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Free Realms General Article: First Impressions
MMORPG.com contributor Sanya Weathers has been playing SOE's newest F2P title, Free Realms. Today, she shares her first impressions of the game.
By Sanya Weathers on May 22, 2009
During a recent family gathering, I was explaining MMOs to my dad, the guy who still doesn't believe that adults can earn their livings making and playing these things. In trying to explain the success of World of Warcraft, I hypothesized that WoW was a gazillion seller because they understand that the rats in the skinner box want a pellet every...single...time they whack a bar.
Free Realms gives you a pellet for thinking about whacking the bar, reaching for the bar, almost hitting the bar, hitting yourself in the face instead, hitting the bar, and raising your hand to whack the bar again.
Naming involves spinning three wheels. Or, you can pick your own name, and spin three wheels for the name you'll use until your chosen name is approved. Character creation is light and cheerful, with tons of cosmetic options. Well, character creation is entirely cosmetic, because your traditional RPG stats are completely hidden from you. They do exist, in a limited sense (in the game, items and potions can increase your health, your mana, your ability to hit stuff with weapons, your ability to hit stuff with magic, your offense, and your defense), but everyone starts out exactly the same.
;)
The tutorial is a work of genius. You cannot click past many components. Even those that can be clicked past have a voiceover that can't be skipped. In short order you learn movement, NPC and object interaction (left clicking, not right, which required major brain rewiring for me), the basic minigame, and the basics of combat. You also get a feel for the tone of the game, which is that everyone is gosh darn glad to see you.
And then you're in.
Anyone with plain exclamation points over their heads are eager to get your help with this or that, or to teach you a career. People with winged exclamation points are only willing to talk to those of you that shelled out your five bucks a month. Five of the fourteen careers are subscriber only.
There are lots of minigames. Lots. Seriously, more than once I thought I was in an elaborately reskinned version of MSN Games. There's chess, checkers, hideously addictive RTS games (Command and Conquer, but with happy little penguins and bees), simulators, trace-the-glowy-pattern-with-the-mouse, and probably more. But the main game you will play if you want to harvest cooking or crafting components is sort of a Bejeweled/Chuzzle thing. You will play this for hours. You will play this in a mindless haze until your wrist cramps up... or until your 60+ year old mother wanders in and says brightly, "How about that! I'm a gamer like you! I play a similar game all the time!"
Travel is a delight. Once you discover a warpstone, you can fly there whenever you want, however often you want, by opening and clicking on your map. Rather than stifle exploration, this feature encourages exploration. You've got nothing to lose by running off down a mysterious path, or getting distracted by side quests, because you can pop back to any city you want in seconds.
;)
The look is cartoony, but very, very clean. The art direction is miraculously consistent, with every environment, every set piece, every item, and every prop working together. The world has been designed so everything you touch, see, and hear is a little bit of sunshine.
For example: The coins your dead enemies drop appear in a shiny pile of gold, and when you pick them up (no keyboard commands or clicking - run over the pile like a console RPG) there's a metallic jingle, a musical serenade, and an enthusiastic text message.
Tickets, coins, points, stars - everything you do gets at least one reward, and usually several. Stars can be spent adding levels to your attack skills. Tickets are taken to the Royal Vault to be traded for a random prize. Coins buy components for crafting, armor, and potions. I'm not clear on what the points are for - probably the gazillion leaderboards, although the website has been unable to display those to me for the last week.
There is a microtransaction level to Free Realms - you can just buy your potions and armor if you'd rather. Honestly, it's not necessary. As of this writing, I have careers ranging from level two to level ten, and I've never come close to running out of coins.
It's light, it's fun, and I find myself logging into it more often than I do with my various traditional MMOs - because it's the first MMO where I genuinely felt like I could accomplish something fun in fifteen minutes. The browser based platform (and associated bandwidth needs) make it as portable as my iPod. I mean, I knocked out two quests and a Mining level while I was killing time at the airport.
;)
And yet, I wonder if "MMO" is really a fair name. This is a first impressions article, and my full review is still a week or more away. It's possible I just haven't gotten to the cooperative bits. Still, I see lots of other people running around, but no one is talking. The chat window feels like an afterthought, a vestigial remnant of the designer's MMO roots. I have yet to encounter any content that encourages grouping, let alone demands that I group. It's in the game, I suppose. I clicked on someone else once (she was blocking the forge), and an array of options popped up. But unlike traditional MMO open chat channels, or traditional MMO content, there is no point or pleasure in interaction with other people.
