RuneScape

"Runescape - Is it for you?"

Hello. This is a review for the online game called Runescape. Runescape is an MMORPG, which stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. However...there isn't too much role-playing going on in this game, as you will see later in the Community section. There isn't a lot of game, either. Well, onto the review.

1. Gameplay: My score - 4

I will admit it. There is a LOT to do in Runescape. There are over 20 skills you can train in, such as cooking, crafting, fishing, mining, and more. Jagex, the company that makes Runescape, also adds new skills every once in a while, the newest one being farming, I believe.

Then there's combat. Combat consists of Melee, Magic, and Ranged. Melee, of course, is just going up to an enemy with a various weapon, and beating the snot out of it.

You raise your skills with melee combat by...well, melee combating. You can raise either Attack, which determines the level of weapons you can use, Strength, which determines how powerful your melee attacks are, and Defense, which raises your defense (of course) and determines the type of armor you can wear.

Magic is casting spells with things called Runes. Yep, thats right. No MP, folks. Which is a blessing AND a curse. If you have enough runes (and enough money) you can EASILY raise your magic level without any trouble at all. So, magic pretty much just depends on how big your pocketbook is, instead of your willpower to use ancient magicks. If magical skill depended on money, then I think everyone who had a high paying job would be casting Lvl 3 Flare everywhere.

Ranged combat consists of bows and arrows. Arrows can have different types of arrowheads on them made from different materials (Bronze, Iron, Steel, etc). The rarer the material, the more powerful the arrows are. As with everything. Cliche.

"So, how do you level up?"
Well, you raise combat skills. There is some OUTRAGEOUS formula that determines your combat level (your level, basically). I don't know it.

Now to skills. Like I said earlier, there are over 20 skills you can train in, level up, and make items and money with. You can use skills to produce things with, or gather materials to use with the producing skills. Example: Mining and smithing. Mine the ore, such as Iron ore, and gain Mining experience. Take the ore to a furnace and smelt it, then use it on an anvil to make something with it. Gain smithing experience. Not much to skills, is there? Sure, there are hundreds of things you can get or make, but its basically just getting different experience per item. And, there is no gameplay involved. Except clicking. If you have a LOT of time and patience on your hand, you can do anything, because all it involves is clicking. There IS no skill involved, unless you have trouble using a mouse or a PC. So, that is why I gave Gameplay a 4.

2. Graphics: My score - 7

As far as graphics go, Runescape looks like an old Sega Saturn game. But, they arent really bad for a game you dont even have to download. Sometimes, however, textures will overlap in the game, pulling away from the whole 'role-playing' experience. They aren't bad though, for a free non-downloadable game. And they are a LOT better than the horrible graphics of Runescape Classic, the first Runescape. So, I'll give this a 7, I suppose.

3. Sound: My score - 1

Oh God, the sound! Sound in this game is TERRIBLE. In the sound section of the online manual, they have a picture of a warrior putting his hands over his ears. That really DOES describe the sound in this game. The music sounds like some junior high kid with a MIDI creator got a bit too happy and started messing with all of the features.

The sound effects are what REALLY got this section a 1. Imagine a drunken donkey banging up against a tin roof barn. That is what the melee sound effect is like. If I were you, I would just turn all sounds off.

4. Plot: My score - 1

There is no plot. Sure, there are around 50 quests you can do, but they in no way influence the entire game. You do some 'important' quest, then the game forgets about you. None of the quests do anything to actually change things. Thus, I give this section a 1.

5. Community: My score - 2

A community is what makes or breaks an MMORPG. In this case, it's the latter. The community in Runescape is ATROCIOUS. And I am in NO way exaggerating that. You could be walking along, minding your own business, looking for something to do. All of a sudden, some guy who is 30-40 levels higher than you walks up and says something along the lines of "HI NOOB I M A BETTER LVL THAN U SO I M BETTER LOL". Or something like that. Trading is a hassle too, since 80% of the community will try to scam you. The other 20% will whine their asses off until you meet THEIR demands.

For your benefit, I will recreate a normal conversation in Runescape.

Me: Hello. How is everyone?
Guy: dood do u hav *insert item here*
Me: No, I dont. I'm sorry.
Guy: you ****ing noob, go away b4 i beat the **** out of u
Me:...Um...Ok
Guy: noob noob noob nooob noob

Well, you get the picture.

Extra: Members

Members is what Jagex calls 'the full game'. You get about 2x more areas, more skills, a LOT more new items, and other things, such as the ability to post on the forums. Members is $5 a month, which is dirt cheap compared to most MMO prices. Another benefit about members is that there are actually NICE people on the member servers. Not many, but a few. Which is a few more than on the free servers. You get more quests too, but quests in this game suck.

If you plan on actually sticking with Runescape, I suggest you get Members.
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Is Runescape a bad game?
If you like clicking games, then you're in heaven. If, however, you prefer games with real skill and gameplay, you need to look somewhere else.

Don't mind paying a monthly fee? Still want to play an MMORPG? I suggest either Final Fantasy XI or World of Warcraft, two excellent games in this genre.

Well, this is the end of my review. I hope it helped you out in any way possible.

OVERALL: 3/10

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/05