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. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    8
    I have spent countless hours playing this game, mostly levelling, I did some dungeons and PvP too. Despite being accused of copying WoW I found many things in this game very refreshing. It has a unique atmosphere, which is one of the most important factors for me. Despite being an MMO it is quite immersive too. I also like character creation and some of the questlines aren't that bad. OneI have spent countless hours playing this game, mostly levelling, I did some dungeons and PvP too. Despite being accused of copying WoW I found many things in this game very refreshing. It has a unique atmosphere, which is one of the most important factors for me. Despite being an MMO it is quite immersive too. I also like character creation and some of the questlines aren't that bad. One of the flwas is however repetitive quest design. There is too much of the same quests. Even though the good potential is there, the later questing experience feels very generic at time. But, overall, the game is pretty solid and Trion knows well what it is doing. First few weeks after launch I was completely addicted to this game and the experience was blast! The game is still very good, I spent few weeks in it a year ago. Good stuff.… Expand
  2. gathor
    Jun 3, 2015
    0
    A good game that went downhill fast with lots of bugs and performance issues even after months.
    Lots of balance issues since 3.0 from zones to classes and don't even let me start ranting about the $$$ shop where you can even buy new classes (rift calls them roles)
  3. Szani
    Sep 20, 2014
    3
    Grind fest mmo, very poorly optimized game client, kind of not bad implementation of f2p, but not best. End game isn't very satisfying. Bad class balance and nearly destroyed PVP experience, boring dungeons (imba mega grind, as I said).
  4. Nick95
    Nov 13, 2014
    1
    Rift used to be a nice game before it became "Free to Play" (or better said: Free to Pay).
    Since a year the game is going downhill faster and faster in both gameplay and stability. On top of that, the Customer Support almost completely disappeared and don't be surprised if you report a serious bug and find it still there even after many months.
    That is, except when the bug causes less    Rift used to be a nice game before it became "Free to Play" (or better said: Free to Pay).
    Since a year the game is going downhill faster and faster in both gameplay and stability. On top of that, the Customer Support almost completely disappeared and don't be surprised if you report a serious bug and find it still there even after many months.

    That is, except when the bug causes less income for Trion (like too much exp of too many free gifts ingame) , because then they suddenly have enough capacity to patch within 12-24 hours.

    With the release of 3.0 the game lost even the last bit of balance and there is no point of doing the 1-60 zones anymore because of the low quality gear, low exp and the new "sidekick" system, which makes it possible to party with a lvl 65 and instantly gets your level set to 65 and run around in the new zone.

    i tried and level 1-50 now can be done in less than 3 hours (that is if you dont buy the instant-60 item that instantly makes your char lvl 60)

    Since the game became FTP, Trion has been slowly (and without even informing players) removinig more and more items you needed to make the game attractive for Free players.
    Sneaky because these kinds of changes never make it to the patchnotes so after every patch you have to wait and see if they didnt remove or disable something.

    Now it comes to a point where you either have to grind low level dungeons for gear (good luck in finding anyone even willing to do low level dungeons now all dungeonrewards are removed from the game)
    or spend real money to buy gear.

    If you are planning to switch from WoW to Rift because it's Free to Play and thus cheaper, you will be in for a nasty surprise.

    On top of that, the number of gamecrashes increased dramaticly since the release of 3.0. Even with newer game pc's and graph. cards you can endup crashing every 10 minutes.
    That is, if you didnt already got disconnected because of the huge latency spikes the game is experiencing since 3,0 (and not will be fixed since Trion keeps telling us it's not a serverside problem)

