes them out, adds their own sauce to the mix and an incredible game is the result. The game has its faults, but none of them aren't things that will be fixed over time and relative to any other MMO release ever done, this is an incredibly polished and finished game with a dev team that really has their stuff together.… Expand
  14. Dethstar
    May 17, 2011
    5
    I have been playing since early beta and finally gave up today. The launch was pretty smooth and the game felt alot more finished than many MMOs at release. All great stuff. Unfortunately, its so like World of Warcraft I just got serious dejavu all the time. Now that might sound like a good idea but consider that Wow is something like 10 years old now. It just feels out of date. TheI have been playing since early beta and finally gave up today. The launch was pretty smooth and the game felt alot more finished than many MMOs at release. All great stuff. Unfortunately, its so like World of Warcraft I just got serious dejavu all the time. Now that might sound like a good idea but consider that Wow is something like 10 years old now. It just feels out of date. The PvP in particularly is a disaster. World pvp has no integration or objective so in reality your just harassing people which soon gets boring. There is a lack of end game content and for the first weeks until recently to hide this Trion just made the game harder and harder. People started to leave in frustration, both at the lack of content and the lack of difficulty. So a week or 2 ago in some sort of kneejerk reaction they dumbed the game down to the point where pretty much anyone can do anything. Reducing everything to a mindless grind and putting a massive skill gap between the end game raids and the general instances dungeons. (Same ones you probably already done a 100x or more). If you like PvP then this is probably the worst MMO choice you could make. If you like WoW, your probably already playing it. Also, forgot to mention, it runs like a lame dog on high end machines. particularly multi gpu. All this has resulted in a game loosing subscribers hand over fist (at least on the pvp servers I play on) I actually cancelled my subscription today. I had more than 50 people on my friends list 4 weeks after launch. Now, only 1 or 2 are still playing. Its cartoony and its simple, its very safe for kids being highly corny with some of the most corny cartoonish voice acting you will see this side of loony tunes. I would feel comfortable with my teenage kids playing it. is probably the only real positive I can offer on this after experiencing as much as I can get out of it.… Expand
  15. Arikon
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Could not stop playing this game for about 100 hours, now I have a hard time continuing. I loved the environments and the rifts were a great idea. This game is of course very hard to play by yourself, and can get boring when just killing a bunch of the same enemies. The overall scale of some of the monsters is great! Try not to get excited when you see the titanic baddies running atCould not stop playing this game for about 100 hours, now I have a hard time continuing. I loved the environments and the rifts were a great idea. This game is of course very hard to play by yourself, and can get boring when just killing a bunch of the same enemies. The overall scale of some of the monsters is great! Try not to get excited when you see the titanic baddies running at you. Overall a lot of fun but i could see a lot of people dropping their subscription after 100ish hours.… Expand
  16. Arshan
    May 17, 2011
    7
    Tried rift's free trial, because of all the fuss that's being made about it i decided to review it and since it aims to compete with World of Warcraft specifically i'll spend most of the time comparing Rift and WoW (world of warcraft):

    Simply put: It is World of Warcraft, but with better graphics (still not really good though), unimaginative enemies, crappy animations, a more fun talent    Tried rift's free trial, because of all the fuss that's being made about it i decided to review it and since it aims to compete with World of Warcraft specifically i'll spend most of the time comparing Rift and WoW (world of warcraft):

    Simply put: It is World of Warcraft, but with better graphics (still not really good though), unimaginative enemies, crappy animations, a more fun talent tree specialisation (with the drawback that it becomes boring after a certain time and doesn't work well for the balance in player versus player combat) and ofcourse it has Rifts.
    The music is slightly worse then that of WoW, but that matters little because in practice very few people play mmo's with the original music on.

    The story behind rift isn't exactly remarkable but that's no surprise when it has to compare to games which are based on already existing expansive storylines. (World of Warcraft, DC Universe Online, Lord of the Rings online, Star wars: knights of the old republic etc.)

    In the end it's a decent but unremarkable mmo with some decent new additions that get old really fast: - Rifts are fun but after a while they're not more remarkable then any other random event in any given mmo.

    - Rift's main competitor (World of Warcraft) has worse graphics, but better music and more interesting enemies, of course this only matters if you care about such things.

    - The talent (or soul system as they call it) is far more customisable then that of any other, however in practice only a few combinations "work" and it gives problems for player versus player based combat as some soul combinations are a lot stronger then others.
    In the end this means that while you do have more choice you will always go for a certain choice if you want to compete with others, since some combinations simply stand out too much.

    In the end all the difference between Rift and World of Warcraft is a matter of taste, however World of Warcraft has a lot more content for the moment due to its age.    … Expand
  17. Itzal
    May 16, 2011
    3
    The good:
    Some of the dungeon mechanics are refreshing. The environment and UI both are pleasing to the eye. The music in some of the zones is excellent. The in game community is both helpful and friendly.
    The Bad: The class system is still under development. It should have been handled in alpha. Itemization needs some work. Crafting system still needs some work as the numbers on the    The good:
    Some of the dungeon mechanics are refreshing. The environment and UI both are pleasing to the eye. The music in some of the zones is excellent. The in game community is both helpful and friendly.

    The Bad:
    The class system is still under development. It should have been handled in alpha. Itemization needs some work. Crafting system still needs some work as the numbers on the green gear are bellow quest rewards and random green item drops. Mats for some of the crafting tiers are sparse and are in zones higher than what your questing in. End game is the standard grind dungeons and BG's for faction to get gear for next tier of faction grind. Gold spammers are a little more prevalent than I would like. Overall leveling was fun until about level 40. That is where it went stale for me as I did not see too many new quest types or mechanics. New MMO players will like it . Vets that expect something more might not. If you have a interest I recommend the 7 day free trial before you drink the cool aid    … Expand
  18. eulia
    May 14, 2011
    0
    Trion Worlds tries way too hard to have its cake and eat it too. With a slogan like "You're not in Azeroth anymore", you'd expect Rift to be a game bent on trying to break the mould and perhaps change the MMO genre. You'd only be partly right. You're not in Azeroth, no, you're in an even worse designed and staler world with much less to do. Class system - One of the main selling pointsTrion Worlds tries way too hard to have its cake and eat it too. With a slogan like "You're not in Azeroth anymore", you'd expect Rift to be a game bent on trying to break the mould and perhaps change the MMO genre. You'd only be partly right. You're not in Azeroth, no, you're in an even worse designed and staler world with much less to do. Class system - One of the main selling points of the game is the versatility of the classes, but it doesn't really exist, except in certain cases. The underlying theme in class customisation in Rift is similar to other MMOs - if you customise your character's talents in the wrong way or attempt to create an interesting build, you will almost certainly fail throughout the content, which seems to be almost the same philosophy of WoW, which Trion Worlds attempts to insist that they are not. The Warrior: the usual plate-wearing class which ends up being the only viable tank in the game, but also has the best overall damage by far, making it imbalanced. The Cleric: a hybrid class that can sort of tank, is great at healing, and only does okay damage, despite the majority of their talent trees being damage-focused. Also, if one wishes to heal as a Cleric, there are very few options available as any deviation from pre-determined builds will result in many party deaths. The Mage: The typical spell caster with a tree for healing allies via damage done and some great support talents, as well as very good damage, but still worse than the Warrior.

    The Rogue: Easily the worst class of all to play. Despite traditionally being a pure damage class, their damage is easily beaten by every other class, except for the Cleric with which they are equal. They have a tanking tree, but you can only tank one target with it and have very little survivability. They also have a support tree, but it is easily replaced by the Mage's support tree, which provides far more buffs, debuffs, and can cure allies, unlike the Rogue's. Magi also have the option to switch to their healing tree for more healing intensive fights, or to a damage tree and easily outperform a better-equipped Rogue. It is a truly useless class.

    Rifts - The namesake of the game, they are events that spawn enemies and provide reputation and experience. These are fun at first, but quickly become tedious and repetitive. There are also Invasions and Footholds, which are essentially rifts that don't despawn after a given time and usually take hold of a quest hub and/or certain reputation vendors, at which point all friendly NPCs disappear until the Invaders an/or Foothold are defeated. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but all too often 10 or more Invasion forces (individually they are solo'able) will occupy one particular point, making it impossible to clear out by yourself and therefor make it impossible to turn in and pick up new quests without begging in various chat channels for help. There are end-game rifts, however, the required tools used to summon them drop from dungeons which provide far better rewards, so it seems pointless to do them when the same time could be put towards running those dungeons again, or simply solo'ing normal rifts if you desire the reputation rewards. All in all, rifts are not really a fun and exciting community experience, but more of a repetitive nuisance.

    Dungeons: The dungeon experience in Rift is almost exactly the same as in WoW. The only difference is that at end-game, Expert dungeons (same as Heroics in WoW) require one of the DPS to fill a support buffer/minor healer role instead of the typical 1 tank / 1 heal / 3 DPS, but that is honestly where the changes end. Just as in WoW, you'll experience the same dungeons but at a harder difficulty with a couple of extra bosses and slightly different mechanics than the lower level version. You'll also get better loot than the lower level versions, and you'll earn tokens from killing bosses which you can turn in for even better gear or certain crafting ingredients. Sounds a lot like Azeroth to me. Crafting: The crafting is very easy in Rift but the trade-off is that the high end crafted items are worse than the random mob drops in Experts. The only reason to take on a profession would be to 1) make bigger bags, and 2) gather materials to sell on the auction house, which other people won't buy because the random drops are better than anything they can craft.

    Graphics: The graphics and overall look of the game is quite lackluster, and brings nothing special to the table. It's a very bleak and dead world with very few colours and little artistic work. The comparisons to WoW are usually seen as unfair and irrelevant among the Rift community, but they are completely valid. Trion made it clear that they wanted to be compared to WoW, and specifically on how different and better Rift is. However, they've merely produced an equally priced knockoff with nothing special or innovative.    … Expand
  19. Xiphus200
    May 13, 2011
    8
    RIFT is a well polished game that brings many popular aspects of other MMOs together. The random zone events make for some fun times as you team up with your fellow players fend off planar invasions. The "Soul Tree" class system allows for the creation of a unique character though some combinations will ultimatly shine through as the standards. If you are looking for a change of scenary inRIFT is a well polished game that brings many popular aspects of other MMOs together. The random zone events make for some fun times as you team up with your fellow players fend off planar invasions. The "Soul Tree" class system allows for the creation of a unique character though some combinations will ultimatly shine through as the standards. If you are looking for a change of scenary in a MMO then RIFT is worth a try, but it doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table.… Expand
  20. Jokr
    May 10, 2011
    7
    A new mmorpg wanting to compete with the heavy weight that World of Warcraft is (literally as seen in the advertisement campaigns) that does a lot of things right, but nothing really new. Trion worlds gathered most of the solid and safe mechanics other mmorpgs and of course WoW has to offer, added a new and quite interesting lore to it, let it bake for about the right amount of time andA new mmorpg wanting to compete with the heavy weight that World of Warcraft is (literally as seen in the advertisement campaigns) that does a lot of things right, but nothing really new. Trion worlds gathered most of the solid and safe mechanics other mmorpgs and of course WoW has to offer, added a new and quite interesting lore to it, let it bake for about the right amount of time and voilà there is Rift.

