Age of Empires Online - Games For Windows

The Age of Empires series has been entertaining real-time strategy fans for 14 years. But rather than simply churn out another clone, the developers have done things differently this time around by revamping the visuals and adding online functionality.

Co-op play, player vs player, online trading and in-game chat transform this once stuffy genre into something instantly appealing. Indeed, with so many multiplayer options, quest to take on and shiny loot to grab - not to mention precious experience points to gather to bolster your capital city - Age of Empires Online at times feels more like an MMO than a straight-up RTS.

Its cartoon-tinged visuals might make the game look as if it's aimed at the casual market - especially as they look to have been heavily influenced by Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. However, a cursory glance at the sprawling tech tree reveals that Age of Empires Online is actually a complex beast.

Resource gathering and unit building have always been the bedrock on which the vast majority of real-time strategy titles have been built - and it's no different here. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most frustrating aspects of the game.

It's incredibly hard to keep tabs on all your units as they go about their business - despite the best efforts of the small map in the corner of the screen. Sending units out to work the land efficiently while simultaneously leading several small armies into battle can be a monumental pain because there is just so much going on.

It should also be noted that Age of Empires Online follows a free-to-play model - something which is a blessing and a curse. The plus points come from the fact you'll enjoy hours of entertainment on the cheap. But the flip side to the free fun is that those who don't invest will miss out on a variety of features, including enhanced multiplayer options, extra workshops, a fully-fledged tech tree, additional inventory space, new storylines and powerful epic gear.

To be honest, I would rather just pay a one-off fee to experience the full game but love it or hate it, this freemium model is unfortunately here to stay.

But all things considered, Age Of Empires Online is still definitely worth a look - even if it's only for a quick peek. Just be prepared to throw cash at it if you want to experience everything the game has to offer.

Realm of the Mad God - PC

I’ve been prattling on about my love of Roguelikes for years, with Cardinal Quest - see below - the latest dungeon crawler to get under my skin.

But when I found out about Realm of the Mad God - an online Roguelike with a twist - I just had to check it out.

Described as a co-op fantasy MMO shooter, this free-to-play browser-based gem throws the player into an online world, where fast-paced action and joyful 8-bit visuals are the order of the day.

A short tutorial explains the game mechanics and then the player is promptly whisked off to the Nexus - a hub which houses a market selling a range of tempting items and a place where fellow players mill around, haggle for goods and snaffle up free items.

Using the WASD keys to move and clicks of the mouse button to fire, the player initially skitters across beaches and thick forests in the purple robes of a wizard, dispatching enemies with bursts of magic.

Every so often, a pictogram will pop on the side of the play area, directing the throng of players towards a boss character. Everyone scrambles towards these showdowns and once the foe bites the dust, the rush is on to be the first to grab the leftover loot.

But the Roguelike twist to this frenetic action is that when your pixelated character pops his clogs, it’s game over. It’s then back to the Nexus to start a new character and do it all over again.

You might think this rinse and repeat formula would get boring but it never does as there is always something to aim for, be it unlocking new classes, plundering pirate caves for new loot, taking on heavy-set bosses or boosting all your toons to lvl 20.

But while wandering over the map blitzing foes is great fun, the ultimate aim is to gain access to the Wine Cellar - the place where Oryx, the Mad God resides.

Getting in there is no easy task, as you first have to get your grubby paws on an incantation, which has a .6 per cent drop rate from certain dungeon bosses. However, even if you don’t find this spell, someone else surely will.

At this point, every player in the game is summoned to pit their wits against Oryx and his minions in a crazy battle of epic proportions - and a place where you’re sure to meet your maker.

The Realm of the Mad God is a brilliant experience and has bags of charm thanks to its old school visuals, not to mention the smattering of blocky hobbits, elven archers, stone golems and furious crabs.

It’s free so give it a try. Just be warned, it could take over your life.

Play it HERE

MMOs: What Does The Future Hold?

In August 2002, my friends built me a PC. Why? Well, they wanted me to experience epic MMO EverQuest. I was reluctant at first, although having seen them play SoE’s online epic, I was beginning to come around to their way of thinking.

