R.O.S.E Online (Rush On Seven Episodes)

"Great, but no bed of roses"

Any seasoned MMORPG player will know a good online game when he sees one. R.O.S.E, or Rush On Seven Episodes, is a good example. The revolutionary gaming experience is filled with refreshing new ideas, backed by stunningly beautiful graphics. Eye-candy aside, this game is far from perfect as flaws start to show when you play longer.

Although there is a limited number of jobs to choose from, the individual classes are well-developed. You have a wide array of skills to learn, most of which specializes in a specific class only. You explore vast maps and fight unique monsters. These monsters, surprisingly, have quite decent artificial intelligence as they try to flee when they're on low HP. Monsters also have the ability to use various weapons like bows and maces, adding an interesting touch. One of the most interesting aspect will probably be the quests you can do. They are interesting, and challenging to a point. Do extra, and you get better rewards.The game play is further enhanced with the introduction of "Unions", which (after paying a fee) you can join and complete union quests to earn union points. Union points, among others, allow you to trade for equipment and various items.

Taking into account that the game is still in beta, there are still a couple of glaringly obvious bugs and flaws in the game play. This obstructs smooth playing. For example, the trading, add friends and party systems prove to be very inconvenient to use. Instead of what could be a simple 2-click process, you have to tediously open up your skills window to select a basic skill like trade, and click on a player to do the selected skill. There are also inconsistent text errors. One moment you might be asked to look for a "Warren" in part of a quest, and after you unlock the next part, the person is called "Daren". The recurring text errors can easily confuse anyone, whether you're new or not. As you play more, you discover more bugs here and there, which might affect little, but are nonetheless noticeable.

The graphics are near-spectacular. You'd be impressed by the high amount of graphic detail as you zoom in to the fullest. Your equipment shimmers differently depending on the angle of rotation. You can view almost anything in plenty of angles and gawk at the breathtaking scenery. Take in the beauty as you run past the rolling hills of Lake Anima. In this game, you are what you wear. There are many armor and weapon sprites around, and you can even plan how you look. The graphics of R.O.S.E are first-rate, even on a decent graphics card, that I have hardly any complaint.

This would have been a superb game if the splendid graphics had awesome music to match. However, though nice, the background music are not varied. You can hear the music being reused on different maps over. This is especially annoying when you can hear the end of the music loop, signified by the music suddenly halting and then beginning again awkwardly.

The game play is thoroughly engaging and deep, enough to keep you hooked instantaneously. You can take your time and level as you want, explore the different places, and take quests as and when you want. R.O.S.E Online provides an awesome new gaming experience, but is plagued by plenty of game play bugs that you simply can't close a blind eye on.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/13/05