    The game is polished, borrows traditional and established mechanics from the genre and does it quite well. It looks shiny too and offers a unique and at first sight very deep soul system with a lot of variation. This variation starts to vanish in the endgame content when you are easily outperformed by players of the same skill but simply different soul and talent combinations which become sort of mandatory to compete giving all those players who thought they can use their unique combinations at any point of the game a straight middle finger.

    The leveling content is really fun, the rifts offer short periods of fun and action and give you an overall fun experience until the level cap of 50. From this point the game changes to the grind dungeons grind raids end game content that so many other mmorpgs have as well. For my taste this is a quite cheap approach and while I see that many players like it and that it can give you hours of content if you wish to do it, the presentation and motivation in Rift to grind that content is beneath average.

    I simply did not feel motivated to grind my plaques and gear and even though I had an active guild and really decent gear, for the early state of the game, I did not find it fun anymore. The PvP is, just like WoW, mostly playing Warfronts and getting your Favour (Honor) to buy more items. There is a deeper specialisation for your spec if you want to focus more on PvP, but there again some specs just overtrump most others which takes away a lot of the variation.

    Overall I give this game 8/10 for the leveling content which you should be able to finish within the first "free" month. 5/10 for the content past level 50 for which you have to pay a subscription ( you sure can start raiding within the first month but there is really no point if you don't want to play this game for a longer time and want to subscribe) what results in a 6.5 /10. Having some faith in Trion worlds to make the end game more fun I give Rift 7/10.    … Expand
  21. Cell1e
    May 8, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed this game, this crafting is fun and useful and collecting the artifacts is really nice too. Im not one for online games as I lose interest in them after a while (as a solo player) but this one kept my interest for longer than most. The rifts are a nice one of letting people who like to solo beenfit from nice rewards and drops. Good job to the developers there.… Expand
  22. akelz7
    May 7, 2011
    7
    It's a WoW clone. Plain and simple, it's WoW but with a few name changes and pretty graphics. That's a good thing, because WoW is a good MMO, but in the end it's all personal preference that would make you play rift. If you like WC lore like I do, play WoW, if you want pretty graphics, play Rift.
  23. Adler1945
    May 6, 2011
    7
    Well, now that the game is a couple of months into being online, and the whole euphoria of "NEW TOY SYNDROME" has worn off for me, I think it's a good time to sit down and write a review. This review will be organized based off of multiple sections and each will be given their own score, with an average score being the final.
    Graphics- 8: Many people immediate jump in and give this game a    Well, now that the game is a couple of months into being online, and the whole euphoria of "NEW TOY SYNDROME" has worn off for me, I think it's a good time to sit down and write a review. This review will be organized based off of multiple sections and each will be given their own score, with an average score being the final.
    Graphics- 8: Many people immediate jump in and give this game a 10 for one reason...you need a top end graphics card or SLI rig to be able to run it at maximum all. While this does lead to a very VERY pretty game, it still is not nearly as beautiful as some in the genre, most notably Final Fantasy 14.There is no real Anti-Aliasing option between "Edge Smoothing" and "Supersampling" (which can lead to a really big difference in visual quality...at the expense of 2/3 of your FPS) and the graphics don't rate max level in my book. The surrounding areas, while MUCH more pretty and realistic than WoW, still have some flaws that are glaringly obvious, especially in viewing objects at distance, some of the animal animations, and the like. I think the biggest glaring graphic issue for me is a graphics snafu on the wall of the tunnel leading to the CC instance where the lack of coordination in graphics for the wall shows a completely visible LINE in the graphics halfway up the wall.-Tacky...
    Gameplay/UI -6: The gameplay and UI for this game is pretty much your cut and dry MMORPG circa...well pretty much anything nowadays. Simple AWSD with numbered boxes, cooldowns, and the like. The gameplay itself can be kinda wonky with areas STILL not loading correctly and random disconnects still plaguing a majority of the population.
    Customization of Character/Class-10: The amount of customization of your character on the creation screen is on par with games like AoC and well beyond WoW and some of the other, older MMOs. The customization of your class is where this game is AWESOME in that you have, not only 2 but FOUR different spec sets you can keep at once and interchange as you need to. These specs are chosen among the 8 different souls your class can use, leading to just about any number of possible specs to fit just about any play desires...Sadly there is very limited healing among warriors, which makes soloing a bit of a chore, but otherwise it is worlds apart from pretty much every other MMO as far as customization of your class is concerned.
    Immersion-6: Back at launch of the game I would have given this a 10, but that was before I made it through to the end-zones and saw how LIMITED the world is in Rift. Firstly there are only 2 capitol cities. Each of which is about half the size of a Capitol City in WoW. TWO. That's it. Aside from that you have a few mid-range size towns (think slightly smaller Southshore or Tarren Mill) scattered about, lots of little outposts with 4-6 quest NPCs, and LOTS of mobs that want to kill you. You can't take two steps in this game without getting agro from SOMETHING. The Rifts add a sense of urgency and need to the zone, but if you fail Rift invasions there really isn't a huge downside aside from having to kill invasion points and such to get quest givers back. A super boss that will 1-shot anyone would be a good consequence in my book. Sadly, the game lacks in pretty much anything that makes you want to care about your faction or the people of Telara. Once outside of the starter zones you find that all of the citizens of Telara are either giving you quests, are guards, or one of maybe 50 npcs that are meant to add "feel" to the game. Sadly this does NOT provide any immersion value at all unless you find constantly fighting for your life to be an immersive experience.
    RP-Friendly- 3: This is where the game really suffers. The lack of areas for players to congregate for RP purposes (There are only 3-4 inn type places for tavern RP), the lack of comprehensive lore (they're still making it up as they go), and the complete lack of immersive areas where people can actually try to base a RP event around leads the RP to mainly be Tavern-based or PvP based. At least on my server. Developers- 6: I give the devs a 6 primarily due to their obvious willingness to be open and willing to admit mistakes. (Check the RoS apology) However, they are also very absorbed in trying to make everyone happy, and thus have made some MASSIVE (no exaggeration) changes to classes/souls all in the name of "Balance" that have effectively either ruined the soul for their role (Riftblade) or made it damn near unkillable (Pyro). This leads me to some sad conclusions for the future.
    Sadly, the direction of the game has taken even more of a turn toward being a WoW copy. The implementation of a LFD system, the blatant favoritism of certain souls, and the lack of direction of the game other than creating events based off of the Rifts (More combat, less immersion) has the game leaning away from the slogan "We're not in Azeroth anymore" and more toward "A prettier, smaller Azeroth".    … Expand
  24. Amilmadien
    May 5, 2011
    7
    I'll be honest here - I was hoping for something a little more unique. Instead I just got World of WarhammerQuest. I can't complain about the game's stability and beauty, nor Trion's dedication to quality and customer service. However, you can count me out of this loop. I've run my last quest and /ignored my last griefer, because playing WoW again was not what I wanted.
  25. reviewfrommewhe
    May 1, 2011
    1
    - Very boring and repetitive questlines. - PvP instances are really mediocre. PvP is quite often premades repeatedly steamrolling pugs, and this is apparently working as intended. Both sides have what is basically a Warhammer Bright Wizard locking down the battlefield with mass AE and mass CC.

    - While the class structure initially looks great, it in fact is a nightmare of min maxing    - Very boring and repetitive questlines. - PvP instances are really mediocre. PvP is quite often premades repeatedly steamrolling pugs, and this is apparently working as intended. Both sides have what is basically a Warhammer Bright Wizard locking down the battlefield with mass AE and mass CC.

    - While the class structure initially looks great, it in fact is a nightmare of min maxing players vs. devs. Yo-yoing balance patches and random nerfs are pretty commonplace, but they seem to break more than they fix. - The Rift events (their signature "thang") are either nonexistant or overly in your face, locking down entire zones with 12 total players in them with no chance against the NPC invaders. The loot from Rifts sort of sucks relative to other lvl 50 gear so its no surprise people dont really seem to bother.

    - The "elite" PvE instances (the ones you run to grind tokens for gear, just like WoW) are rehashes of the instances you see from lvl 1 - 50 with yet more trash to clear.

    - Crafting is a luck based system in which you grind dailies to get tokens to get uber patterns. So are some of the gathering "recipes" - random luck based drops off nodes. Yay for luck based MMOs.

    - The devs seem sort of out of touch as to what the players are actually doing in PvE, PvP and with the construction of their characters using the "unique" soul system. One example is that there are two main healing classes and the one that is the better of the two cannot even queue as heals using the (now in Alpha) looking for group tool. This is apparently working as intended.

    - While gathering or traveling expect masses of gray mobs to aggro you, slow you down, dismount you and force you to clear them. All while trying to get your luck based crafting daily done so you can once again not get a tablet that is necessary to get the good patterns.

