Argo Review

Post-apocalyptic tales always provide so much to the development of a game, the entirety of it becoming surrounded by it. They all demand reasoning for the apocalypse itself, which in turns gives way for much creativity and imagination for developers to play with. Add in a vivid contrast of the vast steampunk theme versus a more fantasy approach, and the creative appeal skyrockets. There are questions that need to be answered, in order for the apocalypse, before and after, to take shape: Who is involved, what caused it, when did it happen and how did it effect the parties involved? The answering of these questions is what is probably the most fun as there can be so many choices and selections. Good stories always require things to be connected well, while leaving enough room for the imagination of a reader, or in this case, the player. This then leads to the post-part, where many stories begin in the wake of massive destruction and some form of rebuilding of civilization. Argo Online invites players to join one of two remaining races on earth as they battle each other for the most prominent resource, 'Earthdium', which fuels their civilizations and their war. After they nearly destroyed each other during what is called the 4th World War, the Noblian Faction, which are resurfaced humans, and the Floresslah race, which are similar to Elves, both continue to expand their nations and fight for control of Earthdium.

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Most games require some form of back-story; an intricate tale that solidifies how the story revolving around the game becomes about. The opening cinematics, which aren't normally given in many free-to-play MMORPGs, are quite impressive with good visual insight into some of the back story. Argo Online has created a very solid world for players to explore and become involved in, as they are given the choice of fighting for the technological advancement of humans or for the preservation and coherence of the planet. The story begins after the 4th World War takes place, in which the technologically prominent Noblians and nature-friendly Floresslah tribe are both in need of the same resource for their very survival. Once players choose a faction, there is no going back and it is then their duty to help their race prevail, and this means that once you are register, any alternate characters you make on that account will be for the original race you selected to represent. Loyalty becomes a major factor, thus rendering that single choice to be that much of a more prominent one, which in turns makes loyalty a definitive factor.

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There are several classes for players to choose from, although the names are very different for each race. In each race there are two similar-styled classes paired into one of four groups of classes. There are many differences between each races class selection list, although each race has the Guardian pair, as well as a Scholar and a Bomber. One downside is that there is no gender selection option available, as each classes gender is predetermined. The Noblians have the following classes: Guardian - Warrior and Protector; Alchemist - Scholar and Bomber; Hunter - Explorer and Chaser; and Medic - Paladin and Priest. The Floressah classes consist of: Guardian - Taurus and Defender; Mage - Scholar and Bomber; Assassin - Sagittarius and Rogue; Animist - Shaman and Druid. Each classes has their own unique appearance but also special weapons and abilities. Although the gender selection is void, there does remain some extensive choices in terms of the customization of the characters. A large choice of various appearance aspects are given for players to give their character a personalized feel.
 

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Based in the 23rd Century, the setting is on a futuristic earth, recently rebuilt after the break out of the devastating 4th world war. The cities for each faction are based on their separate ideologies, giving uniqueness to each of them in their physical appearance and its reflection of the factions core structure. The buildings themselves boast some impressive design work from the art team, and the overall graphics are appealing to the eyes of all gamers which improves the overall proficiency of the game. The audio in the game is also pretty impressive as well as not only does it include NPC's with voice interaction, unlike many MMORPGs, but it also has quality music for players to enjoy, with more toned down and appealing actions sounds.

The game-play interface is quite impressive as there is a lot for players to take in and to learn and experience. As for the quests, the amount of them for players to become involved in is vast with a wide variety of different types: Main Quests, Side Quests, Event Quests, Region Quests, and Production Quests. Although they do begin with some easy to handle quests, they do improve and the enjoyment increases more and more as players level up. Experience points are not the only form of levelling up players will be concerned with, as they also earn adventure points as they carry on throughout the world. As players continue to rise through the levels, they will find themselves exploring more and more of the game, coming across more and harder Monsters and Players for them to fight and higher level difficulty quests to accomplish. Aside from the usual NPC-hunting and quest-enduring, there are Player-versus-Player battles. There are Guild Wars and Faction Wars, which are both fairly self-explanatory, with further options available as well. Field Wars are battles between the two factions in which the securing of Earthdium is the only goal. These battles occur twice a day. There are also PVP events of smaller sizes, where 1v1, 3v3 and 6v6 matches are available. Players level 31 and higher are the only ones eligible for PVP events, and the matches are grouped fairly as players will not face an opponent any higher than 5 levels their own. Another nice option is players are able to swap from an automated point and click view to a third person manual style, which does add further benefits for players to enjoy the game as not everyone plays the same way.

Overall, Alaplaya created a very solid and gratifying game for fans of MMORPG to enjoy, especially the combination of both steampunk and fantasy involved.

The game has been out on the market since early 2011 and has been increasing in popularity and also in its stature. There is a lot for players to divulge into within the world, and they will soon find themselves fighting alongside several other players as they aid their faction in this time of War. There are some unique touches given to several of the aspects, which in turn provide an edge over most games of the same genre since its release, thus being highly recommended so far since that time. The high level of characters, depth and involvement of the story throughout, and the overall intensity that only continues to heighten as players become further involved, creates a very enjoyable atmosphere and provides adventurous fun for all.