After spending probably 50+ hours in Rift over the time since launch, we are finally ready to give a detailed look into the game and what it has to offer.  They have been heavily advertising the game since just before launch, with a number of online ads and even television spots on a number of different channels.  It is pretty safe to say that most gamers (and even people who are not familiar with online games at all) have at least HEARD of Rift.  And from what we have seen in the game so far, there are what seems to be a large number of players initially in the game.  While there aren't as many servers in Rift compared to the massive size of World of Warcraft, there are still quite a few (many of which retain "high" population even during off-peak hours).  Whether Rift will be able to maintain the interest of players in the longer run has yet to be seen, but from what we have experienced the player interest level so far has remained quite high.

Apart from being one of the most hyped launches in quite some time, it also turned out to be one of the smoothest.  Despite some technical issues with certain players' graphics cards, and some other minor bugs and problems, there have been no major issues.  Often there can be extended downtimes after a game's launch as developers struggle to squash bugs and patch exploits and other problems, but this has luckily not been the case with Rift.  Customer service response time has also been efficient, often with only a few minutes wait time.  So even if you do encounter some technical issues, you likely won't have to wait long to get in contact with support to get you back in game.

As I mentioned, Rift has been utilizing quite a bit of advertising.  And one tag line they seem to employ often is the "We're not in Azeroth anymore...", a reference to the lands in which World of Warcraft takes place.  Obviously they want to be "the next big thing", as would any new MMORPG.  However, while the world of Rift clearly is not Azeroth, they are probably neighboring planets at least.  To say that Rift has some very nice features and certain aspects that make it a level above WoW in various ways is true.  But in terms of things like gameplay, UI, and some other basic components of the game, there are more similarities than differences when comparing the two games.  While Rift doesn't do much to break the mold of the typical fantasy-themed MMORPG, it does find a way to reshape the familiar to make it comfortable but also new and exciting.  So for fans of the genre who have felt stagnant in their current game or want something new with a few unusual features and takes on the old systems, Rift is likely the solution you've been waiting for.

When you first log into Rift, you are given what looks like a very typical character creation system.  However, assuming you have also configured your graphics appropriately, you are also immediately treated to the fact that Rift is a graphically impressive game.  The game features two factions (Guardians and Defiant) for players to choose between, and you are able to play on either side in the same server so there is no need to feel like you are stuck with your choice.  Each of these faction has three different races to choose from, giving a total of six options.  Racial choice does not appear to affect your chosen class in any way, so there are no restrictions to consider.  You can just pick the race you find most interesting or visually appealing when making your decision.  You then customize the look of your character with an acceptable but modest number of sliders, hair styles, etc.  The final step in creation is to choose your base class type and move into the game.

The class system in Rift is an unusual one, and one that allows for a very large number of options.  While there are four base classes to choose from in the beginning (Mage, Rogue, Warrior, and Cleric), this base fantasy staple quickly evolves into a robust class system.  Called "souls", there are seven sub-class options for each base class.  So while you will remain a Cleric no matter what you do, you are free to combine any three of these seven souls at any given time.  For example, you could be a Druid/Shaman/Justicar or you could combine the souls of Inquisitor/Shaman/Purifier (all of these being Cleric souls).  Each of these souls is essentially a class tree of its own.  And as you level, you can assign skill points to any of these three trees you choose.  While this seems complicated and overwhelming (and it can be at first glance), the game does a very good job of easing you into the system and making your transition into this new style quite easy.

Now, there are certain souls that just fit better together or have things in common that make them a more "efficient" match.  But it seems that most combinations can be played and made to be completely workable no matter what you choose.  The ability for customization in your class is rather amazing and very uncommon for the typically class-centric MMO genre.  And while the "soul" system does resemble class trees that some games offer, there are certainly no games that allow you to pick your own trees.  The only thing that I noticed to be more difficult that most choices was making a spellcaster that did not have a pet available to it.  There are two souls that offer a pet, and this offers a great deal of protection.  Without one, however, casters felt unusually weak and killable.  It certainly makes soloing efforts quite challenging.  There have been rumors that Trion plans to remedy this soon in an upcoming patch, but we have no official word to validate this.

Once you enter the world with your new character, you are immediately treated to both the graphical beauty of the game, as well as its very deep and involving storyline.  While some games have better stories than others, few are able to make the player feel like a real part of it better than what Rift has accomplished.  From the very beginning it is evident that your character plays a role in shaping the destiny of not just your land, but the entire world!  So if you like to feel important, you will certainly get that feeling here.  Each faction starts out the game differently, though both are fighting toward the same end and against the same evil entity.  While the Guardians are chosen by the Gods to purge evil from the world, the Defiant are led by the Ascended (like yourself) who have come by use of magical technology to prevent the world from meeting an untimely end.  Eventually the two factions will meet up in the world, but the initial experience is quite different depending on your choice.  Of course, I recommend you at least give both sides a try.

For those who enjoy crafting, there is a complete system for making a variety of items.  This system is almost exactly like what most fantasy gamers are used to.  You simply harvest materials, combine them, and create a final product. Some items require the assistance of another crafting branch, so there is a level of interdependency here.  While not innovative in any way, the system is functional and seems to be profitable.  If you are not interested in crafting, you can opt to simply gather materials as you adventure and sell them on the auction market.  This can be a good supplemental income to adventuring.

