The MMO Tourist

World of Warcraft was my first MMO and what a way to start. WOW is a fantastic game. Sure, it has room for improvement and there are parts that rub me wrong, but Blizzard released one hell of an adventure. I played Horde for 15 months before burnout got to me. Ultimately I think I was trying to be a raider when I just don't have what it takes (that key thing being Time).

But Warcraft and why I left and why I will one day return is another post for another day. Today I want to talk about being an MMO tourist. You can't swing a tauren by the tail these days without hitting a free trial to an MMO. My preference is to be a light gamer in the summer months and go heavy in the cold, dark winter months. So all these free trials is just neato bandito.

For two weeks I was a blackheart demon in City of Villains. I killed. I maimed. I stole. I absorbed the life force of my foes without remorse. Okay, back to reality. CoV was fun and the gameplay was simple. The avatar customization was mind blowing, especially coming from Warcraft. I thought Blizzard dropped the ball there. Why didn't I pony up for a membership? I like the fantasy genre better and the gameplay was a little too simple for my tastes. The repetitive dungeon tilesets and empty streets were a drag. I give it a B+.

Next up was EVE Online. The spaceships were interesting and the gameplay was innovative. I played that for all of four hours before I realized that tedious asteroid mining and lackluster space combat was not my thing. I give it a C-.

I'm in flight to Dark Age of Camelot. The free trial is downloading now. The graphics look dated, but that's expected in a game that came out six years ago. Hmmm...I wonder if I'll make it through the whole 14-day free trial before taking off.

What other MMO's are offering free trials? EQ2 and Lineage II have caught my eye.

I wish Lord of the Rings Online still had a free trial. I missed it when they had it. Unless plans change, LOTRO will be my winter game this year, but will it have what it takes to keep me in Middlearth? Will Warhammer be released next year like promised? Or will Warcraft pull me back in?