My first impression, though, is that if you haven't given it a try, you're missing a fun game. I've watched kids from five to twelve enjoy the heck out of it. I'm enjoying the heck out of it. And if the hordes of Bejeweled fans out there discover this product, forget what you think you know about the potential for MMO success. The designers of Free Realms are going to spend the rest of their lives drinking margaritas in the sun.
Simply put Free Realms will keep the KIDS occupied for hours. But if you as a ADULT get bored over mini games and incredibly easy quest then maybe just a good hour or two for enjoyment.
A good hr or two of enjoyment for free? I will take it.
You will definately get more then an hour or two out of this game. I've been playing for several weeks now. Although I don't log in as much as I once did, when I do it's so distracting and fun that I forget how long I have been sitting there...
Remember in the old days when you were playing EQ and you knew you needed to stop playing but you were like, "Let me kill one more bear!" Well this is like that. Instead, "let me do one more quest, or one more mini game then I'll stop".
This first impression didn't even mention the TCG which is so much fun that I leveled to 20 in just a couple days. That doesn't mean I can't keep playing it, because it's a collectable game you can play against other players.
If you want to group with people, you have to be a little obnoxious. Random invites seems to be the only way. But if you are able to get a group of 3 or so together, and then go after one of the bigger dungeons, it's a total blast. The instances scale to the size of the group, so the bigger the group the tougher the fight. It's very simple and fun and there are some neat rewards.
I suggest the reviewer not get stuck on one profession and play them all to get a true sense of how many hours she could put into this game to "Finish it' and even then it has major replayablity.
SOE has finally done something right after many years of screw ups. I tried Free Realms for a few days and although the game wasn't for me, I see this one as a big cash cow for SOE. They are already over 1 million accounts and freinds of mine that do enjoy playing the game with thier kids are all saying the same thing..."it's only $5 a month so I don't mind paying it."
The point is that in that game, they same the main goal is to do what you like, but i think its kinda like a game which you dont do any special think that pass little time there and have a bit of good time.
Also the extra features that you get only if you pay... In every free concept this blow it up. I mean you give something cool lets say for free use you put the most COOLEST on pay, but etc this is the main idea.. to attract member to do this and make some money but my personal opinion is that i dont like it... (not the game that style of make money for free games)
Lets get back to the point. As i said is good for 1-2 hours of relax but i dont think that will get you any further than playing more or be excited for something :)
My brain kind of hurts after reading this....:) I kid! I kid!
Sorry but you are very ignorant in saying FR has an RTS. There are no RTS mini-games what so ever. The Penguin mini-game you speak of is a Tower Defense game which is in no way an RTS in the sense of Command and Conquer as you suggested. Call it what it is. It's a Tower Defense game. Sorry this just really got to me. If you can't tell a Tower Defense game from a RTS then I think it's time for you to hang up your reviewer clothes.
FR is highly addictive. It's not just for kids. There are tons of adults who are enjoying Free Realms. Head over to the official forums if you think I'm lying.
If you are a gamer of any kind there is something in FR for you. If you are worried about this game being just for kids.....don't worry about it. Give it a shot I think you will enjoy it.
FR still has some bugs it's working through. But all in all it's a solid game. They just added several new quest lines the other night which is good. I'm still not even halfway through the original content yet.
Anyway don't pass FR off as a Kids game until you give it try first. I think you will find FR has potential to add more conent that will appeal to gamers of all ages. Also it's worth noting that FR is full of pop-culture refrences that only adults would get. There are refrences from PeeWee all the way up to Fight Club and beyond.
FR is simply the most fun and addictive MMO I have ever played. Give it a try and see what you think.
Sorry just have to correct you ........the membership is actually only 4.99 a month. And if you get the starter set for the card game you get 1 month free plus several in-game items including a black lab pet.
I find the membership to be worth it. And as they continue to add member content I will feel even better about my investment. I just wish they had an option to pay for a whole year rather then paying monthly.
Thanks, I was thinking $5 and mixed it up.
How can anyone who is not a kid play this game for more than and hour or two? Seriously, this game is so simple and boring it I would be embarrassed to say that I have played it beyond doing something with my kids. Now I can see sitting down and playing it as a family with kids, but if you are an adult playing this game alone, you must have an avoid all challenges at all costs type personality.
Or in other words: YOU didn't try it...
There are a lot of casual gamers who like that kind of gameplay. Several of my guildmates who are long time raiders love this game. I gave it a few hours and decided I really dislike it but to each his own.
You should tell that to the multitude of children also playing Wizard 101, it's the same principle yet is extremely popular as is Free Realms.