    Conclusion: The game was great in the beginning, but Trion moved on to a new (and more expensive) policy, so it's time for the players to move on to another (cheaper) game.    … Expand
  5. DemonicAnahka
    Mar 2, 2011
    10
    This game is visually stunning, beautiful textures and effects. Revolutionary game play. This takes the best of other MMOs and makes it its own in a unique and fluid way. I've been with this game since day one of closed beta. Do not let WoW humpers fool you! This is not a WoW copy, simply an MMO they see as a threat.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. Blackcompany
    Aug 16, 2011
    2
    Did you play WoW? Did you enjoy WoW? Would you like to play WoW again, with slightly improved graphics and completely improved and innovated, well, nothing else? If you answered yes to these three questions, then perhaps Rift is for you. The game features loads typical MMO fare, replete with endless grinding, enemies completely devoif of personality, shoddy combat animations, weightlessDid you play WoW? Did you enjoy WoW? Would you like to play WoW again, with slightly improved graphics and completely improved and innovated, well, nothing else? If you answered yes to these three questions, then perhaps Rift is for you. The game features loads typical MMO fare, replete with endless grinding, enemies completely devoif of personality, shoddy combat animations, weightless weapon strikes, repetitive click fests while fighting and a never-ending need to craft items for the sake of crafting items. As for the game's namesake, the Rifts are an interesting mechanic. Unfortunately, you really just end up staring at the same invasion time and again, day after day and even hour after hour. Watching the same mobs and same boss invade 10 minutes after you just defeated that invasion really kills the fun. If you can find any in this endless grindfest to begin with. A must play for hardcore MMO lovers; a must avoid for everyone looking for a game with any sort of personality.… Expand
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. Drewcifer
    Apr 13, 2011
    10
    Iâ
  26. Nehaxak
    Jul 3, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a good few months now since the release of Rift and the flaws within it and the ineptitude, incompetence and sheer lack of experience by Trion in the MMO scene is so shockingly evident at this stage.

    The PvP in the game and the state of it, is absolutely dire and has been since the start, with no effort from Trion to even show a modicum of change to set things right.

    The instanced PvP (warfronts as they're called, similar to Wow's Battlegrounds) although fun for a while, get very boring and repetitive - I should know, my main character is Rank 6 prestige in pvp.

    That boredom and repetitive nature of the warfronts (coupled with Trion inexplicably and inexcusably allowing premade groups to farm those that have joined the warfronts as solo puggers) makes your goal toward the higher ranks in pvp an absolute horrible grind - and after all that, there's nothing to aim for other than going back to those same warfronts to compete against those same premades again and again - zero fun.

    In the latest patch (June 2011) 1.3 - Trion attempted to address the premades wrecking everyone else's fun in the warfronts by splitting the queue system, so premades had to play premades and the solo pug players could just enjoy the fun of the warfront and the balanced challenge that they bring without premades destroying it for everyone.
    Lo and behold though, not a week passed with that patch being implmented when Trion reverted on their change to the queue system and we're all back to square one.
    When the 1.3 patch first hit, the queue to get into a warfront if you were solo was instant, even in the early hours of the morning, instant queue, decent enough fun.
    When Trion reverted the change in the subsequent hotfix 5 - the queues have gone from instant to between 10 minutes to an hour or more, worse even outside of primetime hours.
    This was mainly due to players just giving up at this stage, having had enough of the incompetance shown by Trion and coupled with a large majority of players boycotting the warfronts or just quitting the game completely - it really is that bad and it really is that big of a deal. That Trion have failed miserably to even forsee this, shows how bad and inexperinced they are to the MMO scene and the contempt with which they view the majority of their own paying customers.

    World pvp is almost non existent and that which does exist is baseless and tiresome. There's no goal to any open world pvp, no point and no fun. Trions response to this was to introduce some daily pve based quests, kill this mob, collect this stuff, lalala, oh and as your reward ? Here, have some free pvp favor and prestige points (WHAT THE HELL!!!).
    Oh, there was one daily quest which required you to kill members of the opposite faction - though the point of same on a pve server seems to be lost on Trion as that daily and none of the others auto flagged a person for pvp - seriously, face, palm, wall, head, bang, repeat...

    From a PvE perspective, there's a bunch of 5 man dungeons which you will need to farm constantly (yawn...) to get plaques/tokens for Tier gear, most just skip the T1 dungeons and go straight for the T2's due to Trion making them so much easier in a previous patch - bad mistake. The Dungeons were fine as they were, they were hard, they were a challenge - now they're just another boring grind, something you have to do to get the gear to allow you progress your character for raiding purposes.

    As for the Raids, they're a challenge at the start but generally, they're also fairly boring and lacklustre.

    There is no real end game in Rift, there really isn't, no matter how many Trion shills will post otherwise on forums et all, there is no end game. At this moment in time in Rift, there is no point and nothing to aim for after you've hit 50, ran the required dungeons to gear up and got yourself into a decent raiding guild. Once you've done the raids a few times you're left wondering what the hell do you do now ? So you dabble in pvp maybe ? Oh no, no no no, just don't go there. I mean sure, you can throw a guild premade together maybe and steamroll all over a bunch of solo players - but honestly, how fun is that after a few times ? There's no competition, no fun, no challenge.

