The amazing success of World of Warcraft has encouraged many other developers to create similar with uneven results. One of those WoW clones is Runes of Magic.
Runes of Magic is a fantasy MMORPG heavily based on World of Warcraft but with one main difference: it doesn't require you to pay a monthly fee. You can play for free for as long as you want and optionally acquire special in-game objects (weapons, armor and other items) for real money.
The similarities between Blizzard's title and Runes of Magic are found everywhere: from the game's general environment to gameplay itself, including also keyboard shortcuts – even the game's official website looks like WoW's a lot. You start off by creating a character and customize it as you like. You can choose between different classes (warrior, scout, rogue, mage, priest, knight, warden and druid) but apparently there's only one race available – human. When your alter-ego is finished, pick a server and you're ready to start playing.
Runes of Magic takes place in Tabor, a fantastic world inhabited by human and all sorts of mystic creatures. Like any other MMORPG your aim is to upgrade your character's powers and abilities (i.e., 'level up') by completing quests and thus earning experience points. As you progress through Runes of Magic, you'll obtain better weapons, armor and other battle items that in turn will enable you to defeat more challenging creatures.
Generally speaking Runes of Magic is entertaining, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the RPG genre. Music is good, but graphics are rough and not well defined. In any case, Runes of Magic is a good choice for those of you who'd like to test an MMORPG without paying a cent for it.
Runes of Magic is a free MMORPG that may not have the same quality as other similar games, but lets you enjoy adventures in a fantasy land without paying a monthly fee.