Eventually I caved, buying all the parts I needed before they beavered away long into the autumn night crafting the PC which would take me on some memorable journeys across Norrath, the moon of Luclin and on to the fabled Planes of Power.

What started as nothing more than a mere curiosity soon took hold and blossomed into a two year obsession.

From a gamer whose only RPG experiences until that point came from console games such as Zelda and Final Fantasy, EverQuest’s open world freedom simply blew me away.

With my friends at my side and a friendly guild at my back, we explored much of what EverQuest and its subsequent expansions had to offer. It might be the norm now to team up via PC, 360 or PS3 and battle strange beasts and hoover up shiny new trinkets, but eight years ago, it was something of a novelty.

My guild, Twilight Brethren, were then thrown to the wind due to the arrival of EverQuest 2 in 2004. Some people stuck with EverQuest, others - including myself - jumped straight into the sequel on its first day of release.

I loved EverQuest 2, and played it religiously. However, when I received a beta invite for World of Warcraft a few weeks before general release, all other gaming endeavors were hastily shoved to one side.

Eventually, I was playing both EverQuest 2 and World of Warcraft - and as any MMO player will tell you, playing more than one just isn’t possible due to the time demands and costs involved.

Warcraft won out in the end and I’ve been playing it on and off since launch as a strictly casual player. Part of my job revolves around playing games for review, which curtails my MMO time. Not that I particularly mind, as the lure of the MMO has been fading for me in recent years.

Now, a session on Warcraft usually feels more akin to a single player experience, with a distinct lack of chatter on the guild channel, while gold sellers constantly spam the airwaves with their offers.

I’m looking forward to Knights Of The Old Republic and have recently started dabbling with Rift, but the genre needs a hefty kick up the backside.

Evolution and MMOs don’t really go together - even Rift appears to be a 'greatest hits' package of what has gone before. While many have tried to tinker with the tried and tested fetch quest formula, the whole thing is getting a bit long in the tooth.

I only hope that future MMOs at least try and push the boundaries, because the whole genre feels stale and unloved. If things continue to trundle along, I'm sure more and more players will jump across to MMOs which feature a free to play model, leaving many so-called big hitters face down in the dirt. That might be a bold statement given the size of World of Warcraft's player base, but nothing lasts forever.

Players in general don’t have a great deal of time to play games given their other commitments, something which has undoubtedly led to the rise in the casual games market.

Let’s hope developers take a fresh stance and re-invigorate the genre and move away from the usual array of MMO trappings...God knows it needs it.

Final Fantasy XIV - PC - Preview

On May 16, 2002, Final Fantasy XI was released in Japan on PlayStation 2. It was a radical departure for the long-running series as the franchise ventured into the online world for the first time.

The game was ported to PC later that year, while European audiences would have to wait until September 2004 before they could experience Square Enix's MMO debut.

It was a huge success, with hundreds of thousands of players descending on the magical land of Vana'diel to be part of a thriving online community set within the Final Fantasy universe.

The game still boasts a healthy player base but all that could be about to change with Final Fantasy XIV Online on the horizon.

I've been taking part in the beta for the last few weeks and my experience with the game has been hugely enjoyable, leaving me desperate to get my hands on the finished version.

Here, I take a look at the opening portion of the game to give you a flavour of what you can expect when Final Fantasy XIV's servers go live on September 22.

Starting on the beautiful character creation screen, the player is presented with a choice of five races and an incredible 18 classes. From Lancers, Archers and Conjurers, to Blacksmiths, Leatherworkers and Alchemists, the range of job classes available eclipses most other MMOs by a considerable margin.

After choosing your starting city - I plumped for the woodland setting of Gridiana - the player is whisked off to begin their adventure.

Unlike other MMOs such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest II and Lord of the Rings Online, Final Fantasy XIV controls much better with a control pad rather than the standard keyboard and mouse set-up.

I hooked up my Xbox 360 controller and as you can map specific actions to any face button, everyone should find a comfortable set-up. This control scheme bodes well, then, for the game's forthcoming release on PS3.

