Free Realms is a recently released MMO released by Sony Online Entertainment that appears to engage players of all ages and skill levels. It seems mostly aimed at the younger crowd – especially pre-teens who aren’t quite ready for a more involved MMO such as World of Warcraft. However, the older crowd may find it a refreshing break from something like WoW, especially on those patch/maintenance days.
What makes Free Realms so accessible is that it’s actually streamed through your web browser via a small downloaded application, so there is no hard copy to purchase, and yes it’s “free” to play. Of course, as you play the game, you’ll notice that there are some options that require an “upgrade” to access, or in their terms, becoming a member. At only $5 a month, it’s not a bad deal, and in these troubled economic times, it could very well be worth it. However I find that at least for now, the free version suits me just fine.
The game itself is fairly simple. You find quest-givers around the world and perform quests, which consist of tasks such as gathering materials, playing mini-games, or defeating monsters. For certain quests, you will be transformed into a different appearance (and wearing different equipment) which represent the “job” you are currently leveling up. Once you access a new job, you can always switch around at will, and level up jobs with the different quests. Jobs that are accessible right away are Chef, Brawler, Ninja, Postman, Kart Driver, Demolition Derby Driver, Pet Trainer, Miner, and Card Duelist. There are a few jobs that require you to upgrade to a paid membership – Archer, Wizard, Medic, Blacksmith, and Warrior. I anticipate that more jobs will be added in the future.
Mini-games are the heart of Free Realms, which adds to the appeal of the game in general for those of us used to the more traditional MMOs. They can either be interactive with the environment, such as running around collecting items in a certain time limit, or they can be completely separated from the world. Many of the mini-games have a familiar premise, like matching 3 or more items on a board. But games like these often have a goal in mind, such as producing a new recipe to help level your chef, and earning points to spend on new skills. Or, you can just play a mini-game for the heck of it. I like the “battle” mini-games, in which you place game pieces on a board that has a path where the bad guys are walking through to get to an exit you want to protect, and your pieces shoot them down in one way or another (I particularly like the penguins that throw water balloons).
There is also a trading card game, which can be played online or in physical form. For the digital version, you don’t even really need to be at a particular location in the game unlike the mini-games – you can simply press a button in your menu and you will be taken to the game. If you are willing to go out and buy actual physical cards, there are some perks for the online game, such as special rewards and free membership status for a limited time. The card game pretty much plays like any of the trading card games, such as Magic: The Gathering, where you have armies of creatures and special abilities to duel your opponents.
There’s ways to purchase additional unique items with “Station Cash,” which is bought by real cash. Here is how Sony has decided to preempt websites that sell “gold” and in-game items, and provide this service directly. Now you might wonder, how is this an ethical way to play the game? Isn’t it kind of like cheating? Isn’t that the whole reason we hate the “gold farmers” in MMOs? You have to remember one of the target demographics for this game is a younger crowd, likely children, so this provides parents a way to reward their kids (gone are the “here’s a lollipop” days). Also, for the most part, the rewards don’t make your character super powerful. They could be in the form of a unique pet, or different clothes options, maybe some upgrades to go-carts. The Station Cash can also be used to fund the $5 monthly membership, which unlocks new quests and mini-games.
Some people have wondered if this game is the new competition to World of Warcraft. I highly doubt it, as in my opinion the target audience is entirely different. I’ve heard someone refer to Free Realms as “your second MMO.” So while I’m not necessarily part of their target, I enjoy the game just for pure casual fun. It’s also a great game to introduce the concept of MMO play to younger kids, without much of the violence and gore of other popular MMOs. I haven’t really utilized the social aspects of Free Realms, so it’s difficult for me to judge how the culture is among players.
The only issues I’ve had with the game is sometimes there are some performance issues with graphic choppiness… I’ve found that on my PC, Firefox works better than Internet Explorer. I was also disappointed to find that the game is not available on Mac. Hopefully they will remedy this soon.
Judging from the growing popularity of the game, I see Free Realms being around for quite some time, so it’s worth taking the plunge.