Overall, I leave Dino Storm in a bittersweet state of mind. On one hand I am very happy and optimistic about the future of browser-based games, given that they have been frequently overlooked within the past few years. On the other hand, however, I wish Dino Storm had been able to draw me in for a longer period of time.

Take my advice and consider doing something else with your life that's more meaningful than playing this sad excuse of a bait-and-switch. Much as I don't like poo-pooing on others' hard work and effort, I see no reason why anyone else should have to go through the same heartbreak that I did.

I love being able to talk like a pirate each and every day. Now that I have found my way through the combat system, I am a fan, pure and simple. Anyone who has a bent for strategic game play and goofy pirate jokes will adore this game.

Sadly, the game may not be around much longer if it doesn't get an influx of new or returning players. The main game areas are empty, the game client displays news from Mother's Day 2012, and there is little forum activity aside from attempts to get some customer service. Perhaps hosting a holiday event or adding new content would entice new and old players back to help Hello Kitty rescue her friends.

In the end, the DeepWorld is that of the post-apocalyptic survivor. You are almost alone in this world. You travel and gather resources, you find remnants of civilizations and you encounter the buildings of others. I only wish there was some way to leave them a note. A chalkboard you could build for a visitor to say. "Leroy was here, friend me?"

This game bored me senseless. It not only didn’t engage me, at times it seemed to go out of its way to actively repel me. While there are probably plenty of gamers out there who might enjoy a game that requires so little thought or personal engagement, I’m not one of them. I won’t be playing this game again and I won’t be looking for anything else produced by Mira Game either.

DK Online is a frustrating mess of a game. It has its good moments, but mostly is a chore. Its grinding and generic leveling system are straight out of Korea and will likely make you switch off almost instantly. Castle Sieges and the Shapeshifting system breathe some life into this bland game, but only for a few brief moments. The Sieges themselves often become disorganized and pointless, while the Shapeshifting system, although useful at first, ends up fading into the background just like any other gimmick. DK Online is not worth a fuss over.

I think this game is going to be a sleeper. For me, the only thing that might make TMI’s silly aesthetic even better is if they replaced the grown-up sound effects with recordings of gamers going, “Pew! Pew! RAWR! Crash!” But as I said, it’s still early yet. The Missing Ink is one to watch.

Salem is a stellar and charming sandbox title from Paradox Interactive. Set in the 17th century, Salem boasts a charming art style, while offering a hardcore and innovative free-to-play gaming experience. Something which is rare to come across in the current MMO market. The building and crafting system allow your character to progress and your homestead to expand, giving a rewarding and unique experience.

Darkfall: Unholy Wars is a unique title. Full-loot, full-PvP, in a huge sandbox is a daunting and grueling mechanic for an MMO. But it makes for an experience like no other MMO. The combat is fast paced, crafting is integral and character progression is constant. In addition to this, clan warfare is highly encouraged, allowing for full on clan battles, which is where the fun starts. Aventurine have made a good go of polishing up their game from the first iteration of Darkfall. Unholy Wars truly shows off what a hardcore MMORPG really is and can be.

Ragnarok Online 2, at the end of the day, is an interesting MMO with some tragic design decisions. The good news is that most of these issues can be fixed, so long as the companies choose to fix them. I imagine the Ragnarok IP of old could be popular again one day, but for the time being, most people will want to let leave this title for the carrion.

There is a reason why you have seen this crop up in many “Worst of...” lists including our own “Worst MMOs of 2013”, if it’s not for these reasons mentioned within this review, then it is for it’s downright disgraceful approach to MMO design, or just the controversy it has caused within the MMO community. Scarlet Blade is a title you’ll feel ashamed to play, and is truly one of the worst MMOs of this year.

Champions of Regnum boasts some big and enticing features. With Realm vs Realm being its main source of player retention, it aims to bring a huge dynamic player-driven battlefield to the MMO market. With these big goals set in place Regnum strives to achieve a large player base. Unfortunately it doesn’t. Its overall lackluster gameplay, unbalanced systems and chore-like grind make for a mundane and slow-plodding experience. If you’re looking for a Realm vs Realm MMO to play there are plenty of others out there. You’d be much better off playing the older and yet less archaic Dark Age of Camelot.

