The Free MMO Part 6: Rohan Online

Today we’re taking a peek at Rohan Online: Blood Feud, a MMORPG that touts open PVP, generous graphics, and an overall well-rounded experience for its players. Thankfully, Rohan Online delivers and does so very well with little hassle or disappointment.

Signup and downloading was a simple and typical process. There was nothing more or less aggravating than what you would expect from a free MMO. The download was 1.61GB and the installation took no time at all. Updating was a bit tedious though it should be noted here the game is in Open Beta, like many free MMORPGs we’ve reviewed so far.

Let’s start with the obvious. Rohan is a beautiful game. It has graphics that blow many of the pay-to-play MMO games out of the water. This is no doubt one of the most refined and artistic online games out there today, and considering it is in early beta, I could only imagine what form the final product takes. It is a Korean MMORPG and as such carries with it a stigma of being a never-ending grinding game. This is hardly apparent here, as grinding appears to a minimum compared to the other Korean MMORPGs we’ve tested so far this month.

Character creation brings forth the undeniable fact that if you want to play a certain class; you have to pick the right race. I picked a female elf, and was allowed only the class of cleric. The breakdown for races and classes are as follows:

Humans are the Knights of the realm. In later levels they can venture towards the life of a guardian or a defender. Essentially they either take the hits as a tank, or dish out incredible damage.

The elves, as mentioned earlier, are the healers of the realm. They have the ability, later on in the game, to take on a role as a Priest or a Templar. The priest is a brilliant healer that holds all the keys to taking your party through hostile territory and keeping them alive. The templar uses holy wrath to impose devastation to all of your party’s enemies.

The half-elf is a capable archer. Wielding their bows and crossbows, they deal damage to single or multiple enemies with ease. Further in the game they can refine their skills as a scout or a ranger. The scout specializes in tackling multiple enemies at one time. The rangers use crossbows and take out their enemies with precise well-aimed attacks.

The Dekan is a race capable of transforming themselves from humanoid to dragon with little effort. They are undeniably the strongest warriors you can have on your side. They can develop in to dragon knights, not to be confused with the human knight class, which employ a bloodsucking skill that weakens opponents. If bloodsucking isn’t your cup of tea, you can go the route of the dragon sage, dealing area-wide damage with ease and having quite an advantage underwater.

The Dhan are the assassins of the realm and as such are not team players. In fact, good luck grouping with one. They are specialized PvP characters and are generally undesirables in the villages. The Dhan characters gains experience by killing other players and aren’t required to do questing to gain their levels in this game. The Dhan can choose to take on a role as an avenger or a predator. The avenger has the ability to make their bodies invisible and dismember their opponents without warning. The predator is specially trained to make the fastest of attacks.

The last but not least of the characters you can choose from is the Dark Elf. These characters have mismatched eyes and spells to mesmerize. They are the mages of the realm and as such carry the most powerful of spells with them as they make their way through the land. They have the ability to advance in to the role of either a warlock or a wizard. The warlock is able to weaken opponents before the beginning of a battle, while the wizard takes a more direct approach in their area-wide spells and damage dealing conjurations.

Whatever class you chose to take up as you start out, the tutorial Rohan Online provides is second to none. It takes you from level one all the way to level eight and provides some very impressive rewards for completing the various parts. A +100HP ring in particular caught my eye as a rather sought-after piece of loot. My advice to anyone on this one is to take the tutorial even if you have been playing the game for some time.

The game is open PvP and as such you can be killed pretty much everywhere. Prior to level 30 you receive some protections from this mess, but expect them to go away in this dangerous land. I learned very soon on that the Dhan are to be avoided, and followed the other players in the area moving away from danger.

Overall, Rohan was very impressive. It left me spoiled on graphics and wanting on PvE. This is a PvP game first and foremost. Open PvP takes center stage without warning though you can avoid it if you keep a low profile. Combat is fun and exciting, while questing maintains some level of interest without bogging you down with reading material. This is a great game to try if you like PvP or if you’re looking for beautiful graphics coupled with a classic fantasy realm set in a time before guns and cannons.

Link: Rohan Online Official Site