Runes of Magic has arrived as a free-to-play Massively Multi-player Online (MMO) Role-Playing Game in the midst of a rush of new titles with the same goal – taking a slice of the World of Warcraft pie. Few could argue against any videogame developer housing such an ideal, but few would also recognise a comparatively low budget production as competition to Activision-Blizzard’s all-conquering behemoth.
That’s not to say that Runes of Magic gold is an untidy affair. While obviously shaving a handful of noughts from the development budget and return-on-investment forecasts, Runewaker Entertainment has developed a shrewdly conceived persistent world which provides immediate accessibility and more than enough endearing features to keep players hooked. While there’s no denying that Runes of Magic is effectively a simplified version of World of Warcraft, “simplified” doesn’t necessarily mean “simple”.
Most aspects of the game will be familiar to those who regularly dabble in MMO worlds. The Character Creation is the first point of contact and at first does seem particularly limited. More inline with Phantasy Star Online’s customisation options than the ever-evolving productions from Electronic Arts and Bethesda Softworks, the player has a limited number of facial, armour and Race and Class options. Later options provide players with additional clothing, weaponry and the ability to learn a second Class, providing individualisation for those who persevere.
The introductory missions are encouragable – not only providing the player with the tools needed to propel themselves straight into large raids (which account for up to thirty-six players) with expert players but also throwing level-based options at the player almost immediately. Whether or not the extra encumbrance of a two-handed weapon is worth the additional attack power is a choice that even casual Role-Playing Game players will be familiar with, but the option to further customise the weapon with countering attributes demonstrates a flexible system for those willing to learn its nuances.
Once arriving in the online world, finding both short quests and extended adventures is incredibly easy. As tradition would dictate, the world is populated with Non-Player Characters (NPCs) that will freely distribute mission

objectives to each player when requested. The first town player will visit hosts further introductory expeditions – killing set numbers of enemies, retrieving certain artefacts etc. – but it won’t be long til players are felling beasts two-or-three times their size.
Communication between players, parties and the open-world is handled exactly as would be expected, with the same command strings as any number of other MMOs. In fact, Runes of Magic gold is largely based on principles that have been fine-tuned in the most popular online worlds – Everquest, World of Warcraft, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and EVE Online have all played their part in laying the foundations for the mechanics inherent in Runes of Magic gold. And of course, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a free-to-play MMO game: its strength lies in player familiarity, and that the system is robust enough to be welcomed by the diehard fanbase.
Of course, no such persistent world would be possible without an incredibly generous host, or an in-game revenue stream. The latter of which is that which Runes of Magic gold relies upon and, while absolutely unessential to progress, small payments (often objectionably referred to as “micro-transactions”) in the world can result in the player not only finding themselves with more gameplay options at their disposal, but also further customisability. Not paying makes the game more difficult by simply being more labour intensive – a factor in most Role-Playing Games regardless of cost – but nothing will demand a monetary contribution, an attribute to which Runes of Magic gold is deserved of it’s praise.
Runes of Magic fails to shine visually next to the competition, but is endearing in its own right nonetheless. Bland carpet textures may represent cavernous floors and ceilings that gamers have become used to seeing portrayed with realistically billowing grass and attractively varied stalactites, but this allows for a draw-distance that keeps party members clearly visible when at long-range, and some impressive scale in the dungeons and enemy Boss Characters. Abilities later earned through some hard grafting expose some dazzling effects when executed, and when a large party of high level players forms dungeons frequently become staging grounds for all sorts of blues and oranges whizzing in the air.
Runes of Magic also features Player Vs. Player (PvP) gameplay options, and has been staged as a fairly large part of the game. However, the component pales in comparison to the grand scale of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning’s faction wars and though may be billed as a large part of the attraction, in-game is obviously treated as a tidy optional extra.
Continuously updated, Runes of Magic has already played host to new arenas, character options and events since launch and will persist in doing so as time goes on. As part of an infinite cycle, player interest is required to keep new additions coming, and new additions are required to keep players interested – as a microcosm of the MMO development practices, it’s easy to see that Frogster and Runewaker have pitched Runes of Magic almost perfectly. While it may never topple the mighty World of Warcraft, the teams responsible are well aware of this, and just grabbing the slice of MMO pie that Runes of Magic so clearly deserves will be reward enough.