After all is said and done, City of Steam is a decent, if unexciting, foray into a steampunk universe. It's a game to spend an hour or so on every now and again and will likely be worth visiting from time to time. But in the end, City of Steam is buried under its own lack of inspiration to be something more.

The whimsical character and environment designs and the tactical combat seem like draws from a distance, but once in the game there is little substance to keep the things interesting. The early levels are a tedious grind that the game conveniently offers the opportunity to pay your way out of, and no real opportunity for meaningful interaction with other players. Even if you want to really dig in and learn how to get the most out of the systems, the poor documentation and dry tutorial levels make mustering the effort to play the game the challenge rather than anything in the game itself. I enjoy tactical turn-based combat, even if it’s numbers heavy and features simple graphics. Inferno Legend just isn’t enjoyable.

The bottom line is that Echo of Soul lacks the one thing your character has to purify over and over again: soul. While doing an admirable job copying games that have come before, EoS just doesn’t provide anything new. That said, there is something a little therapeutic in just logging in and completing quests. It’s not great but it hits the spot from time to time. Just like a heaping bowl of Honey Nut Spins.

Dragomon Hunter Online is fun. There are no two ways about it. The graphics are decent, the game play is solid, the defeating of Dragomon and having the at-time horrific RNG go your way and getting it for a mount is terrific and some of the little touches are welcome. It is, I believe, a diamond in the rough. If enough attention is paid to cleaning up gold sellers, making item shop prices more reasonable and some of the forced quests in to optional ones, it could be a real gem over time. Kids and anime fans will enjoy their time as one of those games to pick up now and again.

The most galling part of the whole experience is the terrible localization effort put in by the publisher. While the game was no longer in Korean most of it was poorly translated. In the words of the mighty weapon crafter that will teach you how to produce (it’s not called crafting in this game), “have a think about it, you can only learn one skill.” No really, you don’t have to think about this one. Just give this one a pass. There are plenty of other ARPGs and Asian MMOs that are a better use of your time and money.

ll in all, HeroWarz is a decent little ARPG for those who want to jump in, grind out a few instances, and jump out feeling as if something was accomplished. With a bit more attention to keeping players engaged through the addition of new features and events, it’s quite possible that HeroWarz will find its niche with its western audience.

Earthlock: Festival of Magic from Snowcastle Games is an absolute nostalgic joy to play. Feeling at once both reverential for classic 16-bit JRPGs and novel due to its western stylized setting and systems, Earthlock is a grand start to an RPG trilogy, and well worth the meager price of admission.

As a free to play game players get a ton of content with none of it locked behind a paywall. The cash shop is setup very well and isn’t obnoxious about trying to get players to spend their money. The normal cash shop items of mystery boxes, XP boosters, inventory expansion, convenience items, and costumes can be found there and everything seems to be pretty fairly priced. I am mildly concerned by some stated items and the selling of XP books, but nothing just out as being objectively bad.

Besides the familiar/pet system everything else in it has been done and at times overdone via other MMORPGs. The game is a solid MMO and can be a grind like any of its various counterparts, but it feels like a decent game that would have done better many years ago compared to today's current market of MMORPGs.

Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth is an excellent expansion to an already excellent ARPG. As I have spent time with the title’s expansion I cannot help but remember and compare it to how it felt to play through Diablo 2’s Lord of Destruction expansion. In many ways, Ashes offers the same types of refinement, story rich campaign and quality of life features that LOD did to D2. This is high praise for any expansion and if you are an owner of Grim Dawn I highly recommend picking up Ashes of Malmouth as it will be a great addition and continuation to an amazing Indie ARPG.

I looked forward to the tiles where enemies spawned in big groups rather than trickle in individually. Those moments made me feel the most challenged and rewarded. The game has a lot of fun in it for what is a decent tabletop game turned board game turned video game. All for a cheap price.

It rewards time invested, creativity and co-operation on a level that I haven’t experienced before.

