Online game "RuneScape"

Runescape is one of the most famous and even ancient browser-based MMOs. The first version was released back in 2001, the second one was released in 2004, and 9 years later Runescape 3 was released, where we got a separate launch client, modern graphics, more convenient controls, interface and navigation. Even more improved and modern version of the game was released in 2020 on Steam. It is about it (and there is also a classic Old School RuneScape), its advantages and features we will talk about in our review.

The key word defining the essence of Runescape is almost complete freedom in how to develop and what to do here. After passing the first training island, we get into a huge fantasy world called Gielinor, where your eyes are blown away by the possibilities. No, there is, of course, a general plot about how the glorious heroes of Gielinor (that is, we, the players!) bravely stand up against the treacherous gods who are up to no good again. The various global events that have always taken place in the world of Runescape and involve players directly in the decision-making process determine how this global story of Gilinor develops.

But much closer, especially at first, are fields, forests, grounds, farms, mines, where you can cut trees, make fires from wood, hunt and cook game on fire (with its help we restore health in battle), shear sheep and make on looms yarn and light clothing, extract ore, make various ingots and from them in the forge and furnaces to make heavier equipment and weapons. You can also go fishing or, for example, archeology, so that at the start of the game in about half an hour to become a member of the guild of archeologists and start making a career in it by going to important excavations - there, among other things, we will decide how to open the door to an ancient tomb full of artifacts.

If you are not attracted by the development of any skills and professions, but more classical for the adventure role-playing games, you can take on numerous quests. Implemented all very convenient. In a separate menu we see all the possible tasks with detailed descriptions, from which we learn what are the requirements for them (where you need a certain item or the implementation of other missions, and somewhere there are no conditions), what tests are waiting, with enemies to meet and whether the battle in principle. Many of the quests are plucked from the earliest versions of the game, but have been finalized and fully voiced.

As a result, in Runescape we see a variety of different tasks, far from the usual MMORPG errands in the vein of "bring 10 wolf skins" or "kill 15 goblins. Of course, quite a lot of usual quests in general - you will search for lost cats, clean dungeons and temples from undead or crazy cultists, help to collect ingredients for different craftsmen, find treasures, hunt for the mighty dragon, restore temples.

But even such quests are interestingly furnished and often add up to long sequential chains of events - that's why the authors warn that to understand some missions and get the most out of them, it is desirable to pass some or other previous tasks.

In addition, there are many more nontrivial adventures. For example, in one of them we try to defeat a mysterious plague epidemic, in another we encounter equally mysterious vampires. In the third, we first have to prove ourselves by defeating cultists in a temple, and then we try to deal with the kidnappers of an oriental prince, the son of a powerful but elderly emir. In the process, we infiltrate a gang of bandits, secretly track down where their base is, and then also by roundabout ways, jumping on rooftops and climbing ropes, trying to get to the palace of the emir. And there, among other things, you have to solve riddles, answer questions correctly and make decisions that affect how and how this whole story ends.

There is also a separate Demon Slayer quest chain, associated with the hunt for the most powerful enemies and bosses. But at the same time, many quests do not involve participation in battles at all. Besides, there are funny adventures during which we, for example, will be asked to enchant a broom or teach how to paint your pet cat purple. In general, the humor in Runescape is good.

As you can see, the game has classes for every taste - you can purposefully develop some crafts, trade with other players on the Grand Exchange, where you set the prices, control the supply and demand, visit the circus, have your own farm or develop your own port. In this world, which the developers have been developing for 20 years, looks very rich, picturesque and diverse. Meadows, fields and rivers here neighbor deserts, tropical islands, medieval castles, oriental palaces, wild barren lands, ancient ruins and quiet harbors.

Similarly, we are absolutely free to go in search of adventure and perform all these quests in the proud solitude, playing Runescape, as a classic single-player RPG, or to find friends, establish guilds, join existing clans and get from all this the experience that we are used to get from the online MMO. All the basic opportunities for this are there - different guild activities, including building your own citadel and participation in wars between clans, as well as battles between players

There are duels in arenas, joint participation in various mini-games (some of them even refer to the board games in the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons), and the most dangerous PvP presented in the northern region called Wilderness, where if you are killed by another player, you lose all your belongings - other users can safely pick them up to use or sell. In general, we can say that PvP in Runescape is not given as much attention as in some other MMOs, but if you want you can find such entertainment.