    Try it if you gotta, but I highly recommend a one month sub because thats about all the gameplay Rift has in it.    … Expand
  26. VahlemonShireck
    Apr 26, 2011
    10
    Rift proved to be a very refreshing experience, not so much because of new features for the genre as much as a combination of the great features that already exist in the genre. Trion Worlds got so much right from the start in this game. With some time, Rift might just as well become the new standard for the MMORPG genre.
  27. babylon
    Apr 25, 2011
    0
    WARNING: Same person who destroyed Warhammer Online - Adam Gershowitz - is in control of game balance here. Great game - up till "balance" patch 1.1, which destroyed a bunch of playstyles in a game which claims to promote versatility in how you can build your characters (this is now gone), and indicates future issues with how game "balance" will be handled. After this patch and the massiveWARNING: Same person who destroyed Warhammer Online - Adam Gershowitz - is in control of game balance here. Great game - up till "balance" patch 1.1, which destroyed a bunch of playstyles in a game which claims to promote versatility in how you can build your characters (this is now gone), and indicates future issues with how game "balance" will be handled. After this patch and the massive outcry from players, it has been revealed that the person responsible for game balance is the same person who destroyed Warhammer Online - Adam Gershowitz. Warning for all gamers intending on playing this game - with Adam in control of game balance. you can expect things to go very, very wrong very soon.… Expand
  28. horsington
    Apr 25, 2011
    3
    I played the beta and this should have been a clear indicator of what was in store, but there was a group of gaming friends still interested in playing so I tagged along on release. Here it is a month later and I'm bored to tears of the end game content, fed up with repetitive key mashing for DPS and lackluster PVP. It was a great idea of Trion to learn from their peers in the gamingI played the beta and this should have been a clear indicator of what was in store, but there was a group of gaming friends still interested in playing so I tagged along on release. Here it is a month later and I'm bored to tears of the end game content, fed up with repetitive key mashing for DPS and lackluster PVP. It was a great idea of Trion to learn from their peers in the gaming world, to simply create a frankenstein game that just mashed together parts of others is a bit weak though. The leveling was a series of 'quickly get to the yellow ring and kill everything, never mind WHY I'm doing it' that was simplistic and short lived (thankfully). You are rewarded at endgame with tedious dungeons littered with trash mobs, weak loot and the never ending quest for items with purple frames. Trion did add new class structure and features, but these are not enough to overlook the boring old shell of a game this is. It's environments are generic and cliche, its encounters are the same old formula and the story is lacking on so many levels (as well as utterly unimportant), They had the chance to make something amazing, and instead spit out a WoW clone.… Expand
  29. sliven
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game with lot of fun. I feel like in 2004 when I discovered MMO games with everquest2. Lot of things to do : history quests, discovery, hidden stuff and quests, rifts, invasions, events, pvp, craft... I didn't had so much fun with MMO's since Eq2, si i recommend it to everybody who get bored with their actual game !
  30. moocow
    Apr 22, 2011
    4
    Definitely overrated game. Certainly better than other MMO releases within the last 3 or 4 years, but nothing special or new. Pros- beautiful graphics; great scaling with system compatibility; extreme character variety; smooth launch and updates; fresh take on PvP; non-instanced raids; takes the best from well-played MMOs and bundles them.
    Cons- the grind: same old linear quests;    Definitely overrated game. Certainly better than other MMO releases within the last 3 or 4 years, but nothing special or new. Pros- beautiful graphics; great scaling with system compatibility; extreme character variety; smooth launch and updates; fresh take on PvP; non-instanced raids; takes the best from well-played MMOs and bundles them.
    Cons- the grind: same old linear quests; single player is far too easy, no one forms parties or even chats; PvP is chaotic and unbalanced-but at least it is not WoW garbage; horribly convoluted lore; character classes have too much variablility- I wanted to build a melee healer (Justicar) but the lack of abilities and DPS forced me to cast (Purifier) ranged spells all the time. Most character builds oddly end up performing in a similar fashion despite the vast breadth of choices for development. ---I wish this game luck because WoW veterans (I started in 2004) have been starving for a decent MMO again.    … Expand
  31. Scanton
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    I played Wow from the very beginning, and gave Warhammer online a good go however it was fairly poor but now Rift has come along and been a very pleasant surprise. It looks beautiful, plays smoothly and I am very impressed with every aspect of the game, as it is just a pleasure to play. I agree that it has taken the best bits from other MMOâ
  32. nopistons420
    Apr 19, 2011
    2
    i played it got to level 50 first week of the "head start"

    this game is the grindfest to end all grindfests

    not to mention it runs on gamebyro; its like warhammer online 2 bascially except minus all the fun RvR stuff that made warhammer great - theres nothin next gen about it
  33. Clamsterz
    Apr 17, 2011
    10
    I've been playing Rift from the get go, and I really did not expect it to be that good. But the moment I stepped into Telara I was amazed at how much of a great game Rift is. Trion Wolrds really succeded at making a great mmo. Trion did not aim to make it original, but to make it simply better. I played WoW but I did not even get to the end game. I'm level 50 in Rift and i do say, I amI've been playing Rift from the get go, and I really did not expect it to be that good. But the moment I stepped into Telara I was amazed at how much of a great game Rift is. Trion Wolrds really succeded at making a great mmo. Trion did not aim to make it original, but to make it simply better. I played WoW but I did not even get to the end game. I'm level 50 in Rift and i do say, I am having a blast. The PvP is a whole lot of OKay but i have never like pvp in anything. All in All Rift is a mmo even WoW fanboys can play. I suggest this game to everyone as it is an easy to play mmo.… Expand
  34. joen00b
    Apr 15, 2011
    8
    Rift doesn't do much to separate itself from other Fantasy MMO's established on the market. Most complaints about the game compare it to WoW, which is unfair. It has gone to great lengths to make itself NOT WoW. It's difficult to write a review without comparing it to other games, as, everything in the game has been done before in other games. Rifts and invasions are nothing more thanRift doesn't do much to separate itself from other Fantasy MMO's established on the market. Most complaints about the game compare it to WoW, which is unfair. It has gone to great lengths to make itself NOT WoW. It's difficult to write a review without comparing it to other games, as, everything in the game has been done before in other games. Rifts and invasions are nothing more than Public Quests from Warhammer, all dungeons are instanced, like all MMO's since 2004, and the base classes fall under the Rogue, Mage, Cleric, Warrior template.

    But, this is where Rift differentiates itself from the pack. With the base classes, there are 8 sub-classes to mix and match to each particular players playstyle. And, by switching roles, you can play different 'soul' combinations, completely changing the make up of the character. Each role can be up to 3 souls (4 souls with End game loots) of the 8, and you can have up to 4 different roles with these souls. Each soul has 2 trees within the 3 souls, where points are spent going 'up' the tree, and the more points put into a soul unlocks traits going 'down' the tree. The combinations are endless! Rogues, having a bard soul, can be back up healers. Mages, with a Chloromancer soul, can be healers, Clerics and Rogues can be tanks... the combos add for a lot of fun. And, that is also a bit of it's downfall. Having so many choices can really overwhelm some players, and thankfully there is no 'magic combination' to having the perfect class. Players are encouraged to play and build the character they want, not follow some formula for face melting.

    The game was inundated with naysayers throughout the first month, but, now that the free month is over, it's settled down into a quality game that delivers what it promises. PVP is still being 'balanced' and that is the biggest complaint of the game at this point. For PVE, the game is quite good, aside from the copious amounts of creatures that will plague the players every step, quite literally. Movement in the game can be frustrating fighting through waves of mobs, especially when following roads, through areas beyond the lowbie zone of Freemarch.

    I enjoy what Trion has offered in terms of MMO's, but, it's a difficult market to break into with so many choices. There are some things WoW won't be able to steal from Rift, but is it enough to warrant the monthly charge over other more established games? The truth is in the tagline for the game: "We're not in Azeroth anymore." Their marketing strategy is to offer a game that isn't WoW. Those sick of WoW will find a fun, well put together game, but not quite as expansive or all encompassing behemoth that WoW has become. Those expecting the game to be WoW will be surprised at the differences. It is a different game, but, in the end, it is an MMO.    … Expand
  35. ubercake
    Apr 14, 2011
    9
    Just when I think it's getting a little repetitive, I'm sent on a mission with a twist. This is definitely a game that discourages you from the "grind". Missions are definitely the quickest way to advancement and many missions can only be tackled in groups. Rift events are large scale battles where players have to work together. The class system offers tons of combinations. I wishJust when I think it's getting a little repetitive, I'm sent on a mission with a twist. This is definitely a game that discourages you from the "grind". Missions are definitely the quickest way to advancement and many missions can only be tackled in groups. Rift events are large scale battles where players have to work together. The class system offers tons of combinations. I wish there were ways to easily network for tackling the harder missions. It's sometimes hard to get people with common goals (based on quests) together (PvP or PvE). If they made this easier, the game would be perfect.

    I run this game with two GTX 580s and an i7-960. Graphics are great for this genre. When I first started it up, the graphics were at a default lower setting and it still looked great. Good game for different levels of graphical capability.

    I played SWG about 5 years ago and this game seems to be leaps and bounds beyond that. It's a lot of fun and addictive.    … Expand
  36. Drewcifer
    Apr 13, 2011
    10
    Iâ
  37. hurrderrderp
    Apr 11, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Rift, in simplest terms, is a revamped version of most MMOs on the market. It's very hit or miss, depending on how you enjoy playing MMOs. Rift is an entertaining new game with fresh new ideas. However, as far as the execution of the game goes, there are a few parts I think could be improved.

    GRAPHICS:
    This game has decent graphics and some impressive particles in my opinion. Many people that compare this game to WoW will see that on the lower end settings, WoW and Rift look similar. However, when I turned on the highest settings possible, I thought it looked very nice and quite stunning, to be honest. Not much else to say here.

    GAMEPLAY: Gameplay is similar to WoW as much of the game is either questing or raiding against the in-game zone-wide Rifts. These are basically little tears in the sky where the entire zone can come together and defeat a horde of mobs for treasures and loots. Your performance and participation determines the loots you receive. Questing in the game can be very difficult, and even frustrating, at early levels. If more than one mob jumps on you at early levels, surviving can be a challenge. Also, escaping can be difficult if you have no escape moves, as enemies travel at the same speed as actual players. However, questing runs smoothly in spite of these minor inconveniences. There are also instances like in WoW where a small team can enter their own private dungeon and defeat mobs and bosses for loot. PvP is also available in rift, but I haven't tried yet so I have no basis for comparison.

    SOUND: I wasn't impressed with the sounds of Rift. I'm not going to say that they are bad in any way, because they're not. However, they are definitely nothing new. I don't play games for sound, but it's always nice to have a good soundtrack in any game. Rift, unfortunately, does not please me in this category. REPLAY VALUE: As with most MMOs, you can have a large amount of alternative characters (henceforth referred to as "alts", as many of you know is a common description of these characters) across different servers, so replay value really is determined on how much you enjoyed playing on your main and whether or not you wish to make more characters. Personally, I do not roll many alts, as I just enjoy playing on my Mage and going around doing Rifts. I do have a small collection of alts though, and do play them frequently. I find this game similar to WoW in this respect.