    Rift had an awful lot of potential but alas, as always it seems the case these days, the developers themselves kill the game off before it's even had a chance to settle down to pull in the required amount of serious followers.

    Don't bother with this game, don't waste your time. It's just another poor clone of Wow, badly implemented, badly supported and full of utter fail.    … Expand
  27. Riot
    Jul 30, 2011
    4
    This game is nothing more than a WOW clone with some improvements and fine touches here and there, few bugs and a very prompt developer studio when it comes to patches and adding content so far. the graphics are very nice although while running the game using the recommended hardware, FPS starts to drop at medium settings. The Soul engine is a nice addition to RPG, but it does not workThis game is nothing more than a WOW clone with some improvements and fine touches here and there, few bugs and a very prompt developer studio when it comes to patches and adding content so far. the graphics are very nice although while running the game using the recommended hardware, FPS starts to drop at medium settings. The Soul engine is a nice addition to RPG, but it does not work very well and it confuses players ranging from newbies to mmo veterans. The crafting is an absolute joke, there is nothing new here, the same professions you can find in any other fantasy mmo and leveling them up is a child's play. The quests add nothing new to the genre, same kill X, gather Y time intensive tasks to keep you more in game. The gear and items are basically the same as in most mmos, I encountered dozens of profession items that have the same icons and names and probably even prices wow has. I have to admit the Rifts are probably the best addition especially because it really makes players group together via the auto grouping feature so at least they are trying to not make it another solo rpg. All in all it is not worth it, either if you want an alternative to wow (and I'm comparing it to wow because Trion marketed this game as a better, more polished alternative to the giant). So in conclusion this looked to me as a game especially made so that Trion can grab a big share of the mmo market and grow some capital. Honestly, you get more atmosphere and involvement from LOTRO (which is free) that this game. On the other hand, I am more curious on their upcoming game Defiance, I hope it will sur class this yet another second hand fantasy mmo.… Expand
  28. vistachiri
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    Rift used to be a pretty good game. It still is in many aspects, but it's extremely hampered by both it's f2p nature, and the absolute refusal of the dev team to back down from things even when faced with impending disaster. The recent Auction changes are a clear cash grab and rather than address these problems immediately when they have a 100+ page thread of mostly angry players staringRift used to be a pretty good game. It still is in many aspects, but it's extremely hampered by both it's f2p nature, and the absolute refusal of the dev team to back down from things even when faced with impending disaster. The recent Auction changes are a clear cash grab and rather than address these problems immediately when they have a 100+ page thread of mostly angry players staring them in the face, they take a weeks vacation? Seriously?

    Then they proceed to double down and just reduce the listing fees again, rather than going back to the previous system and fixing the actual problems (absolute lack of any sort of meaningful plat sink because you can buy everything cheaper in the credits from microtransactions). All the while touting this as an improvement to the game. Keep in mind that you need to actually use credits to access this auction house in the first place, and at the same time they introduce limited slot buy orders that you can purchase with, you guessed it, credits.

    If this is any indication of how they do business, I'd recommend avoiding this entirely.    … Expand
  29. 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.
  30. 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
  31. tollo555
    Aug 29, 2012
    1
    Under shiny graphics hides a polished turd. Quests are typical bring/kill x numbers of [insert here a random mob/item name] from start to level cap 50. PvP is an unbalanced joke, and an insult to the players Trion didn't do anything when people exploited new Conquest war front during its launch period. I found a new synonym to word boring; Rift.
  32. 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
  33. 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
  34. 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.
  35. 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
  36. celerelery
    Dec 7, 2011
    0
    It started off as a neat MMO trying to go against the standard archetypes, however, it's essentially devolved into your typically generic classes.

    It tries too hard to not be WoW, but is basically a self-hating, shoddy WoW clone that has Trion Worlds funneling a huge amount of their resources into their other two games Defiance and End of Worlds. You can easily tap out previous    It started off as a neat MMO trying to go against the standard archetypes, however, it's essentially devolved into your typically generic classes.

