More the 3 years in the market now, RF Online has persevered as one of the top contending free MMORPGs in the market. Despite bringing down the service (from license expiration), it didn’t stop the developers from relaunching the game in the market, much to the delight of the large playerbase wanting for more action. Ever since its release, RF Online turned out to be one of the more popular RvRvR-themed (race versus race) MMORPGs in the market.

The premise of RF Online is simple: three races, namely Cora, Bellato, and Accretia, clash for domination over a resource-rich planet. It’s up to the players to weave their own fates and the fate of their own kind in this interracial war. PvP in this game is inevitable, but thankfully, the game offers a good chunk of PvE experience as well. Quests are plentiful at early levels, and gradually decrease as you achieve higher levels. These quests are closely related to the game’s premise, and have the typical formula of monster-killing, item-gathering, and item-delivering. Rewards are thankfully generous enough for the players, both newbies and veterans alike.

The game is friendly enough to provide an in-depth tutorial about the mechanics and controls of the game. Movement can be done by either the mouse or the arrow pad, while shortcuts are assigned at familiar keyboard locations. Mouse movement can be inaccurate at times, lacking the ground indicator as to where your character lands. Arrow pad movement felt awkward and ergonomically uncomfortable alongside the mouse-moved camera. Other controls were responsive enough during lag-free plays.

Items and skills are integral to a player’s survival in the RF universe. Crafting and upgrading equips are commonplace in the game. Some items can also be slotted into a weapon or armor to provide more leverage against opponents. Skills, on the other hand, can be bought from shops and used after upon attaining a certain class. Accessibility is different from usage, however. Players have to frequently use a skill to increase its individual skill level, and thereby, increasing its effectiveness. This system is comparably similar to World of Warcraft’s weapon proficiencies. Certainly, being proficient in a certain skill is a long and tiring process, which might frustrate players with a short fuse.

The game’s main feature is the open PvP against other races. The world of RF Online has maps that are automatically considered aggressive, and thus player-killing characters from other races are always in effect. An option to PK characters from your own race is also available by purchasing a certain item. RF Online’s RvRvR system is best explained in their large-scale battles called Chip Wars. In a nutshell, chip war is similar to capture the flag. Racial leaders lead their respective races in breaking the opposing races’ control chip. The winning race gains control of the mines and its available resources (such as materials for crafting) for 60 minutes. Chip wars happen three times a day, and can accommodate hundreds of players in one huge battlefield. This large-scale battle almost often causes severe lag and disconnection issues to players having PCs and connections below the recommended requirements. Guild-versus-guild events can also be scheduled by the respective guild leaders for battles on a slightly smaller scale.

RF Online can be considered one of the most political MMORPGs in the market today. The economy is completely playerbase-controlled according to the dominance for the mines and the ratio of production and consumption. Racial leaders are also chosen by popular vote each week, with the responsibility of commanding his constituents into the chip war battle. The downside is the near-constant dominance of the rich and stronger characters in controlling politics and economy. Fluctuations in the economy are typically occurring faster than any other MMOG, often leading to extremely inflated prices.

CCR’s flagship game is well-known from the massive-scale interracial wars and political ruckus. Despite being more than 3 years old, the game is still an amazing sci-fi audiovisual experience. However, at its current state, it isn’t newbie-friendly. Newbies will have a hard time catching up to their veteran counterparts. Building up a character also takes a lot longer than the usual MMO romp, which might get a tad frustrating for some players. Also, the game requires you to have a high-end PC with a fast connection to cope up with the heavy lag during wars. Topping it all off, RF Online has been filled with bugs and exploits that continually imbalance the game. The developers, although painfully slow, have been thankfully resolving these quirks.

RF Online’s track record speaks for itself. Despite the numerous bugs and instabilities, it has been one of the long-running PvP-based MMORPGs to date. It has stunning visuals, a simple yet amazing premise, and game systems that highlight the players’ dedication to the game. RF Online is a game for serious gamers wanting heavy PvP action, capable of dishing out some dough for a high-end PC and cash shop items. Casual gamers need not apply.

The Good: Massive-scale RvRvR battles, meticulous character building, player-controlled politics
The Bad: Inflated economy, absurdly long time to build up characters, numerous bugs and exploits