Ring of Ryzom Review

This is a review I wrote for MMOsite.com. Please visit them.

Game Title: The Saga of Ryzom (Ryzom Ring)
Genre: MMORPG Scenario Generator
Status: Final
Developer: Nevrax
Official Website: http://www.ryzom.com/
Client size: 1.66 GB
Client Download: http://download.mmosite.com/download.php?id=1342

System Requirements
CPU: Pentium III 1Ghz or equivalent
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce 2 or equivalent video card with 64 MB RAM
Free Hard Disk Space: 8.0 GB
Speed: 4X CD Rom

Ryzom Ring is a free mini-expansion for The Saga of Ryzom, a P2P MMORPG developed by French team Nevrax. Ring of Ryzom adds astounding value to an already enjoyable game, and introduces perhaps the best concept ever to be implemented into an MMORPG; a scenario creator.

Past online RPG’s where limited in scope and content to creations the developer had put together, and this became an issue when they had lost financial interest in the game, leaving fans out to dry. It seems a logical decision that a game that relies on a dynamic, ever-changing persistent world, would give the power of content creation to those who keep them in business. This could be a result of the popular trend of the Web 2.0 landscape; websites like Digg and Youtube give similar influence to their users, and another popular MMORPG Second Life hands extraordinary control to its players to craft whatever they like within the game world.

Graphics: 8/10

While the environments you craft won’t look as stunning as the vast, beautiful creations of Nevrax, and the game engine isn’t brilliant in a technical sense, the art style tailored by the developers lends your produced levels a slick, defined art style, thanks to a great level of customization available in the landscapes and the NPC’s. The graphics you’re supplied with aren’t you’re traditional Korean anime-inspired MMO environments and characters; there are influences of Sci-Fi, and some unique creatures that set Ryzom apart.

Sound: 6/10

While there’s some fairly good generated music to support the action, the ambience is largely forgettable. However, the sound effects for spells and creatures are above average, and the game includes an MP3 Player among its many options for enchancing your experience.

Gameplay: 8/10

When hundreds of players are creating scenarios, to critique the gameplay is a quest in vain; the possibilities, considering the vast amount of options available to the content creator, are practically endless. Ryzom Ring supplies a good deal of varied environments to base your acts upon, and the system is relatively simple. Ryzom Ring supplies enough components, entities and other elements to create a fairly wide and complex level. Like The Saga of Ryzom, the system may be a tad daunting at first glance, however the website provides a manual, and tooltips popup during use of the system to explain certain facets of Ryzom Ring which you might not understand. Overall, the scenario generator is a triumph.

Community: 7/10 A dedicated forum on the website provides a wealth of information for the newbie in distress, and the ability to chat in the Universal channel, that is, to anyone playing the game, opens up an instant pool of assistance. Also, there are Nevrax staff within the game who can provide help.

Value: 9/10: Considering this is a free expansion for Saga of Ryzom, its difficult to say whether its bad value. However, considering the original Saga of Ryzom is quite an investment, Ring of Ryzom adds a substantial amount of value to further solidify the game as a true alternative to WoW and other top-quality P2P MMO’s.