9Dragons

"Best Kung Fu mmorpg out there... And it's FREE!"

Introduction -

9Dragons Online is the best of several MMO worlds. It offers high quality action, good story, good leveling system, good damage system, a good community, has great visuals, and is free of charge! It also has the distinction of being the best Kung Fu mmo on the market, pay2play or not. The game is set in China during the Ming Dynasty and includes actual Chinese geography / historical features such as the Great Wall of China and the famous Shaolin Temple. Everything is designed to make you feel like you are advancing from a lonely beggar to a competent kung fu warrior. In many ways it mirrors an actual kung fu movie.

Gameplay -

Gameplay is very similar to several other Korean MMORPG, but with a few notable changes and tweaks. There is the familiar "hotkey bar" that you can assign skills to for easy usage. Movement is like Ragnarok Online or Granado Espada, where you simply click where you need to go. However, as you progress in the game, a new mode of transport called "light foot" will become available to you. This allows you to control your character in much the same way as a car, with the added benefit of constantly going faster as you increase the skill. There are 6 different clans you can join, each with 4 different major "roles". This gives players a wide assortment of options in terms advancement and character style. You can do everything from Drunken Boxing to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style sword play, depending on the clan and role you choose. There is an extensive upgrade system and virtually limitless opportunities to make your character stronger. One pleasant surprise is that virtually every item drop is useful in some way, from quest items to new weapons. Anything you can't use can be sold for profit. Also, you'll have no problem finding a leveling party. I am constantly getting party invites and the community is very helpful. Little things like being able to kill farm animals in town create an amusing atmosphere. Overall I would say the gameplay is extremely good, even addictive. I consider it to be a vast improvement over other Korean MMORPG games.

Story -

The story largely depends on what clan you choose. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but I will say that the story is largely a high quality one. For the first time ever, they have finally created a quality Korean to English translation that is eloquent and easy to understand. The quest concepts are fun and often amusing. Once again, a vast improvement over other Korean MMORPG games.

Graphics/Sound -

The graphics are geared for high frame rate and will run smoothly on a wide variety of systems. The game has the look and feel of a high quality PS2 game. Scenery is very pleasant and enjoyable to walk through. Animations are quite fluid, resembling realistic movements. The Monsters, NPCs, and Character models are all very well done, and they have a polished manga like look to them. Overall I would rate the graphics as extremely good for a free game. Everything is clean and mature looking, nothing is out of place. Sound is fairly minimalist, but quality. There is a basic background music that fades in and out depending on what you are doing. All the music in the game is pleasant and has a very clean sound. Again, nothing is out of place. All the wild animals make various sounds, which adds ambience to the background. Also, you usually hear the sounds of kung fu nearby. That being said, all the kung fu sounds are very high quality and sound great.

Play Time/Replayability -

I would rate the replay value as being extremely high for a free game. Grinding is not repetitive and a lot more rewarding then other MMORPG games. Each character can advance to level 216, so there is plenty to do. There are 6 different clans, each with unique quests and story. So once you play through the storyline for one clan, there are still 5 more to enjoy! There are also various end game aspects, like guildwars style clan battles and PVP. There is certainly no shortage of things to accomplish, it's enough to keep you busy for months at a time.

Final Recommendation -

I would recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of MMORPG games and Kung Fu. It is fun to the point of being exciting and is overall a very rewarding game. Frankly, I am surprised this game is not more widely reviewed or talked about. It offers the feel of a quality pay to play game, free of charge. It also offers many features that pay to play players are already familiar with, so experienced gamers will feel right at home. I recommend giving it a quick download, I think you'll be glad you did.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/11/09

Game Release: 9Dragons (US, 05/09/07)