Ragnarok Online Review

Ragnarok Online is the true MMORPG for anime and manga fans alike. Released in 2001 in South Korea, Ragnarok Online was the first MMORPG with 2D Graphics. The game appeals to many fans of anime, with its attractive environment and sprite designs. When I first heard of Ragnarok Online through a mail-in promotion in the now defunct Anime magazine, Animerica. I sent in for my copy of the game in the mail. I could have gotten it sooner online, but at the time I had dial-up and it would take a couple of weeks for me to download a 700~ MB file. After a few weeks, I got the CD in the mail. I installed it on my computer, and after a few hours of patching, I had arrived in Rune-Midgard.

Story

Ragnarok takes places in the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard, where the story set is "Humans against Monsters". That's it...it's nothing but an endless effort to rid the threat of monsters in the kingdom. There's no solid story line. It took me a while to grasp the truth about Ragnarok Online. It's just a walk in the park...literally.

Gameplay

When you first start off playing Ragnarok Online, you start as a Novice. For the first three levels, you must pass the training area, where it's cut off from the outside world from higher level players but the other novices in the room. After getting out of the the novice room, you can start exploring in the towns recommended by the NPC based on the job you want to be (i.e.: Geffen for Mages, Prontera for Acolytes), or he can just send you off anywhere you want to go...After hitting job level 10, you can now do the quests for the job of your choice. For Swordsman, I had to go to Izlude for the test to ascend from Novice. What else was there to do? Nothing but get to the 20s?and beyond, and look for a competent guild.

Ragnarok Online is just your basic hit-and-run MMORPG. All you do is click, click, click. It gets repetitive after a while, especially after getting the maximum level (99). To slay a mob, you would only need a skill or two to finish them off. There are "save points" or "spawn points" in the game called "Kafra", which are girls dressed up in maid outfits (better than going to a maid cafe in Japan, eh?). Not only they will save your position, in case you die (Tip: Be sure to save at a Kafra in the nearest town to prevent traveling all the way back to where you were), they can hold your possessions. At the time, you could hold up to 100 items. In 2005, they changed it to 300 items, which was a relief for me as I always had a habit of saving junk that would come in handy at high levels.

Since Ragnarok doesn't have a storyline, there are quests you can do for items that alter the appearance of your avatar. Unfortunately, it can be a waste of time since the amount of supplies needed is ridiculous, and the drop rate of the items are annoying.

Audio

This best part about Ragnarok Online...the music! It has that Final Fantasy feeling to it, and listening to a track right now brings back memories of playing RO. Listening to the music while playing gets you into that mood where you feel like you're in an anime, and want to keep playing. The sound effects are fine: The sound of hacking and slashing, Porings getting cut in half, no one speaks; only in a dialog box. This is definitely fits the stereotypical Final Fantasy mannerisms, including memorable tunes.

Graphics

The graphics is what made Ragnarok Online attract many players worldwide. A lot of games with 2D graphics like the Street Fighter series gained many fans. RO is the first online game with this type is design. Thanks to RO's popularity, there are growing knockoffs of Ragnarok. If you have a decent computer, the sprites are crisp and clean. But having the settings turned down will make the sprites appear raw and jagged like 8-bit NES sprites. Despite the 2D character sprites, the environment is in 3D. Engaging in battle with a monster looks like something out of a comic book as the Hit Points fly from the monster's head.

Replay Value

Ragnarok Online has a high replay value if you're determined to reach the maximum level with your friends. All you do is hack and slash level after level. You can complete quests to get an item that does nothing, but it looks neat on your avatar. Depending on the server you play on, be aware of the players. On the Chaos server (iRO) I used to play on, everyone wasn't very nice. Although, it depends of who you are and the time of day choose to play, but this game is notorious for having shady players, from the ones who bot to the maximum level, to the ones who just want to make lowbies feel helpless. If you encounter terrible players, including botters, it will certainly affect your ability to continue playing.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a MMORPG to play when you don't have the right computer requirements for World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XI, or want something simple that doesn't require a lot of work (like searching for groups or finding "premium" equipment upgrades), then this is for you--[for a monthly fee of $11.99 USD]. Plus, the game is growing everyday with new towns to explore, and transendant and extended classes to keep yourself going after hitting Level 99. I'll stick to WoW.


Reviewed by,
- Sanjo-chan
http://centakume.info/