    Overall, Rift is a good game with a lot of new experiences. Even though it's a clone of other MMOs, it doesn't subtract from the entertainment value of the game. Sometimes, a new lore and new environment is all we need to realize that we enjoy these games a lot, so playing more than one is fine. I enjoy Rift very much and hope that all others who try it do too.    … Expand
  38. dark_heresy
    Apr 11, 2011
    4
    For those who have played World of Warcraft for the majority of their MMO carry, Rift will feel like a breath of fresh air by the very nature of being different. Unfortunately, for veterans, such as myself, who have dedicated countless hours to every major MMO release since before the dawn of the WoW behemoth, there isn't anything new under the sun to see, here. Additionally, there areFor those who have played World of Warcraft for the majority of their MMO carry, Rift will feel like a breath of fresh air by the very nature of being different. Unfortunately, for veterans, such as myself, who have dedicated countless hours to every major MMO release since before the dawn of the WoW behemoth, there isn't anything new under the sun to see, here. Additionally, there are plenty of glaring balance issues, and server shards go down on an almost daily basis with very little prior info (usually a 10 minute prior announcement). The whole game feels defined by imbalance. Additionally, while the graphics are better in terms of polygon count compared to WoW, other games ranging from Everquest 2 to Age of Conan have much better engines and don't have an almost constant problem of armor clipping on characters. Likewise, the character animations look lethargic and stilted and loose their appeal quickly. While I will give Rift credit for having a better more recent MMO launch, it is sadly not the savior of the MMO genre that I am looking for, nor is it even compelling enough to permanently keep me from playing what still remains the best of the genre: World of Warcraft.… Expand
  39. inkedmatt
    Apr 11, 2011
    9
    Rift brought me back to the MMORPG scene. I'm a little old school, grew up on the originators of this genre. Rift has resparked that gaming lust where I plan o playing 10 hours plus a day again. The environment is beautiful and full of polish. There is a near limitless number of combinations of classes you can use giving each player a chance to hash out their own playstlye compared toRift brought me back to the MMORPG scene. I'm a little old school, grew up on the originators of this genre. Rift has resparked that gaming lust where I plan o playing 10 hours plus a day again. The environment is beautiful and full of polish. There is a near limitless number of combinations of classes you can use giving each player a chance to hash out their own playstlye compared to follow everyone elses model for max dps. The audio stands out as amazing in spell effects and voice dialog. Random public party instances happen frequently enough there is never a dull time. I maxed multiple caracters in EQ, AC, ffxi11, and wow. I have not been this excited to log on in the mornings since pre burning crusade wow.… Expand
  40. chiroben
    Apr 10, 2011
    8
    Anyone giving this game a zero is just wasting everybody's time. Is it the best game ever? No. Is it completely awful? No. It's a very decent WoW clone and isn't pretending to be anything else. Poor game balance and other teething problems don't deserve a 0. If you're looking for a replacement for WoW this is probably your game.
  41. Ugly_Bob
    Apr 7, 2011
    0
    Not since I tried WoW for the first time in the US closed beta have I played a MMO that so thoroughly got my attention and appreciation from the very first moments in-game. After Blizzard's behemoth started to get old and boring I tried Vanguard, Lineage 2, AoC, LOTRO, GW amongst others without satisfaction..

    ..now I finally feel like I found my way home. I initially bought Rift as a    Not since I tried WoW for the first time in the US closed beta have I played a MMO that so thoroughly got my attention and appreciation from the very first moments in-game. After Blizzard's behemoth started to get old and boring I tried Vanguard, Lineage 2, AoC, LOTRO, GW amongst others without satisfaction..

    ..now I finally feel like I found my way home. I initially bought Rift as a pastime in anticipation of SW:TOR and/or GW2, but now it might just be my next several-year-long relationship.    … Expand
  42. flovil
    Apr 5, 2011
    0
    With each patch the uniqueness of the game goes, the nerfs and buffs seem to hurt the game more then help it.
    They buffed the mages so high that you deal -damage to them and they one shot everyone, they nerfed rogues so bad no one wants them, they nerfed ranged warriors enough to force them to melee.
    There are many exploits going unfixed and people are doing them with no punishment. The    With each patch the uniqueness of the game goes, the nerfs and buffs seem to hurt the game more then help it.
    They buffed the mages so high that you deal -damage to them and they one shot everyone, they nerfed rogues so bad no one wants them, they nerfed ranged warriors enough to force them to melee.
    There are many exploits going unfixed and people are doing them with no punishment.
    The game feels like a beta test, there is still much testing and work too be done.    … Expand
  43. 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
  44. femmefatal
    Apr 4, 2011
    0
    There is really nothing NEW here that hasn't been done before. The fanboi excitement reviews are just because they are bored with WOW or never played an MMO before. The first thing I noticed is the game is tooooo solo friendly and hardly anyone wants to group prior to level 50. The game is tooooooo EASY as I leveledup without worry and pretty much stomped everything in my path as I wasThere is really nothing NEW here that hasn't been done before. The fanboi excitement reviews are just because they are bored with WOW or never played an MMO before. The first thing I noticed is the game is tooooo solo friendly and hardly anyone wants to group prior to level 50. The game is tooooooo EASY as I leveledup without worry and pretty much stomped everything in my path as I was beating mobs 4 levels higher than me quite early in the game all the way to 50. The death penalty is a joke. You don't lose anything but a small amount of time getting back to your corpse and a few gold coins to get your abilities back to 100%. The market is dead because the leveling is TOO FAST. I went to level 12 the first day. To level 30 the first 3 days and level 50 by the end of 7 days. There's no challenge in that and the combat is so repetitive you can roll your face across the keyboard and beat anything. The skills and spells are dry and just don't stand out like say an Everquest version. In Everquest I really felt I was my character and really felt FEAR of dying and losing stuff. There's not a bit of fear in this game and as I said the death penalty is a joke.
    The colors for characters are bland as well.. Too much BROWN and Grays. THe weapons are horrible looking and there's no procs so nothing stands out as "OHHHHH I WANT DAT!". Boring colors, boring looking and just an overall boring game. To me this is a game for 8 to 10 year olds. It's that easy and then they can go..."Looky Mommy I beat dah bad guy Look Mommy LOOK!" lmao

    The community isn't really friendly especially on the official forums. I've never seen so many negative comments on a game in my life. I mean this game really sucks it's that bad. You're better off waiting for Guild Wars 2.    … Expand
  45. Reaktorblue
    Apr 3, 2011
    6
    This game was fun from 1-50. Unfortunately 50 can be achieved within 5 days by an average person, even faster by a power gamer.

    After hitting max level, it seemed like to play the game was forcing regurgitated content down my throat. Kill more rifts for more planarite. Do more of those same dungeons you have been doing with maybe 1 more boss and a new corner of the map. Keep doing these    This game was fun from 1-50. Unfortunately 50 can be achieved within 5 days by an average person, even faster by a power gamer.

    After hitting max level, it seemed like to play the game was forcing regurgitated content down my throat. Kill more rifts for more planarite. Do more of those same dungeons you have been doing with maybe 1 more boss and a new corner of the map. Keep doing these for, you guessed it, more currency to spend on items.

    All told, the game feels like its solely based on grinding the same things over and over again for currency to spend for minor stat increases. This would not be so bad if the game was not able to be played in such a way that gets you to this boring point within a week.

    In the end it just feels like nothing was done that was meaningless. The collection factor (the emotion you get after all that hard work on your character) just isnt there.

    Plagued with the standard bugs most games has, coupled with awesome content (that unfortunately fizzles out after a month) means we have an awesome game here thats worth only playing until the subscription price kicks in.

    If you want all your time and effort to mean something, Rift is not where you will want to turn.    … Expand
  46. ibedave777
    Mar 29, 2011
    8
    I purchased this game the day after release and have been very impressed. Visually it's beautiful. I purchased a new Alienware M15X laptop just so I can play it on ultra settings. The questing is fun especially if you take the time to read the story quests so you understand the bigger picture. The rift system is fun but I can see where it could get old. Also, while I like the ability toI purchased this game the day after release and have been very impressed. Visually it's beautiful. I purchased a new Alienware M15X laptop just so I can play it on ultra settings. The questing is fun especially if you take the time to read the story quests so you understand the bigger picture. The rift system is fun but I can see where it could get old. Also, while I like the ability to have so many options for the characters themselves, the soul system gives too many options. It would take hours to explore all of the options if you want to explore all different souls. This is a very solid game and I'm sure I'll enjoying playing it for a very long time.… Expand
  47. moifoi
    Mar 28, 2011
    2
    The game has balance issues in both pve and pvp, there are many talents in tree's that don't work, one was giving 100% armor penetration instead of 1% how this gets through alpha, beta and has been in the game for awhile is baffling, the only pvp in the game is a grind and the maximum pvp level can be achieved in a few days.
    There are no arenas or rated clan vs clan warfronts and they have    The game has balance issues in both pve and pvp, there are many talents in tree's that don't work, one was giving 100% armor penetration instead of 1% how this gets through alpha, beta and has been in the game for awhile is baffling, the only pvp in the game is a grind and the maximum pvp level can be achieved in a few days.
    There are no arenas or rated clan vs clan warfronts and they have stated in interviews they will not add them, so the new problem is premades are vsing public groups which is unfair.

    The good thing about the game is that it only takes 3 days played time to hit max level. It doesn't feel like to big a waste of time when you realize you've rolled the gimp class(rogue).    … Expand
  48. Lanhavoc
    Mar 27, 2011
    7
    Takes all the aspects we love from MMOs such as WoW and WAR, removes all the garbage and fat, and leaves us with an interesting blend that is familiar but well crafted. Add to this better graphics and pvp than it's predecessors and Rift is an all around excellent MMO experience.
  49. Canduril
    Mar 26, 2011
    10
    I've been looking for a good mmo to sink my time into and after reading the positive reviews I decided to buy Rifts. I've been skeptical after buying Champions and FF14 at launch but I'm very glad I took the risk to buy this game. The best way I can describe it is that Rifts took what I liked from WoW and WAR and combined them. This game is just plain fun to play. PvP is great and you haveI've been looking for a good mmo to sink my time into and after reading the positive reviews I decided to buy Rifts. I've been skeptical after buying Champions and FF14 at launch but I'm very glad I took the risk to buy this game. The best way I can describe it is that Rifts took what I liked from WoW and WAR and combined them. This game is just plain fun to play. PvP is great and you have a great amount of variety in what you want to do class wise. Graphics are nice and the only problem I'm having with the game is that I need more time to play lol. For those that are knocking this game as a WoW clone I can understand your reasoning to a point. This game does take elements from other games (WoW for instance) and uses what was successful. This is not making a clone, it's using what works. Also, keep in mind WoW "cloned" a lot from it's predecessors like EQ, etc. Enjoy the game and lets support developers who are doing what is right for a change. Have fun and see you in game!… Expand
  50. TerKaDer
    Mar 26, 2011
    7
    I bought Rift with a couple of guild mates from Wow. We needed a break and that is definitely what we found in rift. The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the beginners zone was how beautiful the game looked and sounded. I don't have the best computer but even at medium settings it looks great. The class system is a nice fresh way to get different specs as well, when you canI bought Rift with a couple of guild mates from Wow. We needed a break and that is definitely what we found in rift. The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the beginners zone was how beautiful the game looked and sounded. I don't have the best computer but even at medium settings it looks great. The class system is a nice fresh way to get different specs as well, when you can mix and match what ever you would like to make a tank, dps or healer on nearly every class. The random rift openings and invasions help to keep things fresh for a bit, and the fact that you can jump into a public group and take care of these events or even jump into a group to finish a quest is great. But in the end Rift is still a MMO and you will still get a multitude of quests of go here and kill this many enemies and then take this letter to that guy three feet from me because I'm too lazy. Rift is a great game and if you enjoy MMO's or are curious to play one this is a good game for you.… Expand
  51. Thicky
    Mar 23, 2011
    5
    It's been a month now. I love MMO's when they are fresh and still retain that new game smell. I tend to rush and tell my friends about the most amazing game I am playing, then a few weeks later the shine is gone and I hardly remember a thing about it. Most recently I drug friends and family through the launches of champions online, Aion, Warhammer Online and Fallen Earth. Each time I wasIt's been a month now. I love MMO's when they are fresh and still retain that new game smell. I tend to rush and tell my friends about the most amazing game I am playing, then a few weeks later the shine is gone and I hardly remember a thing about it. Most recently I drug friends and family through the launches of champions online, Aion, Warhammer Online and Fallen Earth. Each time I was excited about the games and how awesome they are. They weren't awesome, they were just new and a little different.

