RuneScape

"Most probably the best free game I have ever played."

Runescape. The best free game I have ever played. But its actually not THAT good, in many ways its really really crap. But its also so good as well. You can't really stop playing it, even though there's all this crap around you. But why is it so crap, but so good as well?

Graphics - 5/10

Wow, these are pretty crap. Over the years, they have improved slightly, but it looks so dull, and below average. I have played many more free games with a lot better graphics, but these are pretty bad. Obviously they are 3D, but its basic 3D. The graphics are more or less from 1995. I was playing Full Throttle not so long ago, and the 3D vehicle models were better then Runescapes. Now that is saying something. Maybe if they make another Runescape game in 2049 they will have the same graphics as The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. They both came out in 2002, I would expect Runescape to be a couple of miles away from Morrowind quality, not 5367362 billion miles away. Still, at least you can make the stuff out. It's not that terrible. At least the animation is decent. Well, kinda. Doing a quest, I had to use a sled down a mountain, and thus follows the crappiest animation I have ever seen for a person flying through the air. They went PERFECTLY STRAIGHT before landing. They didn't even bob up or down! It's pretty terrible. When it snowed, a giant ice flake just went from the top of the screen to the bottom, it was just too fake. Overall, they are pretty bad.

Sound - 6/10

Basically, its really bad too. The music barely even plays, and when it does, you want it to go away, and just turn it off. Thats what I did. There is no decent music in Runescape, and any one that buys a RING TONE of one, is a sad person, because its crap music. The quality isn't so good either, its a bit, crap. The sound effects are OK I guess. They don't go in time with the animation, well, it takes about 5 seconds at least. Like when your mining, your pic hits the rock, leaves, then the sound effect plays. It's not that good. But still, overall, the sound isn't too bad, but you most probably wont be playing with it on.

Game play - 8/10

Runescape is pretty simple. You start a brand new character, with about 20 or so (I don't play anymore, im not sure) skills all starting at level 1. Basically, your objective is to get all of those skills to 99, and complete every single quest, and stand around in a town for about a day shouting "Buying this piece of crap, 5 mil" or something like that. You also make money. Eventually, the more you play, the more you realise that some of the stuff is crap. You keep your hard earned money to buy something else. Suddenly the next day, some guy starts calling you. "Luk at teh noob, has drag helm, hyuck!" and adds a hillbilly laugh. Honestly, thats what happened. I was walking through a town, and some guy was wearing a Dragon Helmet, and they got laughed at by some guy wearing ADAMANT armour. And trust me there is a big difference between them. Essentially, you get these skills up so you can do quests, to get your skills up MORE, and get even MORE money, and MORE quest points. It's pretty lame really. Your getting you, lets say, woodcutting up. You click on a tree, and you cut it down. Suddenly some wood appears in your inventory. You do it again. Repeat this about 5936926263964572 Billion times, and you have your level 99! But are you even prepared to do it 5936926263964572 Billion times, just so you can be known as some lumberjack guy? Getting your skills up is great at first, but it gets boring soon. Quests get boring, mini games get boring, running around gets boring, buying new stuff gets boring. Everything in this game, gets boring.

Membership - 7/10

This may be a free game, BUT, if you pay a small fee (it is actually smaller compared to some MMOs) then you get more stuff. But hang on, what is it? OK, so you do get a shed load of more stuff, but its all the same. Suddenly, I can cut down, ANOTHER TYPE of tree! WOW, I can cut down MAPLE trees, all those NONE members cant. Even though it says you DON'T have to be a member to cut down Maple Trees. So why the hell do Maple Trees only appear in MEMBERS ONLY areas, where free players cant get to. It's really stupid. You get a couple of new skills as well. Like farming. But its not good. You sit there, plant a turnip, and wait for half and hour for it to grow. Then grow some more. But why are you actually completing all these quests, buying a load of random crap, getting your skills up, and talking endlessly at school about it? It's because the game is addictive. You want that extra skill level. But hang on, I just got that up really fast, maybe I can get my skill up even more! And thus begins your click-a-thon, of constantly clicking on a fishing spot, rocks, trees, obstacles and various monsters. It's pretty addictive. And I don't know why.

Online - 8/10

It's okay. It's an MMORPG, although I would call it a MORPG with only 100,000 players on at a time, it doesnt feel massive. The game is massive, but its not massively online. At least 200,000 players at once would make it. Half way there Jagex! Basically, you have literally 90 or so servers, each holding about 2000 people, because Jagex think they are that popular. But the fact is, they need MORE servers. Ever played that really, really crap game, Adventure Quest? It's literally impossible to play it without paying, you finally get onto the server, and realise its the biggest piece of poo you have ever played. Runescape is opposite. You can ALWAYS get online. It's great. Generally people are nice, apart from people that diss you for your equipment choice, scammers, or people in the wilderness, the only place you can kill each other. Oh, and those crappy dungeons in your VERY OWN house! But the censoring is bad. Very bad. I tried to say to one of my friends via my friends list "OK, meet at varock bank, ok, bring those lobbies." and it came out as "OK, meet at var*** bank, ok, brin* ***se lobbies" so sometimes, I think its a little bit broken. It's really rubbish, be careful what you say though. Any alternative way to swear at people by saying the word differently, its most probably already been censored.

PROS:
Addictive game play.
Membership is well worth the money.
The gameplay makes up for the terrible graphics and music.
You can get attacked by a killer chicken which is literally three times the level you are.
Lots of quests.
Good online, its not terrible like some other online games.

CONS:
Killer chickens aren't funny though.
The quests are crap.
User names are taken up by people that most probably don't play the game anymore.
It gets boring after a while.
There isn't some objective, apart from to become the best, and nerdiest person on the game.
Everyone that plays it talks about it at school too much.

Overall - 7/10

Its really addictive. It's good too. But it gets boring fast, the quests are crap, you do click-a-thons to do MORE click-a-thons, and its a bit pointless. There could been some story line to it, say you had to go and kill something, and that would be one of the hardest quests in the game. At least that way once you beat it, you would of thought that all their clicking did good. But I cant complain, most games involve a lot of clicking. It can't be avoided. Try it out, its free. If you really like it, be a member. It's great value, and its cheap.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/06