RiotZone
RiotZone RiotZone is a MMO browser based strategy game that is highly unique unlike many other strategy based free to play video games I have played in recent months. There are many factors that make this game unique and much more fun to play than the traditional RTS games that are usually released for you to play online. Not only is the combat different in this game, but the setting and visuals are also appealing as well. RiotZone is set in a fictional land called Merania. The back story is told in impressive looking comic book style artwork which is a great introduction to the game. Normally free to play video games lack an introduction of any kind so it is nice to see one introduced here. As always, there are two factions that are at war of each other and it is your choice to choose which faction you would like to fight for. Once you have done all that, you are off to learn the basics of the game in the tutorial. One thing I really admire about RiotZone is its artwork and setting. Most free to play strategy games are based in Medieval Europe where you fight with swords or magic. RiotZone has a more contemporary setting and the main weapons you will use are modern day machine guns and the like. Not to mention the character models in this game are also pleasing to the eye. Being as this is a strategy based video game, combat in this game is not controlled by the player directly. In my opinion, this was a missed opportunity as a game like this could have benefitted greatly if you could actually control your soldiers on the battleground itself. Combat is simulated and all you have to do is witness your soldiers getting shot. This is not a bad thing if you are used to these types of games, but I had to urge to tell my soldiers to retreat sometimes as they would just stand there in one positions getting bombarded with bullets all the time! The only thing you can do during combat is aid you soldiers by giving them health pack to recover lost life or other special items such as calling for an airstrike. I guess this is better than nothing. Visually, RiotZone looks similar to Team Fortress 2 but on a much smaller scale. The 2D style visuals are great to look at and it is something you really see from free to play MMO games online. Another great feature is that the game has sound effects too. The guns add a sense of atmosphere to the game that you do not get to experience while playing other strategy based video games.Missions can be undertaken almost immediately and are fast and quick depending on how good you are. There are no tedious boring tasks of constructing buildings or walking along vast distances to get to an objective like you would in most other free to play video games. That being said, missions themselves are not explained in too much detail which can be a little frustrating. The game does not tell you how many enemies you will have to kill. Although most missions in this game involve you killing enemies anyway but it can be annoying since some enemies may come out of nowhere and kill you if you happen to be on low health. There is PvP combat in this game, but some might think this might be a little bit pointless considering battles are all simulated in this game to begin with. The way to win against real players lies within how you recruit news soldiers in your team or how you equip your weapons. There is a fair bit of customization options you can do in this game which makes it a lot of fun. Not only can you purchase new weapons and armor for you characters, but you can also hire tougher mercenaries to join your side as well. These results in larger scale battles that can be quite entertaining to watch despite the lack of control you have over your own characters.
RiotZone is a really fun free to play video game that is unlike the many other RTS games I have played in recent months. It is a game that may not be for everyones taste but the excellent presentation and plethora of missions you can undertake in this game are sure to win the hearts of some gamers.