    Rift, played the game in all of the beta phases. Loved it. Absolutely adored it. I bought the CE and a 6 month subscription. I got my brother inlaw to do the same. "Dude, so many soul choices, build what you like!", he was sold.

    It's now been a month of release and tonight I get a text from my inlaw "r u logging on tonight?", no I am not. The magic is gone and here's my thoughts:

    Classic Trinity. Warrior tanks, Cleric heals, Mage dps. We were supposed to be past this, but we're not because Rift is a clone. Rift is a mashup of WoW and Warhammer. You will hit the level cap within a week without trying, once there you will have nothing to do but join Warfronts (pvp battlegrounds) and hope your team has less bots and afk'ers.

    Bots are EVERYWHERE. Just pause for a moment in town and watch the characters run on rails following a scripted path. Why are people botting? For one, there's no cheat detection built into Rift. There's a program called rifterrorhandler which just scans what programs you're running to make sure it's not cheatengine or something easy to spot. But any cheat or bot that is not listed will not be caught. The next factor is the level cap, there's not much to do at 50 other than very tedious pvp battles for rank. Join a warfront at any level and you will quickly notice that sometimes half of your team isn't moving. That's the afk'ers. They just run a script that let's them join warfronts and collect xp for your hard work. The other people on the team may be bots. Does Leggolas always jump down to the left of spawn and wander off to the side instead of heading to the objective while ignoring your pleas for help? That's a bot. Since release bots have invaded the game without any action from Trion.

    Hackers. Rift was released with an exploit that allowed anyone to access your account and take your items and money. A large chunk of the population was hit by this exploit and it has been weeks since it happened and customer support refuses to help them.

    Customer support. Pretty much non-existent. Trion Worlds contracts out their support staff to a company called Rightnow, which is ironic because if you need help it won't be right now, it will be much much later. It could have something to do with having customer support based in Nigeria (not a joke), check their own link https://trionworlds.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/478/~/how-do-i-contact-trion-support%3F

    I have canceled my account with Rift. I look forward to the next shiny new MMO to hit the market and again I will try and hold off on a rushed review.    … Expand
  52. spoocaptain
    Mar 22, 2011
    9
    Thus far this has been a really solid and enjoyable MMO release. Immediately I loved the depth of the character customization and the beauty of the animations. The soul system is very deep and very rewarding. Rifts are a blast, and instances are suitably challenging yet puggable. Crafting is fun and feels much more rewarding than on WoW and games of its ilk, though it's not terriblyThus far this has been a really solid and enjoyable MMO release. Immediately I loved the depth of the character customization and the beauty of the animations. The soul system is very deep and very rewarding. Rifts are a blast, and instances are suitably challenging yet puggable. Crafting is fun and feels much more rewarding than on WoW and games of its ilk, though it's not terribly different or unique. My only real complaints come from the environment, which can feel a tad dull at times. However, the design of dungeons is very, very beautiful from what I've seen thus far, which truthfully makes up for it. WoW is nearing it's popular death with the release of the lackluster Cataclysm expansion, and RIFT is here to take the reins for my MMO enjoyment.… Expand
  53. xyknight
    Mar 21, 2011
    10
    After playing WoW for a few years I was seriously burnt out on MMOs. Since WoW, I tried LOTRO, Aion, Warhammer, and Star Trek. Rift is the only MMO since WoW that has kept my interest. The class system is unique in that I can create a particular character in the way I want to play. The graphics are pleasing to the eye and I enjoy the quests. Give this game a try..I don't think youAfter playing WoW for a few years I was seriously burnt out on MMOs. Since WoW, I tried LOTRO, Aion, Warhammer, and Star Trek. Rift is the only MMO since WoW that has kept my interest. The class system is unique in that I can create a particular character in the way I want to play. The graphics are pleasing to the eye and I enjoy the quests. Give this game a try..I don't think you will regret it.… Expand
  54. BVSmallman
    Mar 21, 2011
    10
    Rift is one of the most polished MMO releases in a very very long time, so far everything just simply works. There are fantastic features which are common accross all mmo style games, pve dungeons and pvp battlegrounds to name some obvious ones. Both are very fun an polished in Rift. The originality comes in the form of Rifts and Invasions. Rifts/Invasions are EXTREMELY fun, they bringRift is one of the most polished MMO releases in a very very long time, so far everything just simply works. There are fantastic features which are common accross all mmo style games, pve dungeons and pvp battlegrounds to name some obvious ones. Both are very fun an polished in Rift. The originality comes in the form of Rifts and Invasions. Rifts/Invasions are EXTREMELY fun, they bring a whole new depth to the world as a whole. Rift's world is not a static bore-fest that many MMO worlds are. There is constantly some kind of Rift or Event going on all around you in the areas you quest in. If you are a fan of the genre I highly recommend this game, it is clean, polished, runs well on all levels on computers and its a damn good addition to a flooded MMO marketplace.… Expand
  55. dnfstorm
    Mar 21, 2011
    6
    Not a huge fan, it is a wow clone with some good ideas but not enough balance to last long, most users on it will go back to games like wow which is far superior or wait for the new mmo's incoming like gw2 or swtor
  56. madhotsoup
    Mar 21, 2011
    6
    Pretty game, but does nothing new for the genre. This would probably be a great game for those new to MMORPG's, but for vets it will probably feel like more of the same. What it did do was take some good elements from other MMO's and incorporated them. Control and UI wise, almost an exact match for World of Warcraft. Rifts are pretty much the same thing as public quests from WarhammerPretty game, but does nothing new for the genre. This would probably be a great game for those new to MMORPG's, but for vets it will probably feel like more of the same. What it did do was take some good elements from other MMO's and incorporated them. Control and UI wise, almost an exact match for World of Warcraft. Rifts are pretty much the same thing as public quests from Warhammer online. The multiple class/soul trees have been seen in Guild Wars. This game, along with all other MMO's just feels like it's trying to build on what's already out there but better, which it does do, but at the same time it doesn't bring anything new to the table.… Expand
  57. TheGrubb
    Mar 21, 2011
    8
    This game doesn't reinvent the wheel. But it is an awfully nice wheel.