In any case, by completing tasks, doing crafts, defeating enemies and other players, we gain experience (or items that can be converted into it), develop our character and his skills. And there are a lot of skills here - under thirty. Fishing, archeology, cooking, mining, blacksmithing, crafting, construction, woodworking, farming, rune-making, herbalism, magic, dungeon exploration - there are activities for almost every taste. Most crafts have their own guilds with their own hierarchy and chains of unique quests, such as the already mentioned guild of archaeologists

But again, it is not necessary to do quests and advance in the guilds - even if you just fish, stand at the furnace in the forge, cut down trees or mine ore, the character develops and receives new skill levels in this skill. And this is important - the higher the level, the more opportunities open (for example, you can make steeper equipment) and the more quests become available - many quests have requirements for this or that skill. Or, for example, a developed dungeon exploration skill will allow you to descend into more dangerous catacombs, full of strong enemies and cool rewards. Although in the early stage there are more accessible dungeons - for example, Stronghold of Security, where you can not only fight monsters and get rewards for it (the deeper you go down, the more dangerous the enemies), but also in between to learn how to secure your account.

It is simple activities like hunting harmless bunnies, fishing, mining, shearing sheep, or chopping trees that will allow early progress both in character development and in the initial accumulation of capital. Because we get experience for all actions, and the same logs or fish can be sold at a profit. The only pity is that the inventory in the game is not infinite - you always have to choose what to carry with you, and what should be left in the bank for safekeeping.

Note also that in Runescape are implemented detailed production and processing chains. You can't just walk up to the sheep and cut it - you must have special shears in your inventory. Raw meat is cooked at the stake, and the mined ore or sheep's wool is processed to get new material (ingots, plates, threads, fabric, etc.), and then this is used to make weapons and equipment. And besides, making/processing more advanced materials brings more experience and money

Despite this focus on peaceful crafts and the fact that many quests do not involve combat, you should still be well armed and ready for anything in the world of Runescape. The basic classes and thus related skills are simple - warrior (i.e. melee), archer (ranged) and mage (magical attack, summoning)

And if hunting chickens, bunnies and cows does not require any special tactics, then in battles with more advanced opponents you need to consider that all participants of battles are correlated with each other on the principle of "rock-paper-scissors". For example, warriors are strong against archers - their armor and shields stop arrows. But they are trapped if wizards use immobilization spells against warriors - besides, melee fighters have the lowest magical protection. On the other hand, archers, who do the most damage, have no fear of being immobilized by spells, so they're great against wizards. In addition, some opponents have resistance against physical or, conversely, magical attacks.

Therefore, you often have to carry both bow, sword and staff to switch between them depending on the current situation. Moreover you also need to change armor/clothes - they are also tuned for different fighting styles, and if, for example, an archer fights in mage gear, he is less effective.

Does that sound a bit confusing? Maybe, but first of all, no one is stopping you from purposefully investing your experience in ranged combat or magic, for example. Trained specialists can handle many dangers. That is, it is not a fact that the archer will always lose to a warrior, and the latter to a mage. Especially in battles with other players. Here also a lot depends on the equipment, the overall level of combat skills and how well you know your character and know how to use his pluses.

Secondly, the battles themselves look less frozen and, for the most part, take place in automatic mode. This is called the Revolution system - the character himself applies ranged/close combat or magic skills (depending on the weapon used) as they become available. But you have to arrange them correctly on the skill panel in a sequence that is effective. In addition, in combat, the character accumulates adrenaline, which, in turn, can be manually used to activate the most powerful combat skills - that is, there are enough opportunities to adjust the situation and personally influence the outcome of the battle, despite its convenient automatic mechanics.

In general, the whole Runescape game is just that, a comfortable game. Quests, as we said, are always available, described in detail, and you choose any. Often the game also shows you the way to the quest character or location. There are plenty of mines, woods to chop, a variety of beasts, and places to fish. And in battles, as you can see, the characters almost fight themselves. But with all that said, Runescape is also a very deep, detailed, in-depth in some things and diverse, opportunity-rich game. Another thing is that not all of these features are available in free-to-play mode. As with Star Wars The Old Republic, to access some (such as all possible quests and skills), you have to become a subscriber. There are different options and offers, but if you like these MMORPG, then, given the size and variety of the world, the richness of features, the level of graphics and the overall technical execution, it is worth trying at least the free version anyway. And then you decide for yourself whether to become a subscriber of this unique game or not.

Zarium. December 2022