After an airship crash involving Yda and Papalymo - two characters who were aboard the stricken vessel - the player is coaxed through a standard battle tutorial which covers the bare bones of combat. The on-screen input commands are easy to understand, while screen clutter - the bane of most MMOs - is thankfully kept to a minimum.

In this opening segment it's clear how much work has gone into making Final Fantasy XIV the best looking MMO on the market. The Bloodthirsty Wolves who surround you and your new companions are well designed and animated, but it's a deliciously evil bug-eyed Treant who steals the show. His twisted roots make short work of the remaining wolves before he turns his attention on your party.

Thankfully, a merry band of harp-playing Moogles float into the scene, leading this wooden freak away from you and your companions and into the depths of the forest.

The attention to detail is exquisite, and the dazzling graphical effects aren't just reserved for eye-popping set pieces. The world of Eorzea in general is beguiling; Pouring rain covers the land, trees sway in the wind and soft light burns from city lamps. It's a stunning looking game.

After the bout of Treant trouble, the player is swiftly introduced to their starting city via the Adventure Guild. Here, Mother Miounne gives you a quest to venture out to nearby Camp Bentbranch.

Upon arrival, some of the game's finer points are explained, before a class specific quest is dished out. Once completed, it's then back to the Adventure Guild where more quests await and the world of Eorzea slowly begins to reveal itself.

It's also at this point I discovered the flexibility of the class system. The player is free to chop and change their chosen skill set depending on what gear they have equipped.

For example, a Culinarian can create stat-boosting food but when it comes to battle, an old weathered skillet and a pocketful of rocks just isn't going to cut it. Simply equipping a weapon such as a bow will turn the character into an archer, therefore giving you a much better chance of survival. Once battle is over, you can switch back to your Culinarian class and continue to bake acorn cookies to your heart's content.

It's an incredibly versatile system and one which especially makes tradeskilling - one of my favourite aspects of MMOs - a tantalising and deeply rewarding prospect.

While Final Fantasy XIV does a fabulous job of immersing the player in the gameworld, those weaned on World Of Warcraft may find these initial stages bewildering.

There are no golden exclamation points above NPCs' heads, and only by asking around - or properly reading your journal - will you be able to keep track of what's going on. Off putting for some, no doubt, but this lack of hand-holding is a plus in my book and gives the game a real sense of adventure.

While you don't need a monster rig to play the game, it certainly helps to get the most enjoyment out of the experience. I was able to run the game without problems on my fairly modest PC. For those whose PCs simply won't take the strain, a PS3 version is planned for release - but not until next March.

Final Fantasy XIV is shaping up to be something special and with Square Enix's dedication to their product, there's every reason to believe this latest in the long-running series could blossom into one of the best MMOs on the market.

Dragonica - PC

When I first started playing MMOs, there wasn't a great deal of choice. Eight years ago, the only two real options were Ultima Online and EverQuest on PC.

However, with the huge success of World of Warcraft and Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all embracing online play, gamers have never had so much choice.

Dragonica is a free-to-play side-scrolling PC MMO, which will be released later this year. I've been lucky enough to have spent the last few weeks in the Beta test and it's shaping up to be a great game.

Most free to play MMOs aren't the best, failing to match the quality of pay-to-play games such as Warcraft, EverQuest 2, Eve Online and Lord of the Rings Online. However, Dragonica - along with the recently released Free Realms - have proved, free to play doesn't necessarily mean cheap production values.

Developed by South Korean firm Barunson Inteactive and distributed in the UK by gPotato, Dragonica clearly isn't aimed at the hardcore World of Warcraft player. However, those who think its kid-friendly visuals indicate an MMO-lite will be in for a bit of a surprise.

Underneath its deliciously colourful wrapping lies all the elements that go into making a memorable MMO: Skill trees, quests, battles, special attacks, item crafting, enchanted weapons and, more importantly, loot drops. Finding items from downed creatures lies at the core of a decent MMO, and it's a mechanic which keeps players playing. It's implemented well here, with quest hand-ins yielding better equipment and weapons.

For those used to the open world aspect of an MMO, Dragonica is something of a shock. While it's possible to move up and down to a limited degree while exploring the world, the game is played out on a pseudo 3D map.

