Kingdom of Loathing

"A One-of-a-Kind MMO"

Graphics 8/10

Seriously, stick figures? Who cares?! The black-and-white, hand-drawn art is quite original and creative, and there is a wide variety of monsters that are fun (or just plain disturbing) to look at. The developers sometimes reuse the same art for certain items, but it doesn't matter too much to me.

Gameplay 10/10

It's turn-based combat, in which you can attack with your weapon, cast various skills, and use combat items that range the sharp (like a can lid) to the festive (such as party favors). The monster hit/miss messages are hilarious! There are different strategies and skills that correspond to melee attacks, ranged attacks, and spells; of course, it all really depends on your class.

The quests given to you range from the "keep killing stuff until you get to the boss" to "gather items to make something awesome" to "solve tricky puzzles" to "okay, seriously. what am I supposed to do?!" Thankfully, the other, more experienced players are happy to lend you a hand, and give you hints in the form of haikus. If you're ever stuck, think pop-culture references and puns.

If you're the kind of gamer who loves to get achievements and trophies and such, this game is full of them. You can collect trophies, tattoos, familiars (pets that do stuff during or after combat), outfits, and even thousands of a single item if you have the mind to. There are quite a few leaderboards that you can aim for, ranging from the fairly difficult to the nigh impossible.

Speaking of impossibilities, almost nothing is in the Kingdom. If you want an item from Mr. Store (for people who donate money to the game) but don't have the cash, you can farm meat (the kingdom's currency) to buy it from a player-owned Mall store. The most difficult things to obtain/achieve take nothing but patience, knowledge, and sometimes luck.

Replayablity 10/10

And after you think you're through with the game, surprise! You can "ascend," which is a way of starting over and choosing a new character class. You get to keep a skill from your previous life as well as all your items, plus some more shinies. The result is that you can accumulate a skillset from many different classes and be a jack-of-all-trades, not just restricted to one class. There are a few types of ascensions, ranging from the relaxed Casual to the totally bad-ass Hardcore. The more difficult type of ascension you choose, the better rewards you get.

Sound 5/10

There is no in-game music. This means that you can play whatever music you like separately from the game. I prefer silence!

Community 10/10

The community is an incredibly active one. There are thousands of other players you can interact with, and a wide variety. There are power-players, traders, and some that are just plain social and philanthropic. There are occasional real-life meetups in the U.S., U.K., and other countries, and a regular radio show. Joining a clan and participating in the chat adds a whole new dimension to the game. (Use of IM-speak and poor spelling is often frowned upon.)

The creators and developers of the game (Jick, Mr. Skullhead, and a few others) are always adding frequent updates. From Items of the Month to new zones, the Kingdom never stays the same for long.

Overall- 10/10

All in all, this is an incredibly unique and enthralling game. I urge everyone to at least try it!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/23/09

Game Release: Kingdom of Loathing (US, 01/31/03)