[Mabinogi Review: Part 1]

  So I heard about this Free-to-Play game over at Spouse Aggro. It's a cute Korean MMO with a cash shop. Given that I'm bored with WoW atm, I decided to try it out. I'd never played a F2P MMO before, so I wasn't sure what kind of quality to expect, but hey, it's free! =P

  There are 3 races to choose from: Human, Giant, and Elf. I chose a male Elf (though female Giants are pretty cool looking, too).


  There is a large selection of anime-style hair and eye styles (paying for Premium services gives unlocks even more). Your starter outfit changed colors depending on your color choices for the features of your character, which was kinda neat. Skin tones were limited to shades of pale however, so making a Dark Elf was out of the question. =/

  Now, an interesting feature is that you can choose your character's starting age. Youngest is 10yrs, and oldest is 17yrs. Depending on your age, your base stats are different, as is the rate at which your stats grow. Younger characters have an advantage in stat growth, while older characters have higher overall stats. Your character ages 1 year every week. Once you hit 20yrs, you can choose to be reincarnated into a 'new' character, which keeps all your current levels of stats, titles, items and money while allowing you to take advantage of the benefits of childhood all over again. =P


  Mabinogi is a 'skill based' MMORPG. Which means, your abilities get stronger the more you use them, and there are no set 'classes' to choose at the start. Combat is based on a 'rock paper scissors' type of system, where each attack counters (or is countered by) another. Recognizing which ability is about to be used by an opponent is key to success in battle.

  Giving a cursory glance at all the features of the game, it sounds like it has a LOT of options and features. For example:

1. Player housing (which are used as storage/shops, and can be decorated)
2. Day/Night, Days of the Week, and Weather cycles that affect stats, skills, and items
3. A large variety of 'mix and match' and dyeable outfits, accessories, and armor
4. Lots of different item and equipment crafting skills
5. Pets! (Who are used as mounts, extra storage, mini player-shops, combat allies & healers (with customizable AIs), and also as playable characters! Pets can be Reborn as well, even as a different species in their next life if you so desire.
6. Fishing! (I love fishing minigames =P)
7. A variety of earnable Player Titles that give different stat bonuses depending on the title
8. Character weight gain /loss depending on your eating habits.(o_O)
9. An overarching RP storyline w/ cutscenes
10. Lots of different crafting options (Cooking, etc)

So... yeah. It sounded pretty interesting. Future posts will be dealing with my beginner experience on the 'Mari' server over the next few days.

[Go to Part 2]