While the title of this article might be a little bit cliched and obvious, the spirit behind it is perfectly legitimate. With the full launch of Mythic Entertainment#DY#s Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning only a few hours away, I thought it might be helpful for those of you out there who haven#DY#t rushed out and bought the Collector#DY#s Edition or pre-ordered a box to hear my impressions of the game and whether or not you should go out and spend your hard earned money on this new RvR offering.
The answer to the question ,"Is it worth my money?" isn#DY#t as easy or black and white as you might think. Like most MMOs, your enjoyment of Warhammer Online is going to depend on your own personal likes and dislikes when it comes to MMOs. I#DY#m going to address a number of questions that you may or may not have about the game:
Looking for something totally blow-me-away revolutionary?
So, right out of the gate, I#DY#m going to say that if you#DY#re hoping for an MMO that is going to turn the post-WoW industry on its ear and blow us away with sandboxy content and totally outside the box systems, you shouldn#DY#t spend your money on this one. I#DY#m also inclined to say though that if this is what you were expecting Warhammer Online to be, then you probably should have looked at any of the material put out by Mythic over the last few years. WAR was never meant to be that kind of game.It#DY#s cool to be dissapointed about that fact, but it shouldn#DY#t be a surprise.
What I thought that WAR did do well was to bring exciting elements out of existing MMOs and integrating them into WAR#DY#s mechanics. The systems so far as I can tell are pretty solid and when put together make for a really entertaining game.
What about PvP?
I#DY#m also going to say that if you absolutely, 100% can#DY#t stand the idea of PvP, you probably shouldn#DY#t spend your money on Warhammer Online. It#DY#s an RvR game at its core, and while it does offer PvE elements, I found that they really serve to compliment the many other RvR-based systems that the developers have put into place. If you jump into this game and only do the PvE portions, you#DY#re probably going to be disappointed. I mean, they#DY#re solid enough I guess, but for the most part this isn#DY#t where the meat or innovation of the game shines.
That all being said, the way that PvP is being presented in WAR has the potential to move people who are on the fence about PvP, or enjoy the occasional tussle, over to the dark side. The scenarios, battlefield objectives and other RvR elements don#DY#t really bash you over the head with the "my e-peen is bigger than yours, my uber-lewt will ends you" elements that many non-PvPers try to avoid. Instead offering shorter term "bursts" of PvP (or RvR) combat that leave even a player who gets his butt handed to him more often than not (ahem *cough* I suck *cough*) wanting to participate more and more (and I#DY#m actually improving).
One thing to note though... If you#DY#re a novice at PvP, don#DY#t jump into the Open RvR servers. There is plenty of RvR action on the Core servers, and you don#DY#t run the risk of getting ganked again and again by some high level clown looking for some kicks at your expense. On the other hand, if you#DY#re one of those players who loves the thrill of being in danger at all times and enjoy the realism of not being artificially separated and restricted by level, the Open RvR servers are probably right up your alley. Who needs those carebears anyway?