    It tries too hard to not be WoW, but is basically a self-hating, shoddy WoW clone that has Trion Worlds funneling a huge amount of their resources into their other two games Defiance and End of Worlds.

    You can easily tap out previous content and basically end up with very little to do and just waiting for updates. The PvP is sub-standard since the majority of players focus PvE.

    The game started out strong, was fun learning, but once you're established in end game you really notice the blaring balance problems. Honestly would not advise getting very into it since there isn't really anywhere to go once you've finished raid progression and many guilds have pretty horrible retention so you just get stuck in progression loops.

    Fun game, just horrible class balancing and limited, redundant content.    … Expand
  37. vixxycrowe
    Apr 27, 2012
    0
    I have had bad experiences with their customer support if you go buy their lil thing to see if your computer is playable with the game I passed with flying colors only all my defiant toons constantly crashed... turn around crash, move crash... porticulum and crash I know people with crappy laptops that didn't have the problems I had and all they wanted to do was point the finger at me. IfI have had bad experiences with their customer support if you go buy their lil thing to see if your computer is playable with the game I passed with flying colors only all my defiant toons constantly crashed... turn around crash, move crash... porticulum and crash I know people with crappy laptops that didn't have the problems I had and all they wanted to do was point the finger at me. If there was any sort of compatibility with windows processes or my vid card shouldn't they want to fix it? If you look at their forums you can also see many people complain that on the deepwood server they had the same problems and all had great systems. I didn't raid so i didn't need to use vent but by what they kept telling me is the only thing that should be running is rift itself... what a joke. What games require you to not be able to use anything but their specific game while yer playing that is a bit ridiculous and I've played way more bum heavy games than rift as far as pc reqs go and NEVER had a problem with any of them but Rift. They refuse to give me my money back. Trion in my opinion is a bad company with bad customer service… Expand
  38. Demonware_Corp
    Feb 22, 2014
    0
    booooooring! More of "kill 5 of that" or "bring me 5 of this". Nothing new under the sun. Its a ridiculous easy solo game, a bad copy or others MMOs. Bad colors, the armors and weapons looks horrible and forget to do nothing until level 50. Definitely overrated game. And remember, if Adam Gershowitz is there, forget the balance between classes.
  39. 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
  40. 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
  41. 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
  42. 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.
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. 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.
  46. Azuri
    Mar 2, 2012
    10
    Currently the best subscription based MMO on the market hands down. Customer support second to none and developers who actually passionate about their product. It's nice to see the decisions made for the game aren't done by the accounts. AKA micro transactions. Free transfers, mobile APP etc etc.
  47. ahumanfemale
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    I decided to give this game a shot after becoming increasingly bored with WoW. After years of playing, I can say for me that that game had hit its peak for me.

    Rift took a page from WoW's playbook with the UI and questing themes. However, it's also possible to completely avoid questing altogether with an okay lower level pvp system, a really good world event system and queues for a    I decided to give this game a shot after becoming increasingly bored with WoW. After years of playing, I can say for me that that game had hit its peak for me.

    Rift took a page from WoW's playbook with the UI and questing themes. However, it's also possible to completely avoid questing altogether with an okay lower level pvp system, a really good world event system and queues for a dungeon (at least for me) were easy and painless.

    I completely disagree with the 'You like WoW, they do that same thing over here' being a factor on whether I like this game. I will make the observation that a vast number of WoW's additions to the game have not been groundbreaking or original in any way in and of themselves, up to and including their UI development which has been based largely on extremely popular MODs that were available for years. It seems like every day I log on, there's something new. The development team is working hard to constantly update content, world events, items, flavor and each release has come. The world events are much more involving, easy to locate, and on my server at least there is a healthy population of people every time there is one to complete it, even at lower levels. The game does a lot to encourage using it, with a large number of high level characters wherever you go. The leveling is perhaps a touch too fast, and perhaps with the next expansion that can be lowered. However there is planar leveling post-50 which is a nice way to have all those things you're doing at the endgame count for something lasting other than gear.

    The class system is a point of contention and celebration at this point. While there are a seemingly limitless number of things you can do in any particular class, picking a good spec for the endgame is sometimes a daunting challenge.

