I'm just browsing
A roundup of free, browser-based MMOs.
Bite Fight
Vampires versus werewolves. If you're looking for originality of concept here, move along – but at least you know what you're in for and the execution is far, far better than you might first imagine.
Once you've chosen your alignment with the armies of darkness, your first call of business will be to explore the city and meet some of the curious characters who inhabit the world. As well as working as a grave-digger for fixed periods of time, you can undertake quests for some of these NPCs which lead you rather nicely through a tidily crafted story of the night.
Unfortunately, pretty much all activities in Bite Fight revolve around the idea that you take some work, click accept and then go and play something else for a while until the timer expires. So playing this game isn't going to make you pine for the days of Diablo II by any means.
But with that said, of all the titles reviewed for this roundup, Bite Fight is perhaps the one that succeeds because of the limitations of the format rather than in spite of them. This is perfectly realised in the way your hideout evolves from ramshackle barn to something more fitting for a master of darkness.
There's something of the Moors to the hideout and as the thunderstorms brew, defences rise and your character advances through levels there's a Hitchcock feel to proceedings – as though it only takes place when you turn your back for a moment.
For all the tens of millions of dollars spent on engaging this feeling in players in more commercial MMOs, it's commendable that it should be achieved in a low-budget title such as this.
7/10
Evony
Evony's style in terms of both presentation and construction mechanics will be familiar to any veteran of the empire-building genre. Isometric viewpoint? Check. Build and upgrade buildings and production utilities along adjacent tiles? So far, so FarmVille.
Beyond just advancing through expansion though, there's a very enjoyable and constantly replenished questing system that will hold your hand through the game, while the Achievements offer broader goals.
While the game is fun, the biggest obstacle to your continued enjoyment comes from the unrelenting snail-pace of progress. Only one building can be built at a time. Any building upgrades that take less than five minutes can be auto-completed – anything longer and you'll have to either wait things out or buy construction boost tokens with real money. You will soon run out of the meagre allotment of these tokens given to you at the outset, and it feels a little bait-and-switch.
It's a pity, because it's clear from listening to other players that there's a well-developed game of alliances to be enjoyed here. Sadly I just couldn't see a free-to-play route to reach that point without going insane through frustration.
While enjoyable enough in its own right, Evony as a free title is simply a dish best served with a side-order of something more filling. Given enough dedication it's easy to see how you could create an empire to last a thousand years. The problem of course is that without opening your wallet, it might well take you that long just to complete it.
6/10
Your mileage across these and other titles will vary depending on your taste as well as your patience threshold. With a whole world of worlds to choose from, the key to contentment within this gaming niche comes from developing a selection of favourites to dip into.
Time is the money of free MMO gaming and to avoid becoming disillusioned with the scene, you would do well to shop around, experiment, and spend yours wisely.