You think it's boring, a million registered accounts disagree with you.
Oh yeah, I played it, played it in beta and after release, asked some friends with younger children what they thought of it when it came out. The kids liked it, if they were under 12, none of the adults did, neither did the teenagers. So yeah, I stand completely by my comments. My niece who is 16 thought is was dumb.
I don't know anyone over the age of 12 that like it. Even a friend of mine thought it was fun playing with the kids, but she soon got very bored and let the kids do their thing.
Maybe you are all regressing to a childlike state?
SOE continues with their corruption of the MMOG genre by releasing a game with item shop.
The game is not challenging or interesting for an experienced MMOG player.
I'd rather play spades or hearts online.
But isn't that the target age of the game? 12 and under.
I know this may sound a little dumb but you seem to be arguing that the game is boring for you as an adult and your adult/teen friends, yet the game is clearly for a very young audience, surely your judging this game against your past gaming experiences, perhaps games such as WoW or other mainstream MMO's.
My 7yr old daughter plays both Free Realms and Wizard 101, she enjoys them both immensly, I however expect her to progress from those to a more adult themed MMO when she gets older and has understood the basics of MMO gaming, I can quite clearly see that neither game would keep me engrossed for more than 20 minutes, and yes I have given both a try alongside my daughter.
I think once you understand that this MMO is not trying to be a WoW or an EQ1 but something very different then the easier it is to accept that this is a game that is really just for children, hence the lack of entertainment value for most adults, we already have enough MMO's to cater to our needs, let the kids have a little fun of their own for a change without the need for us to label a game crap/boring by our own lofty expectations.
It's a game for kids..!!
That said there are many facets of this game that can be enjoyed by grown ups, some of the minigames like bejeweled and others has no age stamp to be fun.
Also, I would like to stretch it a bit further and say that the adding of these minigames is something I must certainly would like in other MMO titles aswell. The crafting part aspecially(even thou it's very unrealistic) Is a far better way to craft this way, than clicking a stone once for each ore piece...
Other than that , Free Realms will become boring aftar a couple of sessions for grown up's..But for a familly to have some fun together it's great..
/junker
Unfotunately some threads are being created by ppl who are trying to portray Free Realms as an MMO that is meant for the adult market, and making ludicrous comparisions to the main stream MMO's we are all used to, once ppl get this notion out of their heads and accept this game is for children, as it is advertised, with the added bonus that Mum or Dad can participate wih their children, then the sooner the game can be judge on what it delivers to a younger audience, not to us geriatrics.
It's like judging Minesweeper against Streetfighter, and telling everyone Minesweeper is crap becuase there is no option for combo moves and the graphics suck.
Wii for the kids, loads more fun for you money, and keeps the kids active too.
*Ahem* Sorry to burst you bubble but a Tower Defense game or gameplay is still a subclass of the RTS and TBS genre(although not like the gameplay in Command and Conqueror it is a strategy game), then again, I do agree with you that the difference between C&C RTS and a TD is notable(he should have mentioned it).
P.S. Didn't play the game( and I have no intention of touching it as I'm enjoying Puzzle Pirates atm) but I was about to download it just to see how they implemented the C&C mini-game(which thanks to you I know it doesn't exist).
On another note do they have some servers that are just subscription based and not mixed? And if you pay the first month and chose a membership career for instance do you get to keep that career if you stop paying the subscription? Say you stop playing for a month or a year and then you return what happens with your character?
Because, believe it not, people have different tastes and interests. What you find boring someone else may find fun. I know it's hard to believe and you probably live life believing that any opinion of yours is the way it should be for everyone. I'm telling you though, as truly unbelievable as it sounds, if someone has a different opinion of yours, it doesn't mean it's wrong.
I would imagine that you will not gain access to those proffessions while your out of a subscription cycle, just as in Wizard 101 when you are allowed access to subscription areas you would then be barred once you have stopped paying.
I'm 36 and have put in well over 100 hours through beta and release. There is a great adult community in the game with everyone from stay-at-home casual game loving mothers to TCG fanatics to hardcore raiders.
Adult. Jaded long time MMORPG vet. I actually enjoy this game a lot.
No, it doesn't have any of the hardcore elements of an adult MMORPG. However, I find the game design refreshing and fun.
BTW, I want to dispel one myth that seems to be perpetuated by some people who haven't delved far into this game. Some of the higher level instances actually are incredibly challenging. I've actually found some of them more challenging than what I encounter in a typical session of WAR.