    I won't say that this is the 'OMG BEST GAME EVER' (yet), but after 9 months of playing the game I can say that it's holding up to the test of time for me. The content flows out steadily, the team isn't afraid to add new content (Planar Abilities, and the newer post-50 experience gains are compelling) and I don't find myself logging to to just stand around in a major city. Every patch is bringing something new to the game, and it's fun to log on and find out what Rift has been up to!    … Expand
  48. hannan05
    Apr 28, 2012
    10
    I love this game I have played it for almost a year now, there is so much to do and with all the new things Trion comes out with you wont stay down long! Rifts, raiding, 20 mans, 10 mans, 5 man dungeons! its just a great game i really do love it.
  49. Sugewise
    May 17, 2012
    8
    Rift is a fantastic MMO. Great graphics, beautiful and detailed landscapes. Trion is an amazing development company that truly gives players there sub's worth. However I felt there were some downs to the game(your opinion may vary). Personally I felt the story was bland and boring, and didn't do a good job of pulling me into the story. Another dislike was how the classes lacked anyRift is a fantastic MMO. Great graphics, beautiful and detailed landscapes. Trion is an amazing development company that truly gives players there sub's worth. However I felt there were some downs to the game(your opinion may vary). Personally I felt the story was bland and boring, and didn't do a good job of pulling me into the story. Another dislike was how the classes lacked any unique mechanics, and many skill trees seemed to be very close to wow skill trees. Also no real open pvp(rvr style) was a downer. That being said, the game play and rifts were fun.… Expand
  50. 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.
  51. 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
  52. 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
  53. 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.
  54. 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
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. 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
  59. lasagnafeeder
    Jul 19, 2011
    9
    Excellent MMO for both newcomers to the genre and those tired of WoW. After logging about 100 hours on Rift, I decided to open up WoW just to see what it felt like, and soon realized that I simply could not return to azeroth after experiencing what I now consider to be the best MMO currently on the market. Like others have said, the graphics (if you are capable of running the game, thatExcellent MMO for both newcomers to the genre and those tired of WoW. After logging about 100 hours on Rift, I decided to open up WoW just to see what it felt like, and soon realized that I simply could not return to azeroth after experiencing what I now consider to be the best MMO currently on the market. Like others have said, the graphics (if you are capable of running the game, that is) are beautiful and the scenery will blow you away in comparison to WoW's cartoony locales and characters. The first time I saw the city of Meridian towering in the distance across the fields of freemarch, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. The gameplay, while similar to WoW and most other MMORPG's, is still fun and as addicting as ever. Admittedly, there is still a lot of content to be added to the game, but I have faith in Trion and believe that they are serious about listening to the community. Don't listen to the Blizzard/WoW fanboys, Rift is a top-of-the-line MMO and your money and time will not be wasted if you choose to take the plunge and adventure in Telara. You owe it to yourself to at least try this game.… Expand
  60. 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
  61. 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
  62. 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.
  63. 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.
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. 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.
  67. 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
  68. 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
  69. 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
  70. Vlorious
    Jul 5, 2011
    8
    I enjoy playing RIFT but...
    First, the good: I love the classes. The skill trees are extremely cool and varied. I'm sure the powergamers can tell you what's better then what, but the fun factor for me is great. I felt interested every time I leveled. The game also plays extremely smooth, graphics are good, rifts are, imo interesting and varied. Community is mostly friendly, outside    I enjoy playing RIFT but...
    First, the good: I love the classes. The skill trees are extremely cool and varied. I'm sure the powergamers can tell you what's better then what, but the fun factor for me is great. I felt interested every time I leveled. The game also plays extremely smooth, graphics are good, rifts are, imo interesting and varied. Community is mostly friendly, outside of your normal problems
    The bad: Leveling is extremely fast, it's so easy to solo that I seldom bothered to group - I'm paying for an MMO, I think group content should be featured more then solo content (but I'm an old EQ player where you couldn't have solo'd beyond the entry levels). So many possible actions that there is some button overload. Uncertain: I'm not into PVP, so I have no way to judge that - it looked well set up, but I have no idea. I dislike the 'can't group with them' thing that's started filling MMO's -- why cut your player base in half and have half of them lose out on half of your content? I'lll never understand that.    … Expand
  71. Patches13
    May 27, 2014
    2
    Don't bother unless you plan to spend roughly $30 USD for 1 set of souls and then have to spend $30 more dollars to get another set of souls so you are relevant for content.

