Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning or WAR is coming up soon, slated for a simultaneous release for North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand on September 18 2008 the game revolves around conflict that the Warhammer Fantasy setting is known for, the game seems to be geared toward ongoing, and constant war. The real question however is will WAR take home the gold or will it be a game better left on the shelf?
Will WAR be hold the gold crown and beat out the other fantasy based massively multiplayer online role playing games, including the one that is currently on the top right now, and that closely resembles it’s self, which is of course World of Warcraft. The two games are based on the strategy game fantasy background that spawned them; there are also certain similarities that the two online games share, like graphics for instance. They both share a look and feel of animated fantasy realm, though warhammer online seems to have a darker and less cartoonish touch, you’d still have to be blind not to notice the similarities between the two massively multiplayer online role playing games. There are also several other similarities between the two such as separate factions of races, quests, PVE, PVP, RVR and the WAR professions. All of these things are great and influential in making World of Warcraft an excellent and also very popular game but how does it fair for WAR? Will the end result be the same?
Warhammer online will make its mark for itself it seems in player vs. player, other fantasy MMOs have pvp in it but not as greatly woven into the fabric of their own games as warhammer online. In Warhammer the entire world is the battlefield you battle against the other realm for different goals. You do have something to lose in PvP like losing your main city to the enemy what about losing actual territory such as Keeps (castles) that were held by your guild? The biggest incentive to being good at player vs player is that if you keep losing you won’t be getting any victory points, more land, better skills and cooler looking characters. If you are good by the end of the week you could have a statue erected in your avatars likeness to honor you.
If you are into the violent and completive nature of a war fantasy then Warhammer online maybe your game, there isn’t an online game like this. You are required to bring out your inner rage, increase your response time, clicking action, competitiveness and master the usage of Warhammer macros. You won’t even be able to advance without the true spirit of a warrior, but is that enough to throw the king off the gold MMO thrown? You only have a month to wait and then you can find out.
What makes Warhammer Online so unique compared to majority of the other MMORPGs is the Realm vs. Realm battles that not available in any other game other than Dark Age of Camelot which is also created by the makers of Warhammer Online, Mythic Entertainment which is now known as EA games. A player chooses between two opposing factions that will face off against each other in castle sieges, open plain battles, group battles, "zerg" fights of over a 100 players at a time. A strong leader(s) is required to lead troops of hundreds of players into battle for one goal. To overthrow the opposing side. No other game has offered what Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer is able to provide.