Combat in the game is very familiar.  You are given a hotbar with various skills based on your chosen souls.  These are powers and abilities with typical features like cast time, cooldowns, and other things that MMO gamers are quite familiar with.  While not much is done here in terms of making combat "different", Rift does a good job at making it fun and full of action.  There is also a strategic element in terms of the skills and abilities you choose from your souls, and which you use for given situations.  You will find no shortage of attack/spell options, so the ones you plan to use require some forethought to master your character.  Similar to WoW, Rift is quite easy to pick up and play.  But with the added choices of souls it is much more difficult to truly master your character.  This becomes even more complex (and interesting) when you consider the "Roles" feature.

Roles are not something new to MMORPG's either, though they are not that common thus far.  What a role is, is essentially a new skill and power set for your character to use.  In most games, this means that you can re-apply your skill points to your tree to give you a slightly different focus during gameplay.  But in Rift, this means you are almost creating an entirely different character as you can create another mix of any souls you have available.  So, if you were a healing-oriented cleric in the beginning of the game, you can re-invent one of your roles and an offensive damage-dealing cleric by simply creating a new role and switching out your souls.  And this is not a permanent move either.  With the click of a button (out of combat only) you can switch back to your first role or any other you have available.  Ultimately you can have a maximum of four different roles.  This adds unparalleled choices when determining how you want to play your character.  In most games, such major changes would require creating and entirely new character.  But Rift gives you these options as a feature without starting from scratch.

But souls and roles and not the only new takes on pre-existing features.  As the name of the game itself implies, "Rifts" are a major part of the game.  But what is a rift?  Essentially, a rift is a public quest.  On the smaller scale, these single events can pop up at various locations throughout the world.  Just as the word sounds, a rift itself is like a tear or a hole in the material plane that has allowed some dark force from another plane to spill into the world.  It is then up to the players to encounter and seal up these rifts.  While participation in rift battles is optional, it is in the players' best interest to do so.  The reason for this is that if you choose to ignore the rifts, eventually creatures will form invasion parties and start running amok in the lands!  And not only could they rush at you while you're doing a quest, or catch you while en route, they may very well take over the very location you were trying to help out (killing all the townsfolk and your quest-giver in the process)!  So if invasions or rifts go unchecked, you won't have anyone to quest for, or anyone to turn your quests back in to.  It can be a real pain when this happens and you have to wait for some reinforcements, but over all it is a very fun and exciting addition to the typical "public quest" system.

And the involvement of the rifts doesn't stop there.  At certain intervals (usually a few hours between), major zone-wide rift events can occur.  Unlike the random rifts that drop in across the zone, often large distances apart, rift events are quite massive.  Often the entire area can become dotted with rifts, and dozens of invasion parties will be wreaking havok across the lands.  During these events it is much more common for villages or outposts to be taken over by evil forces, preventing you from questing and requring you take action.  These events can not be solved by one adventurer, regardless of how powerful you are.  While you might get lucky in a single rift and be able to seal it, the sheer number of rifts and invasions makes these major events a group (and typically raid group) activity.  But don't worry about shouting around for a group.  Rift makes this process easy with the convenient "Join Public Group" button that appears in these situations.  All you need to do is approach these encounters and you will be given the opportunity to join fellow players in the fight.  Not only are these events extremely fun, but the rare rewards received are well worth the effort.  All rift events in fact offer some level of special reward which can be used to acquire special items.

A concern going into the game (as with all new MMO's) was what the new community may be like.  Would there be an overwhelming number of immature banter on the zone or global channels?  Would it be difficult to ask questions or get help?  How is the guilds system?  These are questions a lot of gamers wonder about when getting into a game.  And with the parallels being drawn between Rift and WoW, luckily this is one area where they greatly differ.  While there seems to be a lot of immature and often obnoxious behavior on the chat in WoW, there is very little and often none of that in Rift.  Keep in mind, however, that I chose to play on a Roleplay server, and these typically attract a larger number of older or more mature gamers.  And this seems to be the case here.  I found the community to be mostly mature, positive, and quite helpful.  They were also typically willing to team up on quests or events, rather than compete with you or go it alone all the time.  I didn't find any fault with the community on my server.

In all, Rift offers a unique take on what has become the "norm" of fantasy MMORPG's.  Most will not feel this is a bad thing, and I have yet to encounter a player disappointed with their choice to play the game.  The combination of unique features, beautiful graphics, and a good soundtrack make the game a solid, entertaining, and fun experience.  There really isn't anything "bad" to say about the game.  If you already have a game you love and don't feel you need a better experience, Rift may not rip you away from that.  But for those looking for something new, a little different, or a breath of fresh air into the stagnation of the fantasy genre, this is likely what you have been looking for.  We will continue to follow Rift as they move past launch and begin to develop the future of the game.  It will certainly be interesting to see the direction they take with continued development.  While the game may not take the place of World of Warcraft, it may have its own role as the home of serious fantasy gamers.

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