Another jolt to the average MMO player will be the control method. Dragonica largely does away with the mouse, relying instead on the cursor keys to move, C to jump, X to attack, Z and Space to interact with people and objects, while special abilities can be mapped to the QWERTY keys. Also, judging by iPotato's press release, it looks as if control pad support will be added at a later date.

It's hard to be too critical, especially as the game is still in the beta phase of development, but there are a few niggles which will hopefully be sorted before the game launches.

There are some terrible grammatical errors throughout and the menu system can be unnecessarily cumbersome and messy at times. Some menu overlays also stick, meaning you have to logout and re-enter the world, while the lack of 1440 x 900 support means the game looks a bit fuzzy on my widescreen monitor.

However, there's enough on display at the moment to suggest that Dragonica will be an impressive package when the game goes on general release. Definitely one to keep your eye on.

Happy Birthday EverQuest

As EverQuest celebrates its 10th birthday this week, I thought I would take a look back at the game which changed my perception of what videogames could achieve.

Up until I took my first steps in Norrath, I was strictly a console RPG player – and I played a lot. From exploring the kingdom of Hyrule in Zelda: A Link to the Past, to delving deep into Square’s Final Fantasy series, I thought nothing of ploughing upwards of 50 hours into these deep and rewarding titles.

However, as magnificent as these games were, they all followed a familiar pattern, where the player was essentially led from one point to another to advance the story.

I had three friends who played EverQuest on PC, and I was intrigued by their passion and enthusiasm for the game – a game which didn’t follow a cookie-cutter storyline, and instead let the player create their own experiences in a rich and diverse world.

Social interaction was central to the experience, and by grouping with other players from around the world, previously inaccessible areas would open up, and memorable encounters would ensue. It might be the norm now thanks to the myriad of MMORPGs on the market, but back then, EverQuest’s style of play was a revelation to me.

It wasn’t until 2002 that I finally took the plunge, and thanks to the help of my hopelessly addicted EverQuest friends, my PC was built from scratch just so I could experience the wonders of Norrath first-hand.

After much deliberation, I chose to play as a Dwarf Paladin named Balderak on the Torvenillous server. Over the coming weeks, months and years, the world of Norrath became my second home.

It wasn’t just the exploration and discovery aspect which I found so compelling about EverQuest, but the social interaction within my guild, Twilight Brethren, which sealed the deal. It was a wonderful guild, full of lovely, helpful people from across the globe - people who would go out of their way to help a struggling beginner such as myself.

A full namecall here would be too much, but chief among these like-minded players were Tegout, Milliana, Atiyin, Morghana, Fedarov, Olympe, Sardaor, Mubadger, Rosi, Rabbie, Grippa, Mavis, Bellesin, Bereg, Gakrek, Sebbi, and Caminarra.

With our merry band of Brethren, we traversed the realm of Norrath and beyond: The dark, dank caverns of Lower Guk, the underwater ruins of Kedge Keep, the decrepit and deadly Estate of Unrest, and the haunted Castle Mistmoore were just some of the places we explored. Even the gods weren’t safe from our trusty band, with Norrath’s creators quaking in fear as Twilight Brethren ascended to the metaphysical planes they inhabited.

I seldom had the time to take part in organised raids, but I did manage to attend several memorable encounters, and fairly early in my EverQuest life, seeing the fearsome ice dragon Lady Vox in her frosty lair was a particular personal highlight.

I played EverQuest constantly for two and a half years until I left the game to explore EverQuest 2 and World of Warcraft. I have been back many times since to sneak a peek at what Sony Online Entertainment have added to the game. I sometimes even toy with the idea of going back full-time, although I truly believe I played EverQuest during a golden era and worry the old magic would no longer be there if I were to return.

However, I’m thrilled to see EverQuest still going strong and although I am no longer part of the community, the time I spent with Twilight Brethren - many of whom I still keep in touch with and many of whom are still playing! - will always remain special to me.

So here’s to another 10 years, EverQuest. Happy birthday.

Images courtesy of Sony Online Entertainment