If you're anything like me, you hate having to pay monthly for a game that you already bought (take notes Blizzard.) Dungeons and Dragons Online has apparently listened to the rantings and ravings of my fellow gamers and have converted their pay to play model to always free! Here's a short synopsis of the game's situation followed by a conclusion review by TenTonHammer:
DDOU is unequivocally the best free-to-play game on the market today, and has been awarded as such. Unlike the scores of free-to-play titles that seem to appear on the gaming scene daily, this game began as a solid AAA MMOG that didn’t quite manage to provide long term mass appeal when it first released in February of 2006. Rather than scrap the project, the team at Turbine made a bold decision in an attempt to turn things around. Their gamble has paid off, and the free-to-play model has drawn in players who might never have given DDO a second glance back when it was an aging pay-to-play game.The game has three different levels of membership: Free Player, Premium Player, and VIP. Free players are just that – make an account (no credit card needed), download the game and play. Premium Members are those who were previous DDO: Stormreach subscribers or have bought anything in the DDO Store. VIPs are those who currently pay a $15.00 per month subscription fee.
Each level of membership has its own rewards and perks. Free players get to play without ever paying a single penny and can have two character slots. Premium members get an extra two character slots (total of four), can read and post on the official forums, and have access to Turbine customer service. The VIP program not only grants you access to everything in the game (classes, races, adventure packs), ten character slots, top tier customer service, and a shared bank slot, but it also grants you 500 Turbine Points each month to spend in the DDO Store however you see fit. To see a comparison list of all three membership programs, click here.
I don't care how you break it down; the value of DDOU is immense.
If you're on a tight budget, looking to relive the Dungeons & Dragons pen and paper adventures of your youth, or just looking for a great MMOG to try out, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited deserves your serious consideration. With the game's new free-to-play model, there's no reason not to download it and give it a try. There's plenty of free content to play with and if you find you enjoy the game, you can buy more content, characters, and more in the DDO Store. If you really like the game and want to experience everything it has to offer without breaking the bank, you can pay a monthly subscription to get access to everything for free along with getting a monthly allotment of Turbine Points to spend in the DDO store however you wish.
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach may have been an aging experiment that didn't live up to the dreams of players around the world, but this new incarnation called Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited is shaping up to change the face of free-to-play MMOG gaming in North America forever. All in all, it doesn't get much better than this.
Gameplay Good
Graphics Outstanding
Sound Outstanding
Value Superb
Lasting AppealVery Good
Overall Outstanding (93/100)
You can read the entire review here. Long story short, if you like RPG's such as Neverwinter Nights, then this may be a game you'll enjoy.
