Mabinogi

"Compared to other free MMO's it is worth the download"

Let me say one thing first. I will not be comparing this to P2P MMO's, but to other free MMO's. I don't find it fair to say "lolz dis game is t3h suckiest go buy WoW it is teh 1337ness." Anyway, on to the review.

One thing about this game is you must decide what kind of MMO you like to play. If all you want to do is go kill more monsters and go explore dungeons so you can get more money to buy more stuff so you can go in harder dungeons this game may not be for you. While this game has some very nice dungeons (each dungeon will randomly generate a layout so it is never the same), it focuses on more than just combat. This game is more of a fantasy life type game. You can get a part time job, go to school to learn magic, learn an instrument, make your own clothes etc. etc. etc. If you like a game where there is more to do then just go kill stuff this game is for you.

The combat sceme is... interesting. Instead of the average "I slashes j00, you turn" it takes place in real time. For begginers there is an auto combat where you simply click on the enemy and your character does the rest, or there is a manual combat system. In manual combat if you get a solid hit on your opponet you can keep clicking to keep going with succesive hits until your opponet recovers. I like the combat scheme, it keeps you involved in the fight instead of just watching. Although, if you don't want to have to be involved in your combat (you know who you are, you click on the boss and then go get a bag of chips) then you might not enjoy the system.

Now I'm sure your wondering "what about the other activities you mentioned? are they any good?" and my answer is yes. Even if your a newbie you can go to the shop and buy yourself a lute and learn to play it, and eventually start composing your own music. Say the clothes at the store aren't fitting your style, go get some cloth (or make it) and stitch your own outfit. Now eventually these things can get boring but that's when you go down into a dungeon and kill a giant spider in your "designer duds."

Overall I would say this game is a pretty good F2P MMO. There is plenty to do, an intuitive combat system, and some nice activities.

Pros
+F2P
+Plenty to do
+intuitive combat

Cons
-because of other activities the combat occasionaly feels lackluster
-can be a little overwhelming as a new player

overall rating: 7/10, worth the download.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/26/08

Game Release: Mabinogi (US, 01/31/08)