| Let's see...
- A huge world to explore, with plenty of "hidden" objects (altars, shrines, treasure chests, etc) to be found by searching every corner of the world. There is a lot of mystery shrouding many of the buildings and other objects you come across, too. I find myself jotting down where I saw things so I can return later. How many RPGs really give you the sense that you're "adventuring" anymore?
- Non-linear, for the most part. You're free to explore half of the game world immediately, with the other half becoming available later on after certain events take place. For the most part, you can choose which dungeons you want to explore next and are not forced through the storyline like many other modern RPGs.
- A vast assortment of specialty classes for your character to branch out to over the course of the game. Many powerful skills are not available to you without first ascending to certain classes, and the specifics on how to ascend to each are a total mystery.
- Multiplayer cooperative support. This is huge in my opinion, as very few RPGs have ever done this. There are a lot of puzzles and maze-like corridors in the game's dungeons, where the help of a friend is very nice to have. Additionally, you only have to be in the same zone, so even in the largest dungeon you can be split up exploring entirely different areas. And, to top it off, the multiplayer runs very well with all characters progressing through the storyline together.
- All of the above lead to a great sense of accomplishment while playing and allow for plenty of replayability. I will definitely be going through this game a few times to try out the different races and specialty classes. There are a *lot* of quests that are specific to certain races/classes, and I'll no doubt find areas of the world I've never seen each time through the game.
Does that sum it up?  |