    Don't bother if you think the forum's are going to help you learn your class, mostly filled with a toxic player community that is actively encouraged by Trion's Modder's. If the PTW doesn't spoil this game for    Don't bother unless you plan to spend roughly $30 USD for 1 set of souls and then have to spend $30 more dollars to get another set of souls so you are relevant for content.

    Don't bother if you think the forum's are going to help you learn your class, mostly filled with a toxic player community that is actively encouraged by Trion's Modder's.

    If the PTW doesn't spoil this game for you then the Trion support staff will.    … Expand
  72. 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.
  73. 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
  74. 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 !
  75. 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
  76. 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
  77. 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
  78. 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
  79. metacritiq
    Nov 18, 2013
    0
    Get quest, kill 5/5 things, return, get reward. Repeat.

    This game is junk following in the WoW gameplay style, and brings nothing new to the table.
  80. 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
  81. 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
  82. 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.
  83. AnSith
    Dec 11, 2014
    0
    Game going downhill fast. Persistent bugs, very poor performance (no multicore support) and lack of customer service. Every aspect of the game is being monetized to the point where any competitive play necessitates cash shop purchases. Items you purchase in the store are also changed without warning, rendering them useless as well. Gambling purchases are available without published odds.Game going downhill fast. Persistent bugs, very poor performance (no multicore support) and lack of customer service. Every aspect of the game is being monetized to the point where any competitive play necessitates cash shop purchases. Items you purchase in the store are also changed without warning, rendering them useless as well. Gambling purchases are available without published odds. Buyer beware. Many tricks, many traps.… Expand
  84. 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
  85. 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
  86. 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.
  87. Mrmoobs
    Sep 23, 2011
    8
    The best MMO ive played since beating my addiction to WoW. The soul system is fantastic, allowing you to personalize your own character to how you want to play it.. granted that certain soul combinations are used more then others and work the best, but that doesnt stop the option being there. :)
  88. nikkoleth
    Aug 25, 2011
    10
    Rift is just a very well designed game. It doesn't try to re-invent the wheel. Trion has seen things that work, and things that don't, and developed a game accordingly. The few bad parts about this game are more than overcompensated by the steady influx of new content.
  89. Fredelas
    Jul 18, 2011
    7
    Lacking in end-game at launch, but frequent live events are entertaining. Not a lot of new concepts, but the game play is still fun and above average.
  90. Zibarath
    Jul 9, 2011
    8
    Rift has a great first impression, deeper character customization than most MMO's except for Aion. Logging into the game you are immediately caught in the middle of either an apocalyptic future for the Defiant or a very bloody past for the Guardians. The class system is very intuitive, from the four beginning archetypes you get, you get 8 different "soul" trees plus a PvP tree. You canRift has a great first impression, deeper character customization than most MMO's except for Aion. Logging into the game you are immediately caught in the middle of either an apocalyptic future for the Defiant or a very bloody past for the Guardians. The class system is very intuitive, from the four beginning archetypes you get, you get 8 different "soul" trees plus a PvP tree. You can have 3 different souls on your current talent tree combination, and 5 different "dual-specs" you can buy from your trainer. Classes are pretty much balanced, with a few minor exceptions (mostly in PvP). Being a Cataclysm veteran, I have to say the questing is not as great, but, every zone builds up to where it culminates at some conclusion, and the game has quite a bit of lore with a much darker story line. One of the major parts of the game, the rift system, introduces a very dynamic world. Every zone has 3 rift elements, and there can be around 20 types of each rift per zone, plus the zone-wide invasions where the planar forces lay siege on the entire zone. For end game the dungeon system allows for randoms on normal, tier 1 and 2 expert dungeons, which are the "heroic mode" for dungeons. The dungeons, even are normal, are a bit hard, but expert brings that to the next level, each tier being harder. There are also raids and raid/expert rifts you can do for higher rewards. The learning curve is a bit steep but prepares you enough for the end-game. In PvP there are 4 battle grounds or war fronts. There's one where you need to hold a fang longer than the other team, one where you have to dominate the map, a capture the flag, and a flow blown battle to kill the commanding officer of the other team. This game is breath of fresh air from WoW. There are easy in-game character transfer methods, tutorials, and the game pretty much prepares you for end game content ahead of time with rifts and normal dungeons. The graphics in this game are far superior to most (if not all) good MMOs out there, if your card can handle it. There is an easy Looking for Dungeon (LFD) tool and instant queues for all battlegrounds. Rift encourages being social, guilds have weekly quests for great rewards, you get amazing guild perks, and there is no experience penalty for being in a group (like in WoW). The crafting system in the game is very easy. There are many gathering and crafting abilities, there is an easy crafting menu to manage your skills, and best of