A Free MMO that rivals classics like the Dreamcast's Power Stone. Definitely worth a look!
http://lostsaga.ogplanet.com
After spending four years in development and a one year stint in internal testing, the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), Lost Saga, has finally been released for the masses. Hosted by the online gaming mirror, OGPlanet.com, Lost Saga is a completely free (with optional purchasable in-game items) stress free online game for the PC that uses a minimal amount of the computer's space, with a file size of only 300MB, while providing just as much fun as a 3Gig game.
Lost Saga, like many of today's online games, sports a graphics system inspired by the anime art style, with its exaggerated facial expressions and long, slim body parts. While the graphics are nothing compared to other games such as Rappelz or Cabal Online, the simplistic character design helps to add to the light-hearted charm that is Lost Saga. They also serve the practical purpose of allowing for fluid animation and movement during play. Throughout my time in-game, I experienced little to no lagging while battling, moving, or executing the game's flashy special skills.
Unfortunately, though understandably, this game completely lacks a story, an aspect that is important to most RPG players like myself. The game isn't as demanding as a normal role-playing game, and is more of a "Pick up and Play" sort. Assuming the player isn't used to playing videogames, let alone RPG's, a steep, intuitive story could be off-putting to newcomers, so it makes sense for the developers to not include something. However, I still wish that there was some sort of background idea that brought about the massive battles of Lost Saga.
Lost Saga's gameplay is where it truly shines, hands down. The game sports a fast-paced battle system, similar to that of Super Smash Bros. or Power Stone, in which the player is free to move about an arena in an attempt to crush their opponent. The game's characters play out in the form of Character Classes, which the developers boast to one day reach more than 100 in number. As the game has just been released, the current amount of classes in 11, but this should not off put anyone from playing; These classes all play differently, and require a great amount of strategy to master. Classes follow themes from history, like the Musketeer, Cowboy, spear-wielding Tao Warrior, fiction, such as the valiant Iron Knight or Treasure Hunter, and even fantasy, adding Fire and Ice Mages in the fray, sporting brutal magical spells. Certain classes specialize in hand to hand combat, like the Boxer or Taekwon Fighter, while others strike from afar, like the Infantryman or bow-wielding Robin Hood. With such a large number of classes, this game has something for every mood or play style.
Lost Saga sports a very original system that keeps the players on their toes and rewards them for doing well. The abilities that Character Classes can use in battle stem from one of four corresponding partitions in their equipment: Helmet, Armor, Weapon, and Trinket. For example, the Fire Mage is able to summon a meteor with his staff, teleport by use of his hat, send out a wave of fire with his cloak, and defend against flames with his cape. Players can use these skills at regular intervals, but as they begin to get hurt, there is a chance of their equipment falling off, resulting in a loss of that part's ability. This is where gameplay gets crazy. So long as you replace the missing part, it doesn't matter what class the gear comes from. This allows the skillful player to create a mixed warrior that can strive in any situation. At one point during my play time, I managed to create a machinegun-toting wizard with knight's armor and a boxer's champion belt.
There are some things that Lost Saga could still improve on. The game features some good, but forgettable background tracks that take away from the epic warfare that occurs onscreen. The sound effects are simple, but still fit within the cute gameplay of Lost Saga. The amount of maps available for play are extremely limited at the moment; I've only played on four or five different maps.
All in all, Lost Saga is an incredibly fun game that can be enjoyed by those who want a quick game, and those who want depth; Anyone looking for a good time will find one here. The people in game are friendly, but competitive from my understanding, and the game developers seem to have a steady stream of updates for new classes and maps. This game is just starting out, but it already shows promise to become one of the top online games available in a short amount of time, and is definitely worth a look.