    Playing this game felt like I was playing old school "Vanilla Warcraft" before Blizzard they decided to try and level past the old content as fast as possible. Also, the graphics are pretty good and often remind me of a high-fantasy novel, instead of a cartoon-anime-fantasy setting like Warcraft has become.
  58. Surumbu
    Mar 20, 2011
    9
    Rift is a fantastic MMO, and a worthy successor to the WoW player. It has the beauty of Guild Wars with the (positive) MMO experience of WoW, with a huge game world and the added randomness of rift activity that means the zone is never quite the same from one day to the next. My absolute favorite part is that we CAN converse with the opposing faction in the /s context, which is great forRift is a fantastic MMO, and a worthy successor to the WoW player. It has the beauty of Guild Wars with the (positive) MMO experience of WoW, with a huge game world and the added randomness of rift activity that means the zone is never quite the same from one day to the next. My absolute favorite part is that we CAN converse with the opposing faction in the /s context, which is great for rift coordination or talking smack depending on the server style you choose. There is also a tremendous amount of flexibility in the spec design (souls): up to 4 preset soul combinations, and each of those 4 can be reset and the souls changed at any time. What that means in terms of gameplay is that my rogue can quest/farm with a ranged spec, tank with another spec, become a stealthy assassin with a 3rd, or a healer with the 4th. That is the ultimate in toon flexibility, and is true for three of the four class types (I think mage is the only one without a tanking tree option).… Expand
  59. Livret
    Mar 20, 2011
    10
    Rift is a great game. headstart was great. there arent a lot problems. If problems occur, trion solves them fast and very competent. graphics are awesome. the community is friendly and willingly to help others in game and in the forums. servers are full and there are enough other players to play with.. rift is worth every penny, ill definiatly continue playing it after free month .. itsRift is a great game. headstart was great. there arent a lot problems. If problems occur, trion solves them fast and very competent. graphics are awesome. the community is friendly and willingly to help others in game and in the forums. servers are full and there are enough other players to play with.. rift is worth every penny, ill definiatly continue playing it after free month .. its worth a look.. so if ur not sure, just try it.. i think u will love it :)… Expand
  60. scotius
    Mar 19, 2011
    8
    This is a very good game. Its not quite as polished as Warcraft but, considering this has just released, that is to be expected. The level of polish it does have, however, is amazing. The visuals in this game are absolutely astounding outside of the opening areas and I really did believe that I was fighting in a Great War in a fantasy world - very well done to the developers for achievingThis is a very good game. Its not quite as polished as Warcraft but, considering this has just released, that is to be expected. The level of polish it does have, however, is amazing. The visuals in this game are absolutely astounding outside of the opening areas and I really did believe that I was fighting in a Great War in a fantasy world - very well done to the developers for achieving this level of immersion. As I just mentioned, however, the opening areas where you will begin your journey are a bit cliched and not as good looking as the other areas in the game so I am going to substract a couple of points for that. The character creation and progression systems are also very well realised. At a time when World of Warcraft is cutting choice when it comes to our characters in half (all talent trees chopped to pieces, less spells, less customization), Rift has given the (obvious?) option of having 3 talent trees. The result of this is a set of skills, powers, spells and abilities that could be utterly unique if you wish it to be or the fad of the month if you play that way. When it comes to pvp Rift has some battlegrounds that are very innovative compared to the tired, boring, 6 year old "capture the flag" and "resource battles" that WoW keeps on pumping out, having taken ideas from console pvp games such as HALO and Gears of War. Lastly, World of Warcrafts graphical engine, having been developed in 1999 is starting to show its age. I will always be the first to say that gameplay is more important than graphics but what if you could have a game that has WoWs gameplay with mind blowing, next-gen, immersive graphics? That game is Rift. Because of the poor starting areas that nearly made me quit, the stupid story and the fact that it is not quite as polished as World of Warcraft, I am going to subtract 1.5 points from ten (0.5 minus for each bad point) and give this game a very well deserved 8.5. If you are bored of World of Warcraft I urge you to give this cheeky little game a shot. I hope you enjoy Rift as much as I have and let me just finally add that the PVE RP server EU has a very good community.… Expand
  61. cassus
    Mar 19, 2011
    7
    There's really nothing bad about this game, on the flip-side, there's not a lot of great stuff either. After about 100 hours of playing I lost all interest in continuing. I had quite a lot of fun doing rift events. PvP was okay-ish, and the questing was.. well.. Questing will always be dull in mmorpg's it would seem. The game has a nice interface, quest log and map markers and stuff, allThere's really nothing bad about this game, on the flip-side, there's not a lot of great stuff either. After about 100 hours of playing I lost all interest in continuing. I had quite a lot of fun doing rift events. PvP was okay-ish, and the questing was.. well.. Questing will always be dull in mmorpg's it would seem. The game has a nice interface, quest log and map markers and stuff, all very nice. It shows that the developers have been playing WoW for a while and stole many of the addon designs for that game. The real problem is that the gameplay is just a ton of stuff you've already played a million times. And the casting/combat in the game has a sluggish feel to it that's just uncalled for in this day and age. It's slower and more janky than WoW, and 5 years past the release of WoW, there's just no excuse. Combat doesn't feel immediate at all, it feels like you're just queuing up stuff for your character to do at its leisure. Suggesting spellcasts and attacks, much like the olden days of mmo's. With games like Tera and Guild Wars 2 on the horizon, going for that old tick based sluggish combat system seems like an odd choice. I assume the reason they went for such a system over a more direct control instant cast type system is that the netcode of the game feels somewhat unrefined. All in all, though, it's probably the best mmo so far in 2011, and if you were let down by the crappiness of Cataclysm, it's well worth a try. If for nothing else than the Rift events, which are pretty sweet, and shows just how awesome Guild Wars 2 is going to be with its way more complex public quest type gameplay.… Expand
  62. makdrumz
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    Right now the user positive reviews are 108 where the negative ones are 14 which says something on its own. I won't say anything more than that Rift is similar, if not better, in content and gameplay to WoW and it barely just launched. The present and future for this game looks bright. On the other hand WoW had no future since its first expansion. Congrats to Trion.
  63. Fireside
    Mar 18, 2011
    7
    Got a rogue to level 30, then quit playing. 0 interest in ever playing this game again. It was fun till level 25, then it just got boring. Maybe i'm not in the right mindset for mmo's at the moment.
  64. DANEger
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    Hand's down the best MMO at launch since WoW, speaking of WoW if you love it but now hate it take a vacation from Azeroth and come on down. after talking to a lot about the Cata launch this just may be the bigger change of pace you need with no hit to quality. it all feels familiar yet different. While far more drastic that Coke Vs Pepsi it is easily a matter of taste between the 2.Hand's down the best MMO at launch since WoW, speaking of WoW if you love it but now hate it take a vacation from Azeroth and come on down. after talking to a lot about the Cata launch this just may be the bigger change of pace you need with no hit to quality. it all feels familiar yet different. While far more drastic that Coke Vs Pepsi it is easily a matter of taste between the 2. Overall the game is nicely balanced both in terms of what you can do and what you charter can be an has potential for improvement.… Expand
  65. Lantzalot
    Mar 16, 2011
    10
    This MMO has had one of the most smooth launches in quite some time. The soul system is quite refreshing compared to some generic garbage that other MMO's put out. The public group system is a breath of fresh air as well, which makes grouping quite easy. This MMO takes past features from other games and incorporates them in, making the game extremely familiar from the get go. It may not beThis MMO has had one of the most smooth launches in quite some time. The soul system is quite refreshing compared to some generic garbage that other MMO's put out. The public group system is a breath of fresh air as well, which makes grouping quite easy. This MMO takes past features from other games and incorporates them in, making the game extremely familiar from the get go. It may not be 100% original, but it does a great job non the less. Graphics are superb as well and the music is lively. I'd recommend this to anyone, whether you're new to the MMO scene or a veteran.… Expand
  66. Mozleron
    Mar 15, 2011
    9
    Rift is what i would consider to be the culmination of many of the best ideas in the MMO market to date. It capitalizes on many of the features that have made those before it great. There is not really anything revolutionary about Rift, but that's OK as i think Trion did a good job with the evolutionary steps they made with each system, from the world events that you can choose toRift is what i would consider to be the culmination of many of the best ideas in the MMO market to date. It capitalizes on many of the features that have made those before it great. There is not really anything revolutionary about Rift, but that's OK as i think Trion did a good job with the evolutionary steps they made with each system, from the world events that you can choose to partake in, to the highly flexible class system, you'll see the hallmarks of the past (and current) greats all around you. One feature i particularly like is the Public Grouping option. If you're running after that elusive named mob somewhere in the world, and you see someone else just about to attack it, there is no need to panic. Just select the other player, and click the little "Join Group" button at the top of their portrait. Once the mob has been dispatched (you did actually help kill it, right?), you both get credit and can continue on your separate ways.… Expand
  67. Sharuko
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    An amazing MMO that has me hooked. I usually get bored of MMOs quickly, but not Rift. It has content, story, pacing, environment all fleshed out. I hope to see this game flourish because it deserves it.
  68. mystere3
    Mar 15, 2011
    8
    I wasnt particularly expecting to get sucked into this game. I had tried Aeon when it came out here because i was trying to find a new game to recapture that feeling of discovery that i used to have with WoW. but that place didnt grab me and the controls felt clunky. so i wasn't expecting to get sucked into this the way WoW grabbed me when it was released. But I seem to be willingly givingI wasnt particularly expecting to get sucked into this game. I had tried Aeon when it came out here because i was trying to find a new game to recapture that feeling of discovery that i used to have with WoW. but that place didnt grab me and the controls felt clunky. so i wasn't expecting to get sucked into this the way WoW grabbed me when it was released. But I seem to be willingly giving the game a lot of my time.

    This game seems to just take a lot of how wow does things and run with it. So getting into it is easy. The part that is making this place exciting for me, is the rifts. once you get out of the starter zone (lvl5 or so?) you're in a leveling zone where these rifts and invasions and whatnot happen. you go to deal with them, and you join a public group (if you want) with the click of a button. and you're in a raid before you hit lvl 10! sometimes the entire zone is under attack, and it feels like an entirely new place. its exciting how these events go down, and the more you chase down rifts, you get a different kind of currency. my toon is lvl 16 or so, and i already bought her a "blue" quality weapon and chest-piece with the spoils from chasing rifts. But invasions may happen a little too often. Sometimes I just want to quest, but the world is in chaos and you're quest-giver is busy. and when you're a lower toon, theres a limit to how much you can help. a lvl 9 sabateur's bombs dont do much to a lvl 18 invader...except attain dangerous aggro sometimes.

    Then theres the class system. I'm really enjoying that. you can mix and match taking 3 out of 8 specializations within each class. each with its own talent tree. there is some redundancy where theres no reason to use the skill from tree A when the skill from B does exactly the same thing with no cooldown, but they all have unique things as well. Its fun to try to build an interesting new class. I enjoy the freedom of choice but there's a lot of options, and when it comes to setting up a character for roles in instances it can get a little confusing trying to decide on the best way to spend your points. I dont know if i made good choices, but they are fun to play so screw it.

    Lastly, the game has been REMARKABLY STABLE! i remember when WoW came out there were server crashes galore. Hotfixes up the ying-yang trying to keep the game stable. I have not experienced a single server crash yet. I havent even had a crash locally yet. Finally an MMO that really finished Beta in Beta and released a fully functional game. Bravo Trion!

    Anyways, i'm enjoying it, and i suggest giving it a shot. I'm gonna give it an 8 because theres a ton of 10s and i'm not really that deep in yet, but its a really enjoyable game so far.â    … Expand
  69. Nerresand
    Mar 14, 2011
    8
    I am (like, I suspect, many other Rift players) a long-time World of Warcraft player who saw Rift as a promising alternative. WoW kept my attention for over five years, but it has become rather stale, and it hasn't done much to address its core deficiencies over the years. Rift made the wise decision to not diverge radically from the familiar MMO format, but rather offer new twists andI am (like, I suspect, many other Rift players) a long-time World of Warcraft player who saw Rift as a promising alternative. WoW kept my attention for over five years, but it has become rather stale, and it hasn't done much to address its core deficiencies over the years. Rift made the wise decision to not diverge radically from the familiar MMO format, but rather offer new twists and variations that really enhance the experience. This very well executed balance makes Rift a familiar but refreshing experience. Environments are pretty decent and atmospheric, the audio and visual quality is good, and the class variation and customization is the most welcome aspect of this game. Just about the only thing that annoys me about this game is how much it penalizes you for trying to avoid fights - if you get hit from behind while running, a harsh debuff stacks up increasing the damage you take. Combine that with the fact that you get knocked off your mount pretty easily, and the fact that level gaps make no difference to an enemy's aggro radius, and you have an environment in which simply getting around can be somewhat tiresome. It's an annoyance, but the game overall is a nice, refreshing newcomer to an MMO world that is abundant in quantity but lacking in quality.… Expand
  70. majypoo
    Mar 13, 2011
    3
    Honestly don't see what the fuss is about, Rift is a average game that has done nothing to progress the MMO genre. It's just so bland, boring and dull with the same old same old kill 10 badgers quest system. Animations are clunky with overuse of glow effects, PvP is unbalanced due to many souls. Dungeons lack imagination and are far to easy, the game doesn't offer a challenge at all andHonestly don't see what the fuss is about, Rift is a average game that has done nothing to progress the MMO genre. It's just so bland, boring and dull with the same old same old kill 10 badgers quest system. Animations are clunky with overuse of glow effects, PvP is unbalanced due to many souls. Dungeons lack imagination and are far to easy, the game doesn't offer a challenge at all and the Rifts just get in your way and become tedious.… Expand
  71. tunaphish6
    Mar 13, 2011
    7
    It's always difficult to review an MMo. While just about any and every MMo will have problems and glitches upon launch, usually they can be ironed and the game improved upon over time. However, there are many things that are simply too ingrained into the game, its gameplay, mechanics or engine to readily be changed.
    Half the reason any other MMo's have been successful is the general    It's always difficult to review an MMo. While just about any and every MMo will have problems and glitches upon launch, usually they can be ironed and the game improved upon over time. However, there are many things that are simply too ingrained into the game, its gameplay, mechanics or engine to readily be changed.
    Half the reason any other MMo's have been successful is the general fluid-ness of gameplay, its (default) interface, graphics and animations. While the graphics might seem 'modernized' compare to more dated MMo's, no screenshot can do justice to how jarring the animation can be. Personally, I'm    … Expand
  72. Deyadissa
    Mar 13, 2011
    6
    LAcks PvP endgame Content, doe snot keep it's name for next generation even in Pve. Raids are boring and it's the same mechanics we've seen before.
  73. TwsitedComplex
    Mar 13, 2011
    4
    I give this an average score for an average game

    There's nothing special about it. It's just blah.