all the items you get while crafting are very useful and, if you keep your level on par with your crafting skill (which isn't too hard) you should be able to even use the armor, spells, potions, etc. that you craft. If you are one of those people who just go for those crazy achievements and to collect everything, you're in luck. In Rift you find artifacts which can be added to a special artifact collection tab. Artifacts can tell stories and clear up some lore for you, and you can trade them in for fun items. If you find a book, you can also pick it up and put it in another bar specifically for books. In some cases, quests may be mundane or repetitive, but there is so much to do while you're leveling that if you don't like this quest, go do something else or just go into a new zone. Rift does have some down points, queues can be very long, the lore may not be up to snuff with what you're used to, but most of these can be easily overlooked and do not prevent you from having a great time. Rift is, as I've said, a real breath of fresh air in the MMO community. It certainly isn't a WoW killer, but if you were looking for a new MMO to play, this is for you. Also, if you don't want to pay the hefty fee that WoW costs to buy WoW, BC, Wotlk, and Cataclysm, this game is certainly worth the money, even if it isn't very old or popular. Rift has been out for 6 months and already 3 major patches with raids, so expect the amount of end game content in the future to be astounding. This is a chance for someone to start at the very beginning of an MMO, a whole new world to explore, there are puzzles, artifacts, and amazing quests. This game will feel very familiar, especially the UI (plus you can customize the UI), but it does give a very great feel to the game. I would very much recommend this to a friend (in fact, I already have friends that I got hooked onto it). Despite it's minor downfalls, Trion has created an amazing new title, and I hope new MMOs take a bit out of Rift in the future.… Expand
  91. AlphaOmega22
    Aug 2, 2011
    10
    I've played about every note worthy mmo to date and rift is right up there with the best. truly fun to play and nice to look at. every aspect is solid and fells polished, almost like its been of for a couple years instead of a couple months. Any one in to mmo's owes it to himself to give this a try.If its this good now i cant imagine one or two years from now! Great job trion!!
  92. Sargonnas
    Aug 10, 2011
    9
    Rift is a game that will surprise you. Some consider it a WoW clone, but it does enough things different to separate itself from other MMO's around it. The developers put out content faster than anything Ive seen in any MMO over the last 15 years. Its hard to really compare Rift and WoW, but the only thing WoW really has going for itself over Rift is multiple expansions. Is the gameRift is a game that will surprise you. Some consider it a WoW clone, but it does enough things different to separate itself from other MMO's around it. The developers put out content faster than anything Ive seen in any MMO over the last 15 years. Its hard to really compare Rift and WoW, but the only thing WoW really has going for itself over Rift is multiple expansions. Is the game perfect? No, not at all, but the developers do a lot to add more to the game so I am content knowing that this gem will only improve with time.… Expand
  93. mashina
    Aug 27, 2011
    8
    RIGHTS : In these hard times with a lot of whiners on forums and "WOW KILLER QUOTES" its really hard to prove your rights. RIFT took old principles from games like World of Warcraft, Aion and others .. and put them into great looking next-gen MMO shell. I can say honestly the RIFT is actually the one and the right choice for people who want to start with MMORPG. I can say this game have aRIGHTS : In these hard times with a lot of whiners on forums and "WOW KILLER QUOTES" its really hard to prove your rights. RIFT took old principles from games like World of Warcraft, Aion and others .. and put them into great looking next-gen MMO shell. I can say honestly the RIFT is actually the one and the right choice for people who want to start with MMORPG. I can say this game have a perfect nvidia surround and Eyefinity support which is not a rule in 8 games out of 10. MINUS : RIFT still need its time to grow up .. content is still little low, few dungeons, few locations making harder and harder your leveling with every new character and if you want really enjoy the game you bet have a good computer because low-details graphics looks worst than WoW.… Expand
  94. CaptainMushroom
    Oct 2, 2011
    9
    Before I went to Rift I had been playing World of Warcraft for about 2,5 years. I was tired off the same game all over again (it wasn't a bad experience though) and I was looking for a fresh new experience. I've been playing Rift for a while now and I must say Trion did an excellent job in creating Rift. The visuals are extremely well, movement is smooth, and there's a ton of things to do.Before I went to Rift I had been playing World of Warcraft for about 2,5 years. I was tired off the same game all over again (it wasn't a bad experience though) and I was looking for a fresh new experience. I've been playing Rift for a while now and I must say Trion did an excellent job in creating Rift. The visuals are extremely well, movement is smooth, and there's a ton of things to do. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that quests are still the standard quests we know from the MMORPG industry. Kill x, Go to x, Click x.… Expand
  95. veseli81
    Oct 11, 2011
    10
    Rift is a great game!!! Probajte ovu igru i sigurno necete zazaliti, wow je napokon dobio dostojnog naslednika, na zalost baza igraca sa prostora balkana je veoma mala i to je po meni jedini minus igri za sad... nadam se da ce se to promeniti:)
  96. Skumbo
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    A great MMO for "hardcore" RPG players who miss the vanilla days of wow, with a dark fantasy twist. The enemies are unique, skill system fantastic and flexible, and the visuals are top notch. PVP can feel sluggish, but is rewarding when you consider pvp rifting, etc etc.

