I’m sure you’ve heard of RuneScape by now. RuneScape users play it at libraries, they rant about it on forums, and they talk about it nonstop. Some people bash it nonstop instead. On forums it’s all too easy to find people arguing about whether RuneScape is A: a great game or B: total garbage. Having recently hit the “one million users mark,” it can’t be as bad as some people say it is.

I’ve been playing RuneScape for the last few years, though I haven’t been playing four hours a week like I used to. Currently I log in now and then, every couple weeks or so.

RuneScape is a browser-based Java game set in a medieval world. Jagex LTD, the creator of RuneScape, has done a great job at creating an immersive world with a realistic economy. The goal of RuneScape is to level up and get money. Money is the fun part, as leveling-up can get boring with all the repetitive work. There are thousands of ways to earn gold coins in RuneScape. Personally I like running Rune Essence (the material used to make the Runes used for casting spells), merchanting, and mining.

Magic is one of my favorite parts of the game, as with any other game I play. You can never have too much magic in a game. In RuneScape, you need Runes to cast spells. For example, to cast the combat spell “Wind Blast” 100 times, you need 100 Death runes and 300 Air runes. You use 1 Death and 3 Air every time you cast the spell. Of course, if your one of those weirdos who doesn’t want to be a mage, you can be a melee fighter or an archer.

When you sign up, you start on “Tutorial Island”, where you learn how to play the game over 15-20 minutes. Of course, there’s more to learn then what they teach you. You’ll learn more as you play. Do they teach you that feathers sell for 5 coins each (collect 1000 and you get 5000 coins)? No, but you can figure it out. Then there are always fan sites where you can pick up useful tips. I recommend Rune HQ, Sal’s Ream of RuneScape, and The First RuneScape Fan Site.

The world of RuneScape is big and well-made. There’s plenty to keep you busy for a long time…even if you don’t want to pay for a premium account. I’ve been playing for free for quite awhile now, and I still like to play now and then.

I highly recommend RuneScape, it’s a great game you can play for free. If you get addicted and want more, you can buy a premium account for $5/month.

Rating: 4/5

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 13th, 2007 at 1:42 pm by Matt and is filed under MMORPGs, PC/Mac, Reviews, RuneScape. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.