Overall, the game is definitely fun and reaches the goal of bringing a whole new concept to MOBA type games. The UI design is fairly simplistic yet unique and fitting for the overall game ambiance. The new implementation of mechanics in a fast-paced environment are fairly intuitive and quick to pick up. While it may seem limited at the moment, Hoplon is actively working to expand every aspect of the game from match types to aesthetics and even playable characters. Honestly, I applaud what Hoplon has achieved and look forward to seeing what else they come up with.

Whether you are just curious or just want to step into a new adventure, Bless Online is a fantastic game-bridge between your last MMO and the next one you are looking forward to.

If you want to get away from the real world games like War Thunder and the World of series of games, give this one a try.

Is MapleStory 2 worth getting into right now? Yes, it is. There is an awesome event going on, Mapleoply, where you play a version of monopoly that has various rewards on the board. One being "Roto Air Taxi" walkies that allow you to take a free helicopter ride to any map. No better time than now at the launch of an MMO to just level and have fun then when there are a bunch of people around to do dungeons with. If you can find a class you enjoy playing or something you enjoy doing give it a try for that.

The game is a blast, both as a lone wanderer and in a group, though working in a group ensures a more satisfying result.

Despite some of the great features Astellia brings to the table, the Astel collection system, the detailed world, and a fairly balanced combat system, it isn’t enough to break from the sheer monotony, bugs, and lack of character attachment[...] There is certainly a lot to like here, for the right MMO gamer, but I wouldn’t expect Astellia to take your heart away from your main MMO squeeze for long.

The problem is, Phantasy Star Online 2 still feels like a game nearing a decade old mark. Like man MMOs of our current generation, however fun they continue to be, and however nostalgic PSO players may feel when playing, it still has a quality of being a little dated. Still, there is plenty of fight left in PSO2, and if you haven’t played it, or any version of Phantasy Star Online before, then it’s going to be new to you. Phantasy Star Online 2 is a fantastic game with a lot to offer. With a generous Free 2 Play payment model, PSO2 is certainly one of the best options out there for gamers looking to try something different, without overspending.

Legends of Aria is a tribute to some of the earliest MMORPG’s that helped define the genre that it resides in. It’s not afraid to lean into things like the grind or less than linear progression systems. This design choice leaves Aria attempting to maintain a pretty delicate balance. On the one hand, it gives players an opportunity to (re)discover what made some of the earliest MMORPG’s great. On the other hand, it can be a deterrent for players wanting to try this style of MMO out for the first time.

For being more than a simple match three or a gatcha with the same basic gameplay loops, I appreciate V4 for being something more closely resembling a “real” game on my phone. I like that everything you do increases your ability, so there’s a reason to not completely ignore research or crafting, even if it ultimately feels kind of useless. Even as someone who considers themselves a “core” gamer, there’s enough here to keep me interested which means “casual” gamers are likely going to have a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a super deep experience with actual grouping and dungeon running, epic world boss fights, and intricate PVP or crafting experiences, V4 is probably going to disappoint you rather quickly.

My time in Blade & Soul: Revolution did have some bright spots. Putting together an auto-play deck, and watching the story unfold were certainly enjoyable. Unfortunately, the hands-off approach to leveling really puts a damper on the attachment and investment to my characters. If you’re familiar with idle-games and you’re looking for an comprehensive experience, Blade & Soul: Revolution might just be the game for you.

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is the most impressive game in the series. Opening up the world, streamlining the classes, and introducing features slowly - like augments, upgrading gear, and multi-weapons, will go a long way to ease new players in to PSO2. Fans of the series will surely find a lot to love, but with a short story, limited questing, and a monotonous level grind that doesn’t provide much in the way of variation, I can see many players hopping back to the legacy PSO2 servers, or moving on to something else, until new content updates roll out over the course of the year. New Genesis is full of potential, and I’m PSE-Bursting at the seams to see what they have in store for us.

The Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah DLC is fun. I would have liked to see the area somehow attached to the main map, but I understand that there are, likely, technical limitations involved. To my knowledge, there is still no word on when server transfers will become available. The more I played this DLC, the more I have enjoyed it. But the remaining technical issues and visual bugs hold it back from being a fully immersive experience in the Conan universe. I am glad the developers have added more PvE elements to the new map. Though your mileage may vary at times. I played for hours without a single program freeze two days ago. Whereas yesterday I had two within a few hours. I initially enjoyed Conan Exiles' original map but became bored quickly. The Isle of Siptah DLC, with its various improvements, now feels more interesting to me in comparison.