    constant, steady new content is fueling this game, and has really kept it fun and fresh unlike other MMO's slow big updates.
  97. TehBigCarp
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    I heart this game for the dynamic gameplay that no other game can provide at the moment. I love the graphics that are truly amazing with the stunning detail. The game has so many different possibilities, you are left with much to do and it is all very fun! If you do not raid, you can get to 50 and get bored quick, just like other mmo's, but Trion pushes out content faster than any otherI heart this game for the dynamic gameplay that no other game can provide at the moment. I love the graphics that are truly amazing with the stunning detail. The game has so many different possibilities, you are left with much to do and it is all very fun! If you do not raid, you can get to 50 and get bored quick, just like other mmo's, but Trion pushes out content faster than any other company out there leaving you bored for such a brief moment of time. Definitely worth a shot.… Expand
  98. xifoz11
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Rift is definitely a suggestion for an MMO I would give to my friends. I feel that Rift has very nice graphics and smooth gameplay, there is always something to do and it has decent playerbase.
  99. sundog005
    Apr 16, 2012
    5
    I played rift til level 30, its a WoW clone like AoC and most MMO's out there...if you like that stuff you'll love Rift its WoW in a new setting, ofc it has all the old problems WoW did, Elitism over gear, unbalanced class's that can solo better than others, in fact solo elites in a bikini and not lose any health from what i saw and heard....if you are a power player and like no challengeI played rift til level 30, its a WoW clone like AoC and most MMO's out there...if you like that stuff you'll love Rift its WoW in a new setting, ofc it has all the old problems WoW did, Elitism over gear, unbalanced class's that can solo better than others, in fact solo elites in a bikini and not lose any health from what i saw and heard....if you are a power player and like no challenge and bragging rights its a game for you....the Clerics and Mages don't even need to rest or buy drinks, I believe the phrase the players use is "Duracel" Clerics and "Energizer" mages....they seem to be oblivious of the fact that if you are fighting elites solo and not losing health the game is broken badly. The macro system is also a leet kids wet dream of convenience and mash this button to win gameplay, the players didn't even talk to each other in instances or when they did it was a novelty thing, sad proof that tactics and teamwork were not required in this so called MULTIPLAYER game...try the trial don't buy it like i did you'll regret it, if you're an old school fairplay gamer like me...unless they fundamentally change it in the new patch which i haven't seen any signs of, i'm not going back....bring on a balanced MMO someone please! sheesh or even something vaguely original lol...i ask too much obviously! apologies *sighes and heads back to skyrim with his tail between his legs*
    It gets 5 for the cool Rift effects!    … Expand
  100. ePxOscuraNiebla
    Apr 7, 2012
    10
    Great graphics, great storyline, great gameplay!
    Absolutely fantastic MMO i ever played, you guys would really love this baby, if you ever played MMO before then i know that this will the best MMO u ever play :)
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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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