Sony Online Entertainment - Free Realm Impressions
FiringSquad and Ten Ton Hammer share impressions of SOE's Free Realms, as seen at this years SOE Gamer Day.
Sony Online officials during the press event told the media that the game would also be designed to offer up a gameplay experience that won't take hours in front of a PC screen in order to enjoy it. It's clear that Free Realms is going after a much younger player crowd than the normal MMO, although Sony Online officials said it can also be enjoyed by older players as well. For example there will still be combat in the game and the trailer showed some brief looks at what the combat will look like which basically doesn't involve any blood. The trailer also had what looked like mini-games that have nothing to do with the typical fantasy MMO. Overall, Free Realms is looking like a game that Sony Online hopes moms and dads will play with their children.
The game takes place in a fantasy setting that has a cartoony, Shrek-style sort of look to it. The artwork is bubbly and bright but isn’t so over the top that it can’t satisfy both the younger and older gamers alike. This is certainly a game geared around the younger audience and the artwork reflects that. Overall, the movement of the characters and NPCs looks fluid and polished, which adds an element of complexity to the graphics. The lighter style of the game certainly looks to enhance the fun factor of a title that everyone can play.