The game lacks clear direction for players and relies entirely on its player base to help recruit new players. The problem with this approach is that you need players to bring players and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of those out there. In addition, Crowfall suffers from a dull combat system with rough animations and spell effects, a terribly paced end game progression system and the longest tutorial I’ve ever played. All of this coupled together makes it hard for players to want to stay engaged. I’ve been playing MMOs for almost 20 years. I struggled to keep playing Crowfall because of the issues listed. I can only imagine how a new player with little experience in the genre would feel. Crowfall wants to be more than it currently is and I do hope ArtCraft can work through some of these issues to present players to a solid PVP offering.

Bless Unleashed PC served as a nice diversion for a while. Even having a few alts created I worry about the server population, if my hollow guild is any indication. I’ll most likely visit from time to time to take part in some world boss events, but I can’t see myself sticking with it long term when other MMOs have nice expansions coming out.

Just like a visit to the carnival, even though it wasn’t the greatest experience ever, I haven’t ended a day playing Elyon feeling like I had a bad time. The bigger question for me is how long this carnival can last? We’re only a month past launch, and if you aren’t online for the daily reset, finding a group to run dungeons with can be difficult. The same can be said about finding a match for the various types of PvP. The fewer players there are, the harder it will be to turn a profit, so it won’t be long before the financials start to dictate what items go into the cash shop. And when that happens, the player base will shrink even further. So I guess I’ll keep on riding this roller coaster until it breaks down. Aaaaand, it’s gone!

I’ve really enjoyed my time in Fate of Gundabad, and while it’ll be interesting to see how the story of the Dwarves progresses from here, the journey has been worth it overall. The Dwarves are an interesting race in Middle-earth, often overlooked in favor for Men or Elves, so seeing them get their due after years of fast tracking the War of the Ring story has been a nice change of pace. The Lord of the Rings Online: Fate of Gundabad reminds me of LotRO of old, and that’s a good thing. I can’t wait to see where they take us next.

Overall, the expansion is good. The graphics still hold up, combat is fun, and the new zones are interesting to explore. The developers did a great job with the story, and while the ending was a bit of a letdown it leaves enough open story threads for hopefully something interesting in a future patch. Everquest 2 Visions of Vetrovia kept me engaged and rekindled my interest in EQ 2 to the point where I have started a new Monk and am already level 50.

Zenith: The Last City, by RamenVR, has been a hard game to rate. It is an excellent VR experience that shows what the future of a fully realized VR MMORPG could look like, and Zenith could be that MMORPG with time. The game can be a grind, especially when soloing. But the combat, group activities, and box price all are on target. Features like climbing and gliding make for a uniquely VR experience. But lack of content and the existing bugs are currently holding it back from being a must-own VR title.

Mortal Online 2 is not a complete game. This feels like an early access title in disguise, just waiting to start charging its players a $15 monthly subscription fee in order to keep development on track. The fact that its first two and a half weeks after launch was unplayable by the majority of the playerbase is the most telling of all, but in tandem with too many missing systems and features it’s not hard to think of it as an unfinished product. Thankfully, at least for now, the subscription charges are postponed until the server issue is completely resolved. But even for $39.99, I would not recommend Mortal Online 2 to anyone unless you are absolutely dying for a full loot open PvP MMORPG to play. And dying you will get – a lot.

So, is Noah’s Heart fun? Well, it can be. Is it good? If you like Genshin Impact, don’t mind monetization, don’t listen to the voice acting, and don’t care about not being able to read the story text…it might be. In general though? If you don’t mind mobile ports I’d give it another few months for fixes before I’d make another attempt at it. The current state is only half-baked at best when it comes to PC play, and if you are a primary PC player, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. Noah’s Heart may be available on PC, but it’s really just another mobile game made to fit a bigger screen while it blindly gropes for your wallet.

