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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Preview:       25th August 2004: The Saga of Ryzom  Let the Saga begin with a sneak peek at what maybe one of the Multiplayer games of the year. Posted by Chris Snook - PC - UK and Europe You hear about beta testing games all the time. You just never seem to quite make it to the cut or something pops up or it is over by the time you get round to looking. Not this time as for the last month I have been walking around the wonderful world of Atys and marvelling at the way it looks and feels. The Saga of Ryzom is one of the latest Massive Mult-Player Online Games, currently in beta testing online. Set on the world of Atys, with a history and a background that adds to the feel of the game, all with a future that is fluid and ever changing. It is a place where every player has a chance to influence how the world will end - or continue. The attention to detail is evident, from creating a character for the first time through to the playing of the game itself it looks good and indeed within the last few days has undergone a polish that has taken the graphics and the audio to a new level. The environmental effects are slick, with rain acting like rain and day and night cycles moving with a believable pattern that does not seem out of place with the rest of the world. It is possible to look at the backdrops and imagine that they are there. Spell effects are another visual treat, with differing effects showing up clearly, as do the spot effects for levelling, simple but done well enough to make sure you know what has occurred. Again the detail is great but there is no penalty for using slightly older systems, it still looks good. There is vibrancy about Atys, up to two-hundred and fifty-five creatures can be on screen at once, Atys does feel alive, with each species' area markedly different from the others. There are also dynamic invasions by various foes each out to corrupt the land or remove the four Homin races that inhabit Atys. Guilds can be joined and left and there is scope for a thriving player led economy. All add to the feel of Ryzom. Crafting is vital, all things decay and wither it is the way of the world. There is a wide choice of crafts to choose. With the opportunity to customise the objects to a deep level, each item could and should be unique. Each type of item has its own niche. From upgraded weaponry to magical resistances, all have been thought through Character creation is simple and effective, with many options - again the details are evident. I also suspect that Matis females with dark hair will become popular, it is just the way they look and move. I have to admit they are my favourites. Nevrax the developers listen to what has been mentioned. Things keep being tweaked, patches are done rapidly it does feel like a game that is being made around you, being improved and bettered, much like the characters themselves as they grow and become heroes. And heroes are vital. There is an eight year plan, where those who grow mighty enough by completing some of the twelve thousand tasks set before them are able to embark on special quests to unlock more of the secrets of the past, secrets that will after eight years decide whether Atys falls or survives. Another wonderful detail. Ryzom is pushing the boundaries of online worlds and maybe those eight years will be enough. Maybe. * * * * * The Saga of Ryzom is currently in Beta Test ready for it's commercial release in September. From Monday the 30th of August there will be a chance to join in on an open beta. For more details on The Saga of Ryzom look at The Ryzom Hompage Chris Snook             Latest Images:		Related Games:  The Saga of Ryzom for PC  52  Screenshots  1  Preview Click here for All Game Information.
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