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Tales Runner Preview |
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Written by ReesyCup
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Friday, 10 October 2008 04:25 |
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Tales Runner Preview
Recently we had the chance to try out gpotato’s new mmorpg “Tales Runner“ that will be released this month and we have to say that we were more than impressed with the overall playability of the game. Tales Runner is a racing themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that allows players to challenge up to 30 other players in an unconventional style of racing. One of the best features of Tales Runners is that you can get right into the action as a new player, there is no need to spend hours going through a starting area before you start to get a feel for the game. Challenges are fun from right from the start.
As we entered the game for the first time we were brought to the character selection screen that features 4 characters (There are actually 8 but at the time of this article only 4 were available), each having different combinations of strengths and weaknesses (speed, control, acceleration, etc.). Character customization is limited at first, but each character can be given unique looks via the clothing shops that are located within the game.
After we chose our initial character (Ming Ming) we were promptly brought to the tutorial areas that give about 7 different courses which all train you in different aspects of racing. This turned out to be very important training as you need every bit of the information they teach you in the tutorials if you will have a chance at beating other players in the challenges. The tutorials are fun, useful, and only take a few minutes to complete.
Before we get to the races, there a re few other areas of the game we should go through real quick. The game features a “Park” that is basically a community area allowing players to interact with each other. There is not a whole lot to the park other than one item shop, a mini game booth, and a fun giant piano thing that players can jump on to make melodies (like in the movie BIG™). The item shop features character clothing and accessories (sun glasses, hats, shirts, boots, etc) that can be purchased with race winnings or premium shop credits. The wearable items we purchased did not offer additional stats for players but I am sure that this will be changed in the near future.
It took a few races to get used to the controls, there is a lot of left hand work involved in pulling off the moves that will win you the race. The two main left controls are the Control Key which is used to jump, and the Z key that gives you a speed boost. Now when you use the speed boost, you need to keep an eye on your character exhaustion meter that is on left portion of your screen, when the blue line runs out, you faint: Stopping your character for about 4 seconds. Speed boost management is essential to winning, so use it appropriately. During a race you can acquire items that can either make you go faster, or some that will slow or stop your opponent, giving you the edge. This item system is very similar to Mario Kart, although improved. Movement keys are the arrow keys on your keyboard ←↑→↓.
Ok so now you have all the basics dealt with lets get in a race. You can choose to race in an 8 player race, a 30 player race, a relay, or just go solo for practice. During our test, we did not have 30 fellow players but we did get a lot of action in on the 8 player race. Each race has a map leader that chooses which races to enter, this leader is determined from the winner of each race. We prefer random, but specific courses can be selected.
As a race starts, all of the players are dropped from the sky, those that land first gain a slight advantage over the others. To land first a player just needs to time how fast they fall (Control key) and when they prep to land (Z key). This is a nice little feature that keeps things interesting but in our races we did not notice that big of a disadvantage of landing last.
Now that you are safely (sort of) on the ground and your little character’s legs being to move you through the course, you are quickly welcomed by traps and obstacles that need to be avoided or else your racing dreams will end in utter failure. Traps include everything from NPC’s throwing knives at you to cliffs and whirlpools. Now although our first races ended in disgrace, we eventually learned to use the various game items to boost our speed and knock down our opponents, which gave us some nice first place finishes.
We don’t need to go into great detail about the individual courses, just be aware that some of them are very challenging. What we do want to point out is that just when you think you have mastered a course, a new player will drop in and quickly put you in your place. This fact keeps things extremely entertaining, there really are no boring races: Each race is a different experience.
In summary, Tales Runner (like we state in our spotlight) is a game that just has that perfect amount of competitive spirit that keeps you coming back for more. You may think you are going to just get in one race during a session, then you find yourself still playing after 20 of them. Its addictive, very addictive. Tales Runner is a game that anyone old enough to read can enjoy, weather you’re a kid or an adult, green or veteran gamer, this game is worth checking out.
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