User Rating: 8.7 | Fairyland PC
So often I have found myself complaining that if a game had the content, I wouldn’t mind how the graphics looked. I remember fondly those misspent late nights playing the original Final Fantasy, Ultima, Bard’s Tale, and others and wonder if I will ever have that sort of experience ever again. Yet when asked why I enjoyed those games so much, I can’t put my finger on the exact reasons. I have a difficult time explaining to the modern gamer why those games captured my imagination and provided so much enjoyment to me and asking them to play those games compared to the graphics of today is not suggested. Most people can’t get past those old graphics to truly enjoy the “meat” of the game. And that is where I find myself with Fairyland. The graphics are reminiscent of Final Fantasy in the early days, as is much of the gameplay. There are problems with many of the English translations, some of the quests are faulty, and much of the experience is “learn as you go”. So why do I find myself enjoying this game so thoroughly? There’s any number of reasons for the modern gamer to dislike this game. Clunky graphics, sub-par sounds and music, and a language barrier to boot. I hear a few people complain about this when logging on for the first time but you know, after about an hour, if those players give it a chance, they stop complaining and begin wondering the same thing I do… Why is this game so addictive? Combat is simple. You cannot equip weapons or armor that are higher level than you are, actual combat is turn based, and you’re rather limited in the beginning of your career as to what attacks you have. And yet somehow, leveling feels to be less of a “grind” than many of the online games I have played in recent memory. Perhaps the addition of an unusual pet system is partly to credit with this, but I honestly believe there is also that feel of nostalgia when traveling about the lands of Fairyland. There are only three classes available, each of which has three subclasses. This may seem a bit too simplistic to some but it truly does allow a “jump right in” experience. Skills improve as you use them so the more you use an active skill, the more it improves. Passive skills improve with use as well, meaning if it works, you get better. The lower levels go by quickly so it isn’t as painful as it sounds. There are also only three races, each of which isn’t very customizable other than hair, clothes, and skin color. Each sex only has two templates to choose from as far as overall looks go but as the game progresses, different armors and clothing allows for more unique looks. Choosing a race determines your initial stats. Only with levels do you begin to “customize” your character. You receive six points for stats at each level and three of those are assigned randomly while the other three are yours to place as you will. Again, this may seem a bit simplistic but in the overall scope, makes for an unusual and fun experience in growing your character. Pets are available to all players from the very beginning of the game and have the ability to imbue your weapon or armor with special abilities, enhance your spells or your resistance to them, as well as being able to just assist you in combat as a standard type pet. New pets can be caught in a fashion akin to, of all things, Pokemon. Weaken a creature enough, and you can capture with the use of a “capsule”. Sound odd? Read on. Trade skills are numerous and, of much greater importance, staggeringly simple to use. Some people will be turned off by the ease of the skills but I’m not the type of person who finds enjoyment in endless hours of “click here, move this to inventory, click here, ad nauseum” of most game’s trade skills. Buy your tool, make sure you have some room in inventory and/or the ingredients you need, and you’re done. The process is automatic and frees the player up to do whatever you want. Take heed, however. Asking the people who are “skilling” how to do so is a bad idea. Not because they don’t want to talk but because many of them are not paying attention to the screen. Granted, it sounds non-interactive but it pays the (in-game) bills, and most importantly to me, doesn’t make me feel like I am working a second job (in real life). The game is still being developed, patches are fairly regular, GM’s are available most of the time, and the majority of the people are friendly and helpful. The game is free at the moment, and in my personal opinion, one of the better games out there at the moment. Don’t let the graphics and the bad translations throw you. There is a whole lot of game here if you give it the chance. And for free, why not give it the chance. I guarantee that most of you will be the ones who find yourself asking the other players, “Why am I having so much fun?”. My overall feeling is that a combination of proven formulas from several different games have been put in play in Fairyland but the good thing is, it’s the best of those formulas. From “raising” your pet to the point where it will follow your commands to the easy to use, easy to endure skill system, many of the people who try this game will find something oddly familiar about many of the aspects. And for me, that’s not a bad thing at all.
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