It's no secret that this year is
chock-full of new and upcoming game releases. Games such as Counter
Strike: Global Offensive, Max Payne 3, and the newly announced
Assassin's Creed III are searing with anticipation, and they won't go
easy on your wallet. Read on to discover the latest and greatest
free-to-play games that will give your wallet a little mercy.
Rusty Hearts – Perfect World –
Available Now
Launching in late 2011, Rusty Hearts
is not your average MMORPG. It actually adopts the style of a
beat-em-up, putting you in the arsenal of one of four (more of which
are available for purchase at the in-game store) characters with
unique fighting styles. Frantz specializes in swords and battle-axes,
Angela is a witch with many devestating spells at her disposal,
Natasha is a gun-toting warrior that conquers her foes with revolvers
and muskets, and Tude uses hand-to-hand combat with deadly gauntlets.
During my still-going time with Rusty
Hearts, I played as Tude, and enjoyed its Devil May Cry-style of
attacking enemies to build up combos and acquiring increasingly
better items along the way. Everything is done in real-time, making
for some intense player-vs-player and player-versus-environment
opportunities alike. Interestingly, the different characters will
even include their own dialog during quests and conversation. I can
easily recommend this game to those who are searching for the most
action-oriented MMO there is.
Video from MMOHut's YouTube Channel
Tribes: Ascend – Hi-Rez Studios – In Open Beta
The most popular shooters from the
late 90s to early '00s almost never attempted to capture realism like
games of today. Competitive multiplayer franchises like Quake and
Unreal Tournament adopted a sci-fi setting, and, even in their latest
editions, require swift reflexes with a mouse and keyboard.
In recent years, quite a few titles
tried to capture the nostalgic feel of classic shooter gameplay, such
as Duke Nukem: Forever, and the Serious Sam HD remakes. Tribes:
Ascend will continue the classic shooter tradition with a few unique
gameplay mechanics thrown into the same blender. One of them is
flying with a jetpack, which is typical for a sci-fi setting, yet
essential for outmaneuvering foes. Another addition is “skiing,”
which you activate to gain speed and/or momentum for your jetpack by
sliding on the game's vast and open maps.
Many gamers (such as myself) express
deep sentiment about the twitch-shooter gameplay from years past.
However, whatever frags your fancy, Tribes is a unique and enjoyable
experience, that is certainly worth a try. Best of all, it won't cost
you a dime to jump in.
Video from IGN's YouTube channel
Blacklight: Retribution – Perfect World – In Open Beta
Speaking of sci-fi shooters, another
noteworthy frag-fest is Perfect World's Blacklight Retribution.
Gameplay-wise, Retribution is relatively similar to Call of Duty,
with its fast-paced combat and loads of tight corridors for camping
your opponents. On the other hand, the game attempts to combat
camping tactics, giving each player the ability to see through walls
for a limited time. This way, players can flank their enemies, or
even spot an incoming enemy ambush. Any player could be using this
special view style at any time, so mindful players should always stay
on their toes, especially when players score enough kills to summon a
giant combat mech.
Blacklight's arsenal is quite
remarkable, even in its Beta phase. A plethora of additional assault
rifles, shotguns, and side arms can be at your disposal. That is,
assuming you plan on using Perfect World's 'Zen' currency system,
which is acquired with real money. You may be left out of some
weapons if you don't wish yo pay real money, but, to be fair, it's
how the fellas at Perfect World pay the bills.
Video from Machinima's YouTube channel
Aion: Ascension – Ncsoft – Going F2P on April 11th
I'll put it short and to the point;
Aion is gorgeous. Launching in 2009, the game puts players into the
celestial world of Atreia. As a winged Daeva, you must serve the
good-spirited Elyos or the dark-hearted Asmodians in an ongoing
battle on your homeland, or the strictly PvP Abyss area. The game
runs on a modified version of the CryEngine, which powered beautiful
first-person shooters such as Crysis. It certainly shows, too, with
its amazingly detailed zones.
Aion is filled with juicy content for
thirsty fans to sink their teeth into. Enemies and NPCs sport vividly
unique style and personality, PvP and PvE combat alike is intense and
keeps things interesting, the quest dialog fills the world with life
and lore, and I'll say it; you're dead inside if Aion's magnificent
musical score doesn't melt your heart.
Video from IGN's YouTube channel
I was not paid to write all this (I
prefer to keep my soul as a video game journalist). I speak so
passionately about Aion due to the fact that it's been around for a
long while, and has had much time to grown and improve over the
years. I'll keep a close watch on the other games in this article,
and keep you all posted on how they grow and expand. Until then,
check these games out! You may find yourself a new addiction.
Written by Andrew Pyle
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