Chimeraland by Pixel Soft is an unpolished experience with minor bugs, but it is still weirdly fun. Player races and various creatures are some of the oddest things I have seen in any MMO. The layout of the UI for PC is not intuitive compared to mobile, and there are localization issues. Players may be turned away by some of the graphics and the initial learning curve. But if you can get by these issues, there is a lot of game here for players who enjoy exploration, survival building mechanics, and pet collection/evolution. While many of Chimeraland’s systems at a base level can feel familiar, it is a unique experience.

As a casual gamer, I can jump in at any point during a war, grab some gear, and head straight to the front lines to join up with a group of players. After a couple of hours, I can switch to a Logi role, run supplies for a while, and then jump back off again. I can jump back in the next day or the following week and do it all over again. All the while, hardcore players will happily be trudging along, gaining or losing ground. They won’t even notice my absence but will have no problem filtering me into their plans whenever I’m around. Sure, the hardcore players will most likely be part of a regiment and have more access to armored vehicles and other powerful weapons, but casual players can always find a place in the overall scheme of things. Grunts still make up the bulk of any real-world army, after all.

The content of Wrath Classic is still great and has held up over time really well. However, the many issues and bugs of the launch have dulled the experience, particularly for players on very high-population servers or players who were hoping to join friends already on high-population servers. I’m hopeful that as we move through phase one and into phase two Blizzard will continue to polish things up and get everything righted. However, their history of solid Classic launches has been a bit tarnished with this one.

I really wanted to enjoy Dual Universe, and at first I was. I truly did enjoy the grind early on, until I realized that, for the most part, the grind was all there was. The ambitious systems that define Dual Universe also doom it, and as a result there just isn’t much to do aside from harvest, sell and rinse and repeat, even if you add layer and layer of industrial complexity to the loop. While player ingenuity and artistry will make some of these systems more and more interesting, especially with LUA scripting and more, for me, it just doesn’t make for a compelling experience I can recommend.

Embers Adrift has a lot of fantastic ideas, but I just don’t feel that it is quite there yet. I do genuinely hope that the Embers Adrift team continues to make improvements and listen to their passionate community, because they will be critical in those days ahead as they start to iron out improvements and optimization issues. Maybe one day in the future I will return to Embers Adrift, but for now, I would just honestly rather play anything else.

Combat on its own just doesn’t feel satisfying enough to hold my attention-I’d kind of rather hop back onto Planetside 2 or Chivalry 2 for that. But, the combat combined with all of the features I mentioned earlier really come together to create something special-it still just needs a lot of work and polish. I especially love the concept of taking a large faction-based map and adding mmorpg elements to it, so I will absolutely be keeping my eyes on Gloria Victis over the next few months. If the developers keep making steady improvements like they are now, I’ll more than likely keep dipping my toes in every now and again to scratch that PvP itch.

The Age of Wonders IV: Dragon Dawn content patch feels like a natural addition to the game. The developers at Triumph Studios have done a great job implementing it. It adds an extra ruler type for players to explore and a dragon thematic line of spell tomes. If included in the base game, it would have easily bumped my original review score by 0.5 or even a 1.0. As a stand-alone content pack for $9.99, a few more minor additions to the new features would have gone a long way in fleshing it out. It's a good value, but not a great one.

While I still think Total War: Warhammer III: Shadows of Change is a good DLC, it could have been a great one with a few more unique mechanics. If you enjoy all three factions or really like how The Changeling gameplay sounds, it may be worth picking up sooner rather than later.

In many ways, this feels like the version of New World that Amazon really wanted to launch. It’s not perfect, and many times bugs and issues can leave it feeling a bit messy. But it’s a great MMORPG, and now is the perfect time to hop in if you’ve been on the fence.