The "death penalty" (knock out penalty) design actually allows SOE to add some high levels of challenge with out it becoming as frustrating as it would be in most MMORPGs. You have a limited number of knockouts in an instance to successfully complete it. You also get bonus points for any unused knockouts you have when you finish. Since death is not instant failure or sending you back to a spawn point, they can actually add a level of challenge in some instances where avoiding knock outs is very difficult. You have to be careful what you pull and sometimes you can't avoid pulling more than you can safely handle.
I "die" in this game a lot more than in the adult MMORPGs I play. I end way more battles with less than 20% HP than I do in my adult MMORPGs. Those saying the game is all easy mode and presents no challange are not correct.
It's quietly addictive and fun enough...isn't that all you need to be a sucess? It's MMO-lite for the people who are closer to Second Life than they are to WoW. There's also a more adult version of this concept coming out called Gatheryn with a very steam-punk theme. I support anyone trying to do something different from the hardcore "you must spend 20 hours a week raiding or get nothing" games out there.
If you don't like it, fine...there are games out there for you, just as there are for me (GhostX, FR, Gathryn, Champions Online, etc.). Don't harsh something just because it didn't tickle your tonsils :)
minorities that plague WoW, LOTRO (since MOM) and pretty much every other MMO. SOE knows they have caught lightning in a bottle and they are seriously looking at adopting the model to a more serious adult fantasy based MMO (could this be EQ 3?) they are shooting for every player that doesn’t have seventy plus hours a week to raid, that doesn’t want to be called a scrub because her gear isn't the right build or her talent points aren't just so, and that my friends are millions of people that can't wait to shove money into the pants of whoever gets there first.
I just tried Free Realms over this weekend for the first time, and I found it very enjoyable. Yes, it's simplistic compared to many MMORPGs out there. I'm a long-time City of Heroes player and I've played WoW quite a bit as well, so I know what those more complex games are like. The thing that atracts me to Free Realms is that very simplicity - I can log on, spend a half hour on a mini-game or two, and feel like I accomplished something. I may eventually run out of things to try, but for now, exploring what Free Realms has to offer is a lot of fun.
34 year old adult here and I like Free Realms. I am a Lineage 2 player first but when I need a side game to go to Free Realms is that game. Its a game that I can just get on for an hour and have fun and thats all that counts.
kewl might try this free Realms out thx for the input all.
FR is one of the best Games i ever played.
Simple but alot of fun. Try it, you have nothing to loose ;)
I am playing FR with my son and we are both enjoying it. There is plenty there to entertain adults. The TCG is a good game, many of the mini games are addictive and fun. I like the fact that crafting has some mini game skill around it instead of hacking away at a piece of stone with a pick.
I ended up subscribing and found it to be worthwhile. My son is actually learning a lot from the game, improving reading and reasoning skills and for me it is a great light escape MMO that has many addictive elements.
I do think pets are a tad annoying because they require attention. I guess that is good for kids as well and teaching them that having and loving a pet requires effort.
Even if you are in your 40s like me it is worth a try and gives you even more to talk about with the kiddies.
I have been playing Free Realms with my 8 year old and its been a lot of fun, its well done and easy to play. we play for perhaps 20 to 30 minutes at a time two or three times a week. To be frank,I have had more fun in free realm than I did playing AoC or Warhammer online.
Perhaps SOE will come out with an adult version that embodies the same fun factor.
I have played Free Realms a few times.
Whilst fun at first, it gets very old very fast.
Since its free, who cares, play, get bored, move on.
Everyone should have a go, nothing to loose.
I haven't had time to play this game since the beta, but I played SOOO much then. I am 26 years old and this is BY FAR my favorite MMO...on top of everything it's fun-loving, simple, and happy. Growing up is overrated
I give this review one big QFE
Wait a second !! One of the best games you have ever played ???
Can you please explain why ?
I have also played it, alone and with my kids..
I have large gaming experience and sure for a couple of sessions FR is fun for both you and your kids, but after a few weeks the interesst is lost because you will notice there is mostly no point in most of your doings.
And even your kids will notice this in time..
Sure Bejeweled is somewhat time and ageless, but still
So please explain why you think the most casually game ever created is one of the best games you have ever played !!
When does any MMORPG now-a-days have a point to them? Most have seemingly insignificant storylines that no one follows anyway. GRIND GRIND GRIND RAID RAID RAID GEAR GEAR GEAR. <-----------That right there is pretty much the concept of all MMORPG's recently.
Wii for the kids, loads more fun for you money, and keeps the kids active too.
