Rift Review

Rift is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG developed by Trion Worlds. Released in 2011, it has continued to receive updates and support from the developers since then. To this day, it has a strong and growing player base.

The age of the game does show in its graphics, however, with the more grounded and realistic style not aging particularly well in comparison to more cartoony MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft or Aion. While the graphics are not entirely up to par, that doesn’t stop the world from looking great, especially at a distance.

The gameplay is where Rift really stands apart from other MMOs available. The combat in Rift, even though it is the same action-button-based combat as most other MMOs, feels fast and fun, while the varying enemy types always give you something new to look at.

Story and Characters

The story of Rift unfolds on the fantasy world of Telara, where two competing factions make up of a selection of races and classes. They war not only with each other, but also with monsters who appear from the titular elemental rifts in the fabric of reality.

Rift features a different take on character build classes. Using a system known as the “Ascended Soul” class system, players have greater freedom in how they want to play.

Rift offers four generic classes, your typical RPG fare, but each separate class has a further ten “souls” to pick from. Players choose three souls at a time, which allows for more combinations and a deeper feeling character than can be found in any other RPG experience.

This system coupled with the frantic combat can lead to some really interesting experiences. Though, some builds are much more viable than others late in the game. If you are looking to get the most out of your character, consult any of the numerous wikis for Rift. If you are playing just to have fun, play your way and enjoy the experience.