The early access version of The Wagadu Chronicles has a unique setting, great accessibility, and a fantastic soundtrack. Unfortunately, these features does not make an exceptional game. There’s a basic framework here that needs a lot of refinement, and some direction on a core game loop. I feel like a vast majority of Wagadu is built with the premise of societal interactions, and I fear that will be a tremendous gamble from an untested niche. [Early Access Provisional Score = 30]

At $29.99, Palworld is one of the best gaming investments you can make right now, especially with the current state of AAA. It’s far from a perfect experience, but Pocketpair has already hit the ball out of the park with much of what the game has. [Early Access Score = 80]

Honestly, it feels like Enshrouded took the best aspects of multiple games in the genre and packaged them all in one place. The survival-lite aspects of Valheim are here - and even more streamlined thanks to how easy it is to repair your items (you just interact with a workbench and voila - you’re repaired), while it also has the incredible traversal and world that just begs to be explored. [Early Access Review]

Overall, Nightingale is an engaging survival game and one that feels like you can have low commitment to in order to have fun. It’s easy to pick up and put down, and has some solid foundations. Even in its early stages, Nightingale has a lot to offer players, even if it is very clearly in Early Access. I’m eager to see what the game will be further down the line when some of these issues are ironed out, and what the core narrative of the game will eventually turn out to be. For now, I’m content logging into Nightingale for a few hours every few days just to hang out with friends and explore the vast wealth of Realms the game has to offer. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

Although both are turn-based strategy games, Chaos Gate is also quite a bit different from Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Unlike Rogue Trader, you aren’t walking around your ship or the planets in Chaos Gate. So if you want lets exploration or RPG aspects and more action then Chaos Gate is likely the better fit.

AFK Journey is a great idle-strategy game with a lot of game modes, a beautiful canvas art style, and an engaging way to interact with the community through cooperative battles. Despite allowing you to select from a small pool of characters you want for when you roll for new characters, the monetization is still incredibly predatory, and nearly every game mode is completely pay to win. Knowing this, there’s still a lot here to love whether you’re playing on PC or Mobile, as this is one of, if not the best idle strategy RPG to hit the scene in a long time.

In its current state, Manor Lords just doesn’t have the staying power needed to put it into the same category as a Palworld or Valheim - at least not yet. There are just too many unfinished components to keep people playing for weeks. The development, policy, and production trees are full of skills that are still a work in progress. Combat is entertaining at best, full of small skirmishes and little control over your units (and that may never change), and although the economy model shows potential, there just aren’t enough production lines or tiers to keep you occupied beyond a few in-game years. [Early Access Review Score = 75]

All of the positives are groundwork for what could be a really exciting game. Its core gameplay has proven to be more than satisfactory and deliciously engaging — even if using slower builds feels like throwing yourself against a brick wall. But there’s still enjoyment in that. Overall, it’s a fantastic package comprised of gorgeous environments, room for experimentation in terms of character build and an interesting narrative. It will be interesting to see where No Rest for the Wicked ends up, even a week, month, or years from now. [Early Access Score = 70]

Despite my concerns when Blizzard announced they would go forward with Cataclysm Classic, this has turned out to be a much better experience than I remembered. Yes, I have seen many people step away again, but many have stayed. I hope this enjoyment keeps up through the other phases as well, but for now, Cataclysm Classic has been a real win for me. Additionally, there have been a ton of updates with streamlining leveling and speeding it up, so this is also a great time to jump in if you have been out of Classic for a while or haven’t given it a try yet.

Right now, Pax Dei is selling a promise, and it's one you have to decide if it's worth trusting with your hard-earned money. Because I do think the bones are good enough to at least give it a look when you're ready to do so. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

For now, I’d recommend it for PvE fans who aren’t too fussed about story-driven content and for new MMORPG fans who’d like a free game to sink a few hours into. It’s not ground-breaking by any means, but it was quite fun and offered a good alternative to my usual games.

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream delivers a great deal for the franchise, offering an engaging story and the chance to team up with beloved characters. While I believe it stands as the best Sword Art Online game to date, elevating the series to new heights, its repetitive gameplay and lack of content variety may hinder its long-term appeal. While its nostalgic charm shines, whether this can sustain players' interest long-term remains uncertain. Still, I'm optimistic that future installments will build on the strengths Fractured Daydream has introduced.