    Skip this if youre playing one already. If you're pining for an MMO, then play a free one until something good comes along this year
  74. CowardlyDog
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best MMOs I have played since Vanilla WoW. The Questing and Leveling, while traditional and linear, is enjoyable, as well as Rifts (Public Quests) and the Planar Invasions that go along with them. This game has very good graphics for a mmo, which helps with good environmental design,(Iron Pine Peaks is probably the best Snowy region a mmo has ever done to date). AndThis is one of the best MMOs I have played since Vanilla WoW. The Questing and Leveling, while traditional and linear, is enjoyable, as well as Rifts (Public Quests) and the Planar Invasions that go along with them. This game has very good graphics for a mmo, which helps with good environmental design,(Iron Pine Peaks is probably the best Snowy region a mmo has ever done to date). And good class system also adds to the enjoyment.… Expand
  75. Quickdraw
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    This is a solid MMORPG. It fits into the genre and does not challenge the bounds of that genre in the least, while adding a modicum of innovation in terms of dynamic content that gives players a choice between different MMOs. The developers have produced a solid product. MMO's get better and stronger as time passes. Trion Worlds developers have shown an inclination to react andThis is a solid MMORPG. It fits into the genre and does not challenge the bounds of that genre in the least, while adding a modicum of innovation in terms of dynamic content that gives players a choice between different MMOs. The developers have produced a solid product. MMO's get better and stronger as time passes. Trion Worlds developers have shown an inclination to react and respond to issues and concerns in a much different way than has been addressed in other MMOs, improving on things in a timely and professional manner. The maturity of the game community and the opportunities that affords also provides a clear distinction from other MMOs. Nonetheless, if one is a fan of one type of MMO and expectations are not managed, such players will find little satisfaction with this game. Kudos to the Trion team. Hope things only get better from here.… Expand
  76. Element_Five
    Mar 11, 2011
    10
    This could seriously be the best MMO Ive ever played, everything is running smoothly. The dynamic world with the rifts are wonderful. I got hooked during the beta, ordered the Collectors Edition and are 100% satisfied.
  77. Midgetelf
    Mar 10, 2011
    9
    The game's story is a bit cliche for my taste. You are either a good guy or a baddie, and you're fighting against the ultimate baddies while beating each other up. Only reason I'd not give this a solid 10. The industry needs to break away from WoW (or for that matter EQ) stereotypes. At least there are no orcs?

    BUT the gameplay is smooth, the graphics are a definite step up from    The game's story is a bit cliche for my taste. You are either a good guy or a baddie, and you're fighting against the ultimate baddies while beating each other up. Only reason I'd not give this a solid 10. The industry needs to break away from WoW (or for that matter EQ) stereotypes. At least there are no orcs?

    BUT the gameplay is smooth, the graphics are a definite step up from previous MMO's, and the customization for your character is unique and powerful. The world events add a new aspect of gaming to the genre, and bring players together in a way that seems meaningful outside of repetitive instancing. Overall a fun way to pass the time between work and sleep.

    The fact that I got the game on the day it was released and there were no tech issues, or 10 hours of patching was a plus as well. Trion delivered a polished game from the date of release, at least 1 studio figured out how to do it!    … Expand
  78. Kapo
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    If you love WoW and still play it right now it is inevitable that you will go back but if you have quit and are looking for a fresh new MMO this game is a definite winner in the genre. I have played almost all of the big name MMOs and this is definately the best MMO since WoW.
  79. Padfoot13
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    I decided to go out on a limb and buy Rift on steam the other day. It was such a great decision. The game Looks amazing and the game play is just as good. The class system is so open-ended that it makes replay value pretty high. If you're looking for a well paced, fun and just down right awesome MMO to play, Rift is your game.
  80. Gravenhawk
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    Great game from graphics to class system. It takes alot of the good from past mmos but thats a good thing in my book. I want a good ol mmo like eq eq2 and wow when it first came out. With the latest games Rift hits the spot.
  81. pazmacats
    Mar 10, 2011
    0
    Game has problems with connection and performance. 50 pages of tech problem thread in 7 days speak for themselves. Customer support is awful. Gameplay: Kill and fetch PvE quest system. Farm'n grind, nothing new. Several different currencies allow for specialized grinding. Rift events are permanently popping up everywhere and not challenging. PvP is chaotic, restricted, unbalanced andGame has problems with connection and performance. 50 pages of tech problem thread in 7 days speak for themselves. Customer support is awful. Gameplay: Kill and fetch PvE quest system. Farm'n grind, nothing new. Several different currencies allow for specialized grinding. Rift events are permanently popping up everywhere and not challenging. PvP is chaotic, restricted, unbalanced and pointless (no gain whatsoever if the other player was attacked by a mob). If I was able to play it I'd rate it 4/10. But I get disconnected on a regular basis, so the game is unplayable = 0/10. Continuing to wait for Guild Wars 2.â… Expand
  82. BeyondCops
    Mar 10, 2011
    10
    Smoothest launch ever, great experience so far. This game is sick. I've had a great time playing it, it's probably the game that IF people were to take 2 seconds out of there time on WoW, would ACTUALLY have the chance of taking it over. At least until Diablo 3, ha.
  83. Renegade666
    Mar 7, 2011
    10
    Having played just about every MMO out there, this is by far the smoothest launch in a long, long time. Server's are busy without being too busy, every running very nicely.

    On to the game - as previous reviewers have said, this game basically takes all of the best features of the best MMOs and adds a ton of polish. Talent trees from wow become the Soul System - much better Public quests    Having played just about every MMO out there, this is by far the smoothest launch in a long, long time. Server's are busy without being too busy, every running very nicely.

    On to the game - as previous reviewers have said, this game basically takes all of the best features of the best MMOs and adds a ton of polish.

    Talent trees from wow become the Soul System - much better
    Public quests from warhammer become rifts - much better
    User Interface from Wow is taken and improved a load, its like playing wow with a load of add ons (like bartender) pre-installed - much better
    Questing from Wow cataclysm is taken pretty much as-is - you get a fairly linear questing structure leading you from hub to hub.
    Mounts are buyable at level 1 if you have the cash - much better

    People may criticize this game lack of originality, but the fact is that it is better than all of the competition in almost all respects.

    A great launch!    … Expand
  84. luvhavingfun
    Mar 7, 2011
    6
    What sets this game apart is the zone wide events, customizable talent trees, and Raiding in the game world instead of an instance. I can't say that this is a superb game quite yet, because i am VERY picky about games. This game doesn't live up to my insane high quality standards, but it does do a decent job of being a typical MMORPG. There is definitely a grind in this game, but itWhat sets this game apart is the zone wide events, customizable talent trees, and Raiding in the game world instead of an instance. I can't say that this is a superb game quite yet, because i am VERY picky about games. This game doesn't live up to my insane high quality standards, but it does do a decent job of being a typical MMORPG. There is definitely a grind in this game, but it isn't terrible. I am giving this a low score because I am an explorer type player and an altoholic as well. I love choice and being encouraged to chose what I want to do and how I want to do it. It is the starting experience I am not liking at all and the linear leveling zones with little to no choice at the moment. Not that this will never change though. A year from now and this game could be really quite amazing. I have to say that this game in my opinion just won't compete against SWTOR and Guild Wars 2 at all. Once those two games come out, either at the same time or seperately, rift will not be able to compete at all. It just doesn't have the amazing Bioware team with loyal established fans nor the already established ArenaNet to help it out. I say this game will be $30 or less by the fall of 2011, and probably talking about buy to play or free to play by spring 2012.… Expand
  85. Prime
    Mar 7, 2011
    9
    RIFT is brilliant! At first you think its just another WoW Clone, but after a short Playtime you see that RIFT makes a lot better than WoW. RIFT improved the best things from many other MMO's. The Rifts and Invasions are really funny. Everywhere is action and something to do! No longtime single grinding or questing.
  86. Kari
    Mar 6, 2011
    10
    Loving this game. Whilst many of the mechanics are standard MMO mechanics (and let me be clear, most MMOs since Meridian have had similar mechanics (Everquest, UO, EQ2, etc.) the game is still very fun. The rifts add a fantastic dynamic and I find that I spend half my time running around defeating them and still leveling to boot. Definitely worth a pick up, but do us all a favour andLoving this game. Whilst many of the mechanics are standard MMO mechanics (and let me be clear, most MMOs since Meridian have had similar mechanics (Everquest, UO, EQ2, etc.) the game is still very fun. The rifts add a fantastic dynamic and I find that I spend half my time running around defeating them and still leveling to boot. Definitely worth a pick up, but do us all a favour and play till at least level 20 before you decide it's not for you. As you progress in the game and explore the souls you realize how (in good ways) it differs from WoW.… Expand
  87. Swampy
    Mar 6, 2011
    9
    Delivery problems aside, this has to be pretty much the slickest MMO launch for years (if not ever). The game is remarkably polished and extremely fun today. Sure it's not a gaming revolution, it's an evolution taking what's good in there genre and trying to improve on it, and adding their own little twists. So on getting out the stable door.. 10/10 this game will live or die by it'sDelivery problems aside, this has to be pretty much the slickest MMO launch for years (if not ever). The game is remarkably polished and extremely fun today. Sure it's not a gaming revolution, it's an evolution taking what's good in there genre and trying to improve on it, and adding their own little twists. So on getting out the stable door.. 10/10 this game will live or die by it's scheduled updates and community attitude!… Expand
  88. ConnerT
    Mar 6, 2011
    10
    Absolutely phenomenal game. Is full of content, extremely stable, and the developers are great. Trion Worlds have crafted a game that could be a powerful contender to World of Warcraft.
  89. LedBetter
    Mar 5, 2011
    10
    Incredible and fully featured MMO...finally!!

