"An amazing game that will keep you hooked for a long time."

Introduction- Welcome to Ragnarok Online; an expansive MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) where you get to battle hordes of demons as a Knight, Assassin, Acolyte, and so much more alongside thousands of players. The game is currently still in beta stage for all versions (iRO=International Ragnarok Online, kRO=Korean Ragnarok Online, jRO=Japanese Ragnarok Online, and others) and for now it requires a monthly fee. The game is as stated before still in beta so there will be many new changes and installments in the future.

Gameplay- 8/10 The gameplay of Ragnarok Online is very hack-and-slash oriented. You move your mouse where you want your character to go and hold it down. To attack an enemy you click on the enemy and can either hold down the mouse or press the Ctrl button. Not rocket science here people. The game is very much pick up and play as you start off as a Novice and are given a quick introduction to the game. From there you’re thrown into the amazing expansive world that is Ragnarok Online.

You have two types of experience bars; Base experience which allows you to assign stat points when you gain a level in it, and Job experience which allows you to use skill points when you gain a level in it and when you reach certain Job levels you’re allowed to change your class. When you first start out you’ll be fighting normal bugs, blob-type enemies, and rabbit-type enemies but as you gain levels and change classes you get access to much more exquisitely detailed environments and enemies. Not to mention all types of bosses and mini-bosses. The game can either be very easy, or very hard depending on how you choose to play it. If you decided to power-level your character to as high as you can get it then it will be very tedious and difficult, but if you choose to devote most of your time making friends and trying out different classes, the game will be much more laid back. Leveling in this game is very difficult later on. Once a person reaches a high level it can take days or weeks to gain a single level, but you will find lots of kind people to help you along the way. Each character class provides a fresh playing experience. You can be a Thief, agile and quick dodging enemies and attacking them with swift slashes of your dagger, or a kind Acolyte providing healing aids to your friends and strangers.

There are two types of Job levels, first Job levels which consist of Swordmen, Thieves, Mages, Acolytes, Merchants, and Archers and then there are second Job levels which consist of Knights, Assassins, Wizards, Blacksmiths, and Hunters, respectively. Each class has its own set of skills and playing tactics. With the inclusion of stat points (Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Luck, Intelligence, Vitality) there are tons of different builds you can make with each class from a Bow oriented Thief focusing on Dexterity to a close-up Dagger oriented Thief who focuses on Agility. You can become a first Job class by reaching Job level 10 and you can reach second Job class by reaching Job level 40, although some people decide to stay as a Novice or first class forever.

The game is sometimes plagued by terrible lag due to the amount of people away who leave their game on such as Merchants and Blacksmiths selling items or people just being AFK.

One big problem in the game is botters, people who run a “bot” program which essentially plays the game for them 24/7 allowing them to level up insanely fast and hunt the rarest items. Many bots or normal people will “loot” from you or take items from you a monster that you killed dropped, and bots and other people will “KS” you or attack an enemy you are already attacking meaning that you gain less experience because they get experience off the enemy.

Graphics & Sound- 9/10 The game has very anime-related graphics as you can see if you look at a few screenshots of it. The game is also 3D, however your character is in 2D. It features beautiful environments from the jungles filled with lush plants and trees to the Sograt Desert, barren and waste-filled. There are many other places to visit such as beaches, cities, and more. The official artwork done on many Card items and on the main website page is ridiculously good. Not to mention many of the spells, not just of the Mages and Wizards look incredible.

The music in the game is no short of spectacular. Many fan-sites have downloadable MP3’s of the in-game music and traveling across the gargantuan maps, watching the beautiful scenery pass you by with the music playing in the background is amazing.

Replayability- 10/10 This game is extremely addicting. It will keep you hooked on hours on end just trying to gain that one more level or find that one item you’ve been lusting over. The final level in the game is level 99 and it may take you well over a year to reach it, not to mention you’ll most likely want to try out all the other classes which totally brings the game into a new perspective. This game will last you for months or even years, and with the game so far from completion Gravity is sure to add many more interesting features to keep you hooked.

Overall- 9/10 (Not an Average) I believe this game receives an overall 9/10. The game is very fun and addicting and is definitely worth your money, but there are still quite a few bugs and glitches that need to be sorted out, not to mention the amount of botters and jerks you will meet. You will however find many, many kind and generous people and develop great friendships. All in all I would recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of anime-styled graphics in a videogame or any person who loves to kick back and enjoy a good RPG, online or offline.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/19/03