If you’re a survival game fan who’s willing to look past some bumps, IfSunSets might be worth your time. It’s not quite there yet, but it could grow into something exceptional, especially with improvements to the multiplayer mode. There weren’t any elements that stood out as particularly unique, but I did have fun playing it and I’m looking forward to the full version. [Early Access Provisional Score = 65]

Brighter Shores has the potential to be even more unique and enjoyable as an MMO, thanks to the development getting new and exciting features like combat abilities, trading systems, and episodes. It is likely that the success of it would depend on retaining the community’s unique identity while responding to feedback about divisive features. For the time being, it acts as an intriguing experiment in MMO design that breaks modern conventions in favor of a more classical and steady method of exploring virtual worlds and building up characters. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

ARPG sequels generally have a good track record. Diablo 2, Titan Quest 2, and many other sequels have gone on to be critically acclaimed. Path of Exile 2 is poised to do the same. As Path of Exile 2 enters Early Access, GGG is well on the way to taking ten years worth of development on Path of Exile and putting it through a strainer to filter out only the good bits. Now they are in the process of refining and polishing those bits further. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

At its very core, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is very different from more modern games. If you prefer the combat of more modern MMORPGs and/or more complete gameplay experiences, I recommend a hard pass until development is further along. [Early Access Review]

Will I keep playing Blade & Soul Neo? Probably. It’s a way for me to relive the summer of 2014, hunkered down with my laptop, next to my partner, coordinating how to duo a boss we had no right fighting. And if I stick around long enough I might even get the chance to check out classes that were released by the time I dropped the game. I just can’t see the revival of this MMORPG being a particularly large success for NCSOFT, even if I wish it would be.

As someone hoping for so much from Titan Quest 2, I am disappointed in the limited content in the Early Access launch. A single act that could feasibly be finished in 5 or 6 hours just isn’t enough. And there currently isn’t any endgame content or real replayability to keep me playing in the short term. You can also tack on a long list of negatives, including but not limited to: a short list of recycled monsters, a lack of Masteries (even though what is there is good), and extremely unbalanced gameplay. As I already said, this is more of a demo than something I would be willing to pay $30 for. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

In the end, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance doesn’t deliver anything that hasn’t been done before. The time-gated leveling experience artificially extends the game’s shallow pool of content and after that dries up the endgame isn’t interesting enough to hold players’ attention for long. Add onto that a convoluted gacha shop, and you’ve got a very middling experience.

At its core, Fellowship feels great with some rough edges to be smoothed out. The core gameplay loop is wonderful and feels great for long-time MMO dungeon fans. For new players, Fellowship does a pretty solid job at introducing you to the core systems without overwhelming you. Ultimately, though, as with MMOs, Fellowship's success will be determined by player retention. If they continue to listen to player feedback and continue to refine what is already a solid offering, Fellowship could be the Dungeon Crawler many of us have been waiting for. [Review-in-progress score = 75]

Sword of justice, while fun and heavy on exploration, falters with the amount of menus and systems it throws at you. There is a lot to experience and as leveling did not take long, you get hit with a lot of content all at once in a bit of a disjointed way. Still, Sword of Justice is fun. The story itself hasn’t really hit the mark for me yet, but with branching paths and minimal bugs, it's been great being able to go back and make new choices. Overall, as Wuxia MMORPGs have been few and far between in the west lately, I will say Sword of Justice is a pretty good entry as long as you are okay with playing casually and are not a hardcore player.

So far the opening hours feel like a world still trying to remember how its own systems are meant to harmonize. Let's hope midgame is able to pull it together. [Early Access Review]

Don’t Lose Aggro is technically still in Early Access and does deliver a functional gamewith some entertainment value, especially at an incredibly low price point. It does, at least momentarily,scratch that tanking itch and provides a somewhat realistic scenario of what it’s like to tank in MMOraids; it even includes a healer who talks down to you. This is a good opportunity to support a solo devwith their vision and maybe get a few hours of tanking nostalgia, but if you’re looking for a full-fledgedgame it really does need more time in the oven. [Early Access Score = 60]

On the whole, though, Windrose succeeds more than it falters, and it’s a surprisingly well-performing game despite being early access. I honestly can’t wait to see how this one progresses, especially as new regions and content are added in the coming months as the team works towards its full launch in the future. It’s definitely scratching that pirate fantasy itch I thought had definitively died when Atlas took a part of my soul to the briny depths with it seven years ago, and I don’t see myself stopping the sea shanties of my crew anytime soon. [Early Access Score = 80]