In a perfect world, all MMOs would be free to play on a monthly basis. But since they're not, there's Perfect World, the studio behind upcoming monster hunting MMORPG Raiderz. I had the pleasure of sitting down with this ambitious little title during E3 and took it all in for your edification.
Raiderz is all about big monster battles; you won't be able to simply tear through your enemies and move on to the next goal. It's more for a seasoned MMO player who wants a challenge over the typical hack and slash of mindless grinding. The combat is target free and in real time, giving you complete control over the encounter.
Set in the open world of Rendel, Raiderz will offer highly customizable characters through a vast network of skill trees that can be tailored to boost proficiency with your preferred weapon set. While there are four traditional classes, skills (referred to as Talents) from any tree can be used on your character, and they can be changed at any time. With over 350 Talents, the combinations will be seemingly endless.
Fallen enemies will leave behind pick-ups and upgrades that can be used to craft better items. Players will have to create their own armor and weapons if they want superior gear, but there will be tons of components and lesser gear to loot.
In what I would describe as almost a quirk, you can also pick up a guitar and start a solo jam session to amuse your fellow team members. I tried it out myself and was mildly amused. I swear one of my co-players cried "FREEBIRD!"
The art, while nowhere near the masterpiece that is Neverwinter Nights MMO (also by Perfect World), is still high quality. As a result, I found the time I spent with the game very easy on the eyes. The animations were realistic and fluid. All in all, it was extremely easy to pick up even with my lack of MMO experience, and as a free-to-play game it is already worth well more than the price of admission.
Keep an eye on this one, especially you would-be Monster Hunter MMO fans. I think it has some serious potential.