Unlike typical MMOs, combat is completely optional
and the focus, instead, is spread across a variety of gameplay mechanics – exploration, combat, building, housing, pet-raising, mini-games and social networking – to ensure its appeal to both boys and girls alike.
Players will be able to choose from classes such as adventurer, ninja, mailman, medic, blacksmith, miner, warrior, archer,treasure hunter, wizard, and switch on the fly without creating a new character.
The game limits barriers to entry and encourages social gameplay where, regardless of level or class, players will be able to interact, join forces and play together.
With its E10+ ESRB rating and parental controls (for anybody not yet in their teens), the MMO will certainly put some moms and dads at ease. And a colorful, stylized look proves every bit as approachable as the game's delivery method. When it "ships" during the second quarter of this year, it'll be free of charge, fully downloadable, and able to run on computer hardware made in the last five years, according to the developer. Sony plans to make some money back utilizing a combination of micro-transactions, buyable bonus content and the ever-popular in-game advertising.
It all begins at http://www.freerealms.com, the Internet portal for the title. Sony likens the site to something like MySpace as it'll conveniently display your profile, your friends lists, chats, etc. In keeping with the title's 10-14 male / female target demographic, Sony has allowed uncensored chats for those in their teens, but 12-and-unders may only communicate by way of restricted phrase chats.
Will items that are bought with station cash or a membership give that player an advantage over other players playing the game or will these items be just cosmetic?
We sell a mix of items at the Station Cash marketplace. Some items are cosmetic, like potions that turn you into a cat for a period of time. Others do affect your gameplay, like weapons that have greater damage. That doesn’t mean you can’t beat the player who buys items in our competitive minigames, though. Player skill also has an effect, especially in the more action-oriented minigames.
I don't think your guild is going to come over to Free Realms instead of run Ulduar, but that doesn't mean the game shouldn't exist.
The breadth of activity they're aiming for is so plucky, so hilariously unmoored that we've kept an eye on it.
The lion's share of play is tied to something like a "class," and within twenty minutes of playing I had a suite of seven such classes I could don at any time - each with custom wardrobes and equipment. It's a game in the Korean style, so you're talking about something that is a) heavily instanced and b) supported by a tiered playerbase that has the ability to subscribe or purchase game content a la carte. Minigames abound, ones you may have seen before in another guise, but it's the meta element (re: Puzzle Quest) that lends them the meaning inherent in a larger structure. It's cute, and perhaps not for every reader of this site, but games that deliver their intention well have no enemy in me.
We installed it at work because we've always longed for a game that blended ninja pets and metallurgy. Plus, we felt certain it would be profitable from a strip perspective. I installed it again at home because the mining minigame skritches my neurotransmitters and because the fucking card game in this thing has got meat hanging off the bone.
It's got SOE Denver written all over it, and if you're familiar with some of their basic ideas it'll give you a leg up.
Mechanically, it's a who's who of every idea I've loved in the genre: the battle lines of an Astral Tournament, the card flip/dice roll mechanic from Sabertooth's Warhammer 40k CCG, and WoW TCG's Quest Cards alongside their own potent bathtub hooch. Compared to the rest of the minigames, most of which follow the form "click here to succeed," this thing is like falling down a well. Fortunately for them, this is a sensation I actively seek out.
Starting Monday, April 27th at 8:00am PDT we are going to be pushing a big update to the web and game servers. The servers will be unavailable all day Monday as we do our final tests and checks. At this time all beta characters will be deleted.
The servers and website will be brought back online Tuesday, April 28th. At this time Free Realms will be live! Just log in, make a character and play. Memberships and Station Cash purchases will be enabled at this time as well.
I didnt try the beta but I did try the game for 2 hours today it holds my interest more than any other freeware game I've tried
(altho Runes of Magic wasnt too shabby either)
as has been noted,
to get access to ALL content - the game is not free (5.00 monthly fee)
but enough of the game is free to make Free Realms a casual diversion from other online games
Closing Comments
With a nearly flawless launch under their belts and several updates already made to the game to fix minor bugs with the game, Free Realms is off to a really solid start.
Even with its flaws, it's a lot of fun and there is so much to do, that even though leveling a single class to the current cap of 20 might not take very long, leveling all of them and going through all the quest content in the world, as well as enjoying the trading card game and tower defense games, amounts to many dozens of hours of gameplay.
It's worth checking out for any fan of casual games, RPG games, trading card games, tower defense games (yes these games are so good that fans of the genre should check it out just for that!) or pet training games, whether you are 5 or 50.
I know Robyn has been playing, and I loaded it up. I think it's cute but not overly so, and the ease of playing hits it's target base as well as all the adults who decided to try it as well. I do like the tutorial and the fact you can branch out in your industriousness
Free Realms crossed the 1 million account mark in just eighteen days since launch.
Considering we got the news that Runes of Magic crossed the 1 million mark yesterday in just a little under two months, 18 days is an insanely fast time-frame for a recent free-to-play game release to break that mark!
Well it's free ! I mean i linked my account to my Station Account for age verification and to get my name approved, but come on, no one can resist a free game !