    After years of half finished, buggy, broken MMO games we have the next step in MMO gaming. What WoW was to Everquest Rift is to WoW. It's incredibly polished with loads and loads of content. It unique, fun, thrilling dynamic Rift system that can take over town hubs and the like if you don't stop it and an amazing class system allowing you to    Incredible and fully featured MMO...finally!!

    After years of half finished, buggy, broken MMO games we have the next step in MMO gaming. What WoW was to Everquest Rift is to WoW. It's incredibly polished with loads and loads of content. It unique, fun, thrilling dynamic Rift system that can take over town hubs and the like if you don't stop it and an amazing class system allowing you to create the class of your dreams. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  90. TDoonan
    Mar 5, 2011
    10
    This game is very similar to WoW. But why shouldn't it be? It took all the things that WoW has and added to them. A smart move by Trion. The class/ soul system is unique and allows for many combinations. Haven t been to end game yet but what i have done deserves a rating of 10.
  91. WMD
    Mar 5, 2011
    9
    Experience: Have been playing since the fifth beta. Currently have a level 46 cleric. Played WoW (and virtually ever other MMO) prior to Rift. Soul System: The soul system allows for flexibility when designing your character. Each class (Warrior, Cleric, Rogue, Mage) has eight souls for PVE, and one soul specifically for PVP. You can utilize any three souls at any given time. Mages canExperience: Have been playing since the fifth beta. Currently have a level 46 cleric. Played WoW (and virtually ever other MMO) prior to Rift. Soul System: The soul system allows for flexibility when designing your character. Each class (Warrior, Cleric, Rogue, Mage) has eight souls for PVE, and one soul specifically for PVP. You can utilize any three souls at any given time. Mages can heal and rogues can tank.

    Graphics: The Gamebryo engine does a good job of bringing high-fidelty graphics to computer systems while only requiring a DX9 capable graphics card. Textures are extremely detailed and do a good job of pulling you into the world. Spell effects are detailed and abundant but not overbearing so much that they overwhelm and detract from the beauty of the game world.

    Rifts: The games namesake are randomly spawning events in which a tear between the game world and an elemental plane will open drawing through it multiple enemies. If left unchecked the rifts will continue spawning NPC's which will attempt to overthrow both defiant and guardian safe havens and quest hubs. The rifts create two things. First, they create a feeling of a living changing world, you might log out one day in a tranquil forest, and log in the next in the middle of a fire rift, the earth scorched and black, to promptly get your ass handed to you by multiple mobs. Pro tip: Log out in a town. Second, they require cooperation I have seen quest hubs overthrown and groups of complete strangers band together to overthrow the elemental usurpers. This required cooperation creates a sense of community.

    Rift Invasion: At any given time there may be four or five rifts open in a zone (the number varies depending on the number of player characters in the zone). Rift Invasions tend to happen when the zone is very crowded. All of a sudden fifteen+ rifts will open up and hundreds of NPC's will spawn and attempt to take over the entire zone, destroying defiance and guardians alike, as well as their respective quest hubs and towns. The entire zone will be given a quest to repel the elemental invasion, and upon doing so will spawn a zone boss. The boss will require a raid of people (sometimes forty+ people) to defeat. Epic. UI: The entire UI is completely customizable out of the box. There is no need for any third party add-ons to reorganize your UI. As a note, for better or worse, Trion has taken a stance AGAINST the creation of third party add-ons. I have yet to find a need, or want, for a third party add-on. Certain built in features, for example, the ability to search your inventory for an item by typing in its name (your bags open up and every item other than one you were searching for are grayed out) show that Trion took great pains to make the UI as user friendly as possible. One other neat UI feature, if you are alt+tabbed out of the game and are attacked your Rift tray Icon will blink red, if you are sent a tell it will blink yellow.

    Combat: Very little new to see here, if you have played World of Warcraft, or virtually any current day MMO you will feel at home in Rift. You have an action bar(s) upon which you place abilities that are activated by clicking them. You find an enemy, target it, and wail on it, and your abilities until the mob is dead (or you are... maybe you should have healed yourself first).

    Questing: Trion has not re-written the book on questing with the release of Rift. Quest for the most part are kill X, collect X, return to me and I will give you a bread crumb quest to your next quest hub. It is tried and true, and it works. I have yet to get bored with the questing, but I haven't been overly excited by it either. They have preserved the status quo here.

    Launch: The games launch has gone extremely smoothly. Trion has added thirty+ servers in order to reduce queue times . Trion has been patching the game three to four times a week, downtime ranging from thirty minutes to an hour, with server maintenance once a week lasting four to six hours. Server performance has been stable even during rift invasions involving fifty+ PC's and even more NPC's. For those wondering, the US based servers are located in Dallas, Texas.

    Bugs: There have been very few game breaking bugs since release, the only one of which I can think of required Trion to disable a tradeskill (runecrafting) due to a crafty player figuring out a way to exploit the profession. Overall the game feels polished far beyond its age.

    The game in it's current form is worth a purchase for anyone interested in MMO's.    … Expand
  92. djgLXXII
    Mar 5, 2011
    10
    I admit, when I first started playing Rift in Beta 4 I wasn't too terribly impressed. Sure, the graphics were pretty good but the combat didn't really set my world on fire. But things have improved considerably since then and I'm now an active purchaser/subscriber. I've played WoW since 2004 and while it's too early to tell if Rift is a "better" game, I will say that it's certainly oneI admit, when I first started playing Rift in Beta 4 I wasn't too terribly impressed. Sure, the graphics were pretty good but the combat didn't really set my world on fire. But things have improved considerably since then and I'm now an active purchaser/subscriber. I've played WoW since 2004 and while it's too early to tell if Rift is a "better" game, I will say that it's certainly one of the first new MMOs to come along that feels complete with tons of stuff to do. The world is new and gorgeous, combat IS a lot of fun once you start gaining abilities, the soul system rocks, and the rift invasions are a ton of fun. My initial impressions of the rifts/invasions were that they might be gimmicky -- but they've yet to become a bore or tiresome. As others have yet, the quest system isn't anything amazing, but the rifts really do help break up the monotony of leveling. In fact, I would say it hasn't been monotonous at all!

    Rift is an excellent game. For anyone to rate this game below a 7 hasn't really played it for any length of time OR is desperately wanting a next-gen MMO (which this isn't-- just an evolution of what we're familiar with). If you are a new player to WoW I would say you'd probably be happier staying with that. But if you're like me and have played WoW for years and have grown tired of its "same ol same ol'", then give Rift a try. I think you'll definitely enjoy your time in Telara.    … Expand
  93. footfall
    Mar 5, 2011
    10
    A uniquely polished game. It combines all the great elements from previous MMO's and creates a solid experience. Spiritual successor to EQ2? I think so! Trion's well poised to become a common name amongst gamers.
  94. hallei
    Mar 5, 2011
    5
    Lots of grass roots marketing fake reviews going on here in the user comments. Anyways, I love MMO's played Rift, nothing spectacular. It's your A typical MMO RPG. Not bad, but nothing new. If you are a Wow player, stick with Wow. Now if Rift goes free to play, it might be worth checking out.
  95. Ghengiz
    Mar 5, 2011
    10
    I had a lot of doubts in 2009 when this game was Heroes of Telara, but over the last two years it has really become something worth playing. The controls and core gameplay are familiar, but the level of polish is excellent. Moreover, the Rifts and the huge invasions have kept me up later and later over the last few nights since launch. The world feels dangerous, yet I feel like myI had a lot of doubts in 2009 when this game was Heroes of Telara, but over the last two years it has really become something worth playing. The controls and core gameplay are familiar, but the level of polish is excellent. Moreover, the Rifts and the huge invasions have kept me up later and later over the last few nights since launch. The world feels dangerous, yet I feel like my character, because I got to choose my classes, is powerful enough to stand tall. A+… Expand
  96. Valkon
    Mar 4, 2011
    10
    Excellent game with new gameplay features. The rift system is really fun, especially how it integrates while leveling. The game looks great and polished, which is a big plus for a game just released. The class system is a lot of fun as well and a fresh mix to the same class tier system in every MMO.
  97. Uberwolfe
    Mar 4, 2011
    8
    As per many RPG's, get past the mundane starting zones and you will find this is a quality MMO. Yes it is a blatant rip-off of WoW, but there are enough differences to keep it seperate. I must say, I was disappointed for the first day I played, loved it the second day, now I am thoroughly enjoying myself. Be patient and give it a go and you will find yourself hooked.
  98. LongtimeGamer
    Mar 3, 2011
    10
    Great game. Feels very new innovations to the MMORPG gaming field. Classes are very creative as you can mix and match and find what you like most. No longer are you restricted so heavily. Graphics are beautiful. Anyone who knocks this game hasnt really played it. They are probably just a die hard wow fanatic who compares everything to a piece of junk like wow.
  99. Morpheus
    Mar 3, 2011
    10
    Love this game. Finally a MMO for MMO players. The game's overall polish and stability are legendary in a field where all too often players are ready to accept sub-par launches. Rift is the complete package - a fantasy mmo with all the trappings (pvp/crafting) with a system that will leave you reading skill trees for a long time. Its extremely fun to build your character in so manyLove this game. Finally a MMO for MMO players. The game's overall polish and stability are legendary in a field where all too often players are ready to accept sub-par launches. Rift is the complete package - a fantasy mmo with all the trappings (pvp/crafting) with a system that will leave you reading skill trees for a long time. Its extremely fun to build your character in so many different ways and still have a great time. The public quest feature is extremely fun, allowing you the "big game" feeling on a smaller scale. You can close rifts throughout the world for rewards, and each rift feels like you are contributing to a larger cause. I can't wait to see where Rift takes me.… Expand
  100. kozmonster
    Mar 3, 2011
    7
    Firstly, I should say that I think that Rift is in no way a bad game. For a game that has just came out it runs fairly well, has quests placed in a well thought out order, and has an interesting way of doing character progression. The rift concept works well to break up the leveling grind and from what I've seen it doesn't look like there will be racial imbalances for apposing factions.Firstly, I should say that I think that Rift is in no way a bad game. For a game that has just came out it runs fairly well, has quests placed in a well thought out order, and has an interesting way of doing character progression. The rift concept works well to break up the leveling grind and from what I've seen it doesn't look like there will be racial imbalances for apposing factions. For a game that just came out it has very few bugs and graphics are nice. The reason I cant give this game a positive score aside from the minor bugs that should be fixed with a patch is because of the lack of innovation. It isn't a terrible thing to take the better aspects from other games and use them, but after this many years of mmo's, one might expect something more than the standard quest grind to end game then raiding with PvP mixed in there every now and then. If you like WoW chances are you'll like Rift because in the end its almost the same game. Not that its a bad thing, but I'm just tired of playing the same game with different names.… Expand
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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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