MMORPG's are very hard to get just right. They have to be immense, with many different game system working together to make it work right. It's very hard to do, especially for a company still getting its name out there. World of Warcraft set the bar years ago for what MMO's should be like. Rift has everything a good MMO should have (hotkeys, quests, factions, etc.) However, it's greatest flaw is that it's almost exactly like World of Warcraft. There are good things about it, though.
There are a few classes to chose from, but for this preview, I chose the rogue. Players unleash attacks, no matter the class, using a combo point mechanic. Your attacks can range from small to extremely powerful, depending on how many combo points are gathered. It makes fans of MMOs feel at home with the game.
Rift, like all other online games, has to be able to keep players playing for long periods of time. The game flows very well, but it sometimes feel like the game is doing the leveling up for you. In no time at all, I was a very high level and felt almost no sense of accomplishment in it. The games title Rift derives itself from six planes of reality seeping into the world, such as water, earth, fire, ice, life, and death. Regardless of which you chose to fight for, it helps add some playability to the game. However, I found myself ignoring them and doing the the side-quests. I found no reason it doing them.
The interface of Rift is very slick and responsive. Press a key and the action instantly happens. without any delay. However, I spent more time staring at my interface rather then the action on screen. Also, there is very little story. The only story I got from it was about the Rifts.
As you read above, you can gather that I didn't enjoy my time with Rift. The gameplay mechanics that were meant to change the MMO formula up was a cool concept, but somewhat failed in its execution. The game doesn't release until March 1st, but so far the beta is just average. Future game updates might change that.