Personally I chase my kids outside to play in the back yard whenever I catch them at the computer for too long. While I myself have been a gamer for a long time I don't think it's healthy to let kids sit in front of a computer playing video games for hours and hours and hours at a time. Kids need to be active to stay healthy and they need to learn to interact, socially, with other people in a 1st person, real world, environment. Not how to be social degenerates in an online world.
The last thing I need is them getting into an actual "MMO" before they're even in high school.
I don't dislike Free Realms. I also don't find it addictive IN ANY WAY either. I watched my friend's son, he's about 7 have a blast with Free Realms for a few hours the other day and he couldn't get enough. That's fine. Obviously the game is built for kids, nothing wrong with that. Yes, I found some of the mini games enjoyable and exploring the currently VERY small world that is available.
Here's the kicker, I can't see myself forking over, even a paltry $5 a month as there isn't anything in depth for me to go for. To each their own on this game, but don't get upset when other posters say they don't like the game or find it boring. As long as they are objective and aren't just spouting Free Realms Sucks! then I have no issue.
But frankly, after about an hour of play the other day, I got BORED. No biggie, just not the game for me.
this is fucked up come on the name is free realms and it got a montly fee!
and in some videos the say free realms is a full free world! omfg what is this!
I am sure no kid and still enjoy this game now for several weeks. Sure, it won't last months and years for me, and I wonder how the lasting appeal will be - even for kids. Depending on how often you play, after a few weeks you just basically have seen everything there is. I enjoy the light hearted tone; no Freeport NPCs yelling at you every time, no WAR, AoC everyone wants to kill me, it is really enjoyable. Personally, I miss such light hearted and time killing stuff in other MMOs, but it seems we have over specialized games everywhere. Traditional MMOs should have much more minigames and fun stuff like this to add to them, IMPO.
Fun does not necessarily need killing and war and oh look even more war and darkness. In a world full of war and violence, giving people a just fun place to go is no small thing.
I wouldn't be so quick to toss that number around so lightly, because something just doesn't add up about that.
For over a week the 10 servers are almost always listed as low population. Once in a while server1 will go to medium, but otherwise they are always low population. If there was even an average retention rate for this game one would expect to see those 10 servers overloaded and more being added to accommodate the surge of people trying to play.
People who judge Free Realms based on "Age" are complete morons.
Its not about the age of the player that determines whether or not they like the damn products. Its about the player's brain.
The year on our birth certificate doesn't determine ANYTHING related to what we LIKE IN LIFE.
ITS OUR MINDS for god's sake.
You can't say that Free Realms OR ANYTHING ELSE is for "kids" or for "adults". Its for PEOPLE WHO FIND IT FUN.
Dddddddddddddduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur.
Amen to that. ^^
At least I quote you on that. :) Thanks for the quote.
Love Free Realms so far! One of the coolest online games I have tried in a long time. Battling the robogoblins is great, and racing my friends is super fun too! Free Realms has only been live since the end of April, and it already has over 2 million registered users! Sign up for free and play the hottest new game of '09 here:
www.freerealms.com
I like it couse its not a stupid Asiagrinder like the most other F2P Games.
You dont have to Raid years to get good stuff like in the most P2P Games.
The Quests are funny and the Jobs make alot of fun.
And ... I love casualgames ;)
I played over 100 MMORPG´s but at least you have always to do the same, but not in FR.
I think the trick to "getting why adults like FR", is to stop looking at it as an mmorpg. No, this is not WoW/AoC/WAR/EQ etc. It is really not much like any of these games.
However, if you look at it as just a game, maybe it will start to make more sense. I am 26, I play mmorpgs, I play them competitively and am generally someone who gravitates to end game guilds that are at the edge of content (ie: I am a raider). Do I enjoy Free Realms? Yes, I do. When I want to just spend half an hour or even a couple of hours of my spare time doing something that entertains me, it hits the spot.
I can go play minigames if that's what I feel like, and by playing these minigames I earn credits or goods that can be used on my character later on. It's just fluff, sure, but what game isn't? By making you gain something even if you only play in short bursts, they have a recipe for success. No, it's not for everyone, but imposing your own ideal game as being the only good game is ignorant. Different strokes for different folks, and there is no shame in liking a game aimed towards the younger crowd.
People on the fence because everyone is saying, "It's a kid's game", just give it a shot. Even if you're entertained for an hour or two, that was still worth a free download wasn't it?
In the end, it's just a game. Like all the rest are just a game. You like it, you don't or you're indifferent.
this game is a turd sandwich.