Loong Review

 

There will always be a desire from players for the surreal, for the supernatural to exist in the realm outside of reality.

 

 

   GAME TRAILER

 

 

This is where games come into play – as they are the source for players to full-fill their fantasy needs. Created by the decade-long veterans Gamingo, Loong Online is a game that offers players the fulfilment and satisfaction of divulging into a fantasy world.

 

Officially titled Loong Online: The Power of the Dragon, this free-to-play MMORPG is set in an ancient Chinese world, which was creative by unique gods with the help of past ruling dragons. A part of the game offers insight into the back story through quests and travelling throughout the world, a good combination of mysticism and fantasy provide for the players wants and needs. The back story itself centres around the idea of ancient dragons who were once fair rulers of the world, which was created by the powerful god Pangu. There is some uniqueness to the story and to the world itself, as an intriguing involvement of it is involved in each characters journey. Currently this rather large scale game is available in Europe, China and North America.

 

 

Offering players a comfortable basis of a combined fantasy and adventure contrast throughout the games endeavour, Gamingo sticks to a familiar style throughout many fantasy games, especially those that are based in ancient China, but there are some unique touches add to Loong.

 

Like many RPG games, the game is heavily quest-driven, meaning most of the players time will be developed to finding and then completing a wide variety of quests given to them. This also means a large portion of the character development comes from the performing and completing tasks and quests. Within the game-play rests an all too helpful feature that allows players to automatically make their way to the location of a quest. The exact title for this helpful aspect is the auto-navigation feature and it functions exactly as it says. Upon finding the quest on the map, you activate the auto-navigation feature and then find yourself automatically making your way to that quest.

 

           

One of the more grand aspects of Loong is the broad and vivid scenery and imagery throughout the world. Some of the detail incorporated throughout provide a spectacular visual presentation, which is especially impressive due to the game being free-to-play. A proportionate investment was made into this area and it paid off as some of the visual displays are astounding in all regards. Across the map their are villages and other locations to visit, each of which is given some theatrical persona to the detail and imagery, as a unique touch is also added to each specific location.

 

          

Classes are paramount to most games structural integrity but Loong instead offers players the choice of choosing their weaponry, and leaving the levelling and skills based on the weapons themselves. In terms of character development, there is not much given to personalize a character at the start of the game, as only a few options for each gender remain, but items are available as the game progresses that can give the player some individualization of appearance.

 

A beneficial inclusion is the Dragon Market, which can be accessed anywhere. As for the weapons themselves, they are the main source for what determines a players “type”, as when players level up they will begin distributing their skill points according to specific weapons. Early on players can have the opportunity to try various weapons before specifying their skill distribution, as to ensure the best efficiency in their decisions.

 

 

Some games offer relationships and even love, and although friendships are definitely promoted throughout Loong, there is a rather unique aspect given in terms of “spirit beasts”. Spirit beasts are a type of NPC ally in the form of a pet. There is a variety of pets as well and they offer their own unique advantages for the player. Some can be ridden around which can increase movement around the world, others are used for other reasons, even to loot, and all of them can be equipped with special items. 

 

As the strength of friendships within Long become apparent, there is a helpful approach presented within the games core functions, which is that of a apprenticeship between players. This is not only helpful to the newcomers to the game but also to the veterans, and it is a great cooperative fundamental for players to enjoy. A higher level player will mentor a lower level player and the contrast will provide benefits for both of the players.

 

           

 

Loong Online is a great game for the MMORPG fan, with a lot of visual appeal to enjoy. The game-play is easy enough and the animations are fairly realistic, the combat is exciting while staying at a basic level for the players to handle. A strong sense of adventurism exists and players can enjoy their time within this game. There are some unique touches given to the game, such as an artistic appeal to the graphics at times, which only add to its excellence. For fans of the fantasy role-playing-games, Loong Online: The Power of the Dragon is highly recommended, especially since it is free-to-play.

 

System Specifications:   Minimum Requirements: Operating System: Windows XP, Vista or 7 CPU: 2.4 Ghz Intel P4 or equivalent RAM: 512 MB Hard Drive: 4 GB Free Graphics Card: GeForce 5200 / Radeon 9550   Recommended Specifications: Operating System: Windows Vista or 7 CPU: Pentium Dual Core E2140 or better RAM: 2 GB RAM or more Hard Drive: 5 GB Free Graphics Card: NVidia 7600 GT / ATI X1600 XT

 

 

Game-play: 7.5

Characters: 7.0

Story: 8.5

Visual: 8.5

Audio: 7.0