Last week we published our second part in the review-in-progress series for RaiderZ. Previously I took a look at combat and dungeons in PWE's latest release. This week I'll be covering more of the cash shop and end game content as I have seen it through my third week of play.
Cash shop at first glance.
Free-to-play titles will always have a cash shop; I don't think I have ever come across one which does not. Whether the cash shop is imperative or not, is down to the publisher. A memorable moment, for me, where a cash shop was essential to progressing through the game was, Allods Online. A game which I'm sure many people will agree enraged a lot of us.
RaiderZ cash shop, from launch, has been relatively kind to players. Items ranging from skill reset books, costume items to crystals which improve your enchanting rate at end game. All relatively fair and not a necessity in-game.
A slippery slope.
Although I can see the enchanting items becoming more geared towards the hardcore player. Life stones are another cash shop item to take note of here, although not needed, it resurrects you with full health right on the spot where you died. Useful if you suddenly get downed at a boss.
While these items are not essential to the average player, they do have some form of necessity to the hardcore player and there is potential, with the items that are featured now, for this to grow into a "freemium" game. "Pay-to-win" essentially. While I haven't delved into other PWE games, only time can tell whether RaiderZ will form into this.
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Endgame: What's next?
Endgame is a tricky aspect of gameplay, and to me, some struggle to get it right. With either hitting top level and gear grinding or re-rolling a character, it seems an endless struggle to be fully dedicated to a top level character when there is just nothing to do. Tiered raiding has always been a love of mine and always seems the obvious option to me in MMO's. While it is essentially gear grinding, it also gives an opportunity for story progression and seems like a good cue for content updates/expansions.
While many of us long for a fulfilling endgame experience, it is rather hit and miss with free-to-play titles, and this is just the case with RaiderZ. I've spent over 40 hours in the game so far and upon hitting level 35 (Which is the level cap) I wasn't all that aware of what the next step to take is. While the obvious option is to create a new character and experience that side of things, I wanted to know what was next for my current one. Do I just leave my character in a deep login-screen slumber?
Well after some deliberation, all signs pointed towards epic dungeons and the ever harrowing gear grind. While I wasn't all that enthused by this, there seemed no other option. While I could spend my days grinding more items needed for crafting from instanced bosses, it just didn't appeal to me. Even the final questing zones, after some research, seemed to be classed as end-game content.
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So while my experience so far in RaiderZ has been excellently fun, end-game has not. With little to do as of yet, although it is early days, let's hope the developers build upon this with some engaging content. Join me next week where I will be reviewing RaiderZ as a whole, in our final summary review of PWE's latest title!
