"GREAT game ... but not for long."

This game is currently being offered for free through open beta testing. This is probably the best time to play since you won't have to pay monthly fees. Beyond that, I don't think this game is really worthy of a monthly fee.

Graphics and Sound (10/10):

This is where the game excels. Ragnarok Online (RO) offers some of the most fresh sites and sounds out of all the games out there. The game features a 2D/3D style, in which your characters are 2D and based in a 3D world.

The graphics feature colors that are soft and colorful. I've played lots of games featuring very dark environments, and I'm happy to see a game with such a bright one. Personally, I feel this quality makes for a very enjoyable experience. The soft and colorful nature of this game makes it always seem fun, and never gloomy. There are many environments in this game. These include forests, deserts, cities, and more.

The sound in this game is absolutely amazing! In RO there are a wide variety of tracks for each environment you go into. The tracks never really seem to get boring, and they're really fun to listen to. Another great thing about the music is that the tracks are pretty long. The music has various sections and changes throughout before it loops over.

Gameplay (6/10)

This is where the game somewhat lacks. Initially, like most games, you customize your character. You have various hair styles and colors to choose from and that's about it. Nothing special in the character creation as far as appearance. The best feature of the character creation is the ability to tweak your initial stats. This is a great feature, especially if you know your priorities within the game, such as what roles you want to play (i.e. Swordsman/Mage).

So, how do you level up in this game? Well, that's simple, you fight. Click, click, click, click ... While I don't mind MMORPGs that all you do is click, there isn't much variation on what to do with your clicking.

As you fight you fill up two experience bars. One bar is for your base (overall) level, and the other is your job level. Every time you level up in your base level, you are allowed to allocate a number of points to combat stats (i.e. Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Magic Power, etc). When you level up in your job you are allowed to use points towards certain skills, which are job specific.

So what's all this about jobs? When you first start the game, you are titled as a ''Novice.'' After that, there are two classes of jobs.

As a novice, when you level up your job, you can only allocate skill points to you ''Basic Skills.'' These basic skills include the ability to open private chats, join parties (clan-like groups in which you can share EXP while fighting as a team), and also the ability sit. Sitting allows you to regenerate Hit Points and Skill Points faster (Life and Magic/skills respectively) than if you were just standing.

Once you reach Basic Skill Level 9 (which corresponds to Job Level 10 novice) you can receive your 1st class job change. These include Swordsman, Mage, Acolyte, and more. Later in the game, when you can receive your 2nd class job, you have the ability to make your first class job more advanced (i.e. Swordsman to Knight), or make a job change overall.

While the basis seems fun, there isn't really much when you get down to the nitty-gritty. I enjoy games where you can level various skills and do lots of things instead of just fighting and using your base trade. This fact leads to a lot of player interaction. If you want to improve a weapon with an item for instance, and you aren't a blacksmith, you'll have to travel the lands looking for a blacksmith to do the job for you. This can be a fast process or a very long and boring one. While this is great for communication among players, there just isn't enough variety of things to do independently.

Lastability (5/10):

Games like MMORPGs can't really have a replay value, since they never really end. With that in mind, I labeled this section Lastability. Don't look at this score as a bad thing. Gameplay wise, it's up to the player to decide if he likes it, but personally, I think it is overall lacking. A game is always more lastable if there are more things to do independently.

Overall (Not an average) (7/10):

This game is DEFINITELY worth checking out. It excels in graphics and sound, and the environments are spectacular. You'll be surrounded in a great atmosphere and community while playing this game. If you have the capability, or patience, to download the 584 MB file, get this game right away.

Remember, these are just my opinions, the real decision comes down to you. There is a lot more to explore in the world of RO, hopefully this review will act as a guide to decide if you want to do so.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/03, Updated 05/11/03