Adventure Quest  (http://www.battleon.com/)

 

Adventure Quest pits you, along with 3000 or more adventurers at once, to fight battles against uncountable monsters online, without ever actually seeing another person. Maybe it becomes multi-player if you "donate" $14 for it, but for the free players, it remains an oxymoron of single-player browser-based online-only.

Since classes aren't in yet, a new AQ player is a level 0 Adventurer with a longsword and platemail armor. Sounds pretty good, right? WRONG! Your starting equipment is really pathetic. Luckily, you are given a fair amount of gold to buy yourself a decent weapon like a flaming sword, and a pet if you wish, like a bunny.

But of course, the best thing about the game is the dragons.

I don't know who this Kenthar fool is, but he's got about two seconds left. BTW, black dragons are the best.

If you want, you can attempt to fight the dragons with your swords and shields that cost 100 gold, but it'll hardly do you any good, because dragons have REAL ultimate power, and that's a fact. Really, nothing can save you.

As for the non-dragon "cannon fodder" enemies you face, they're all pushovers once you learn a few spells, get a few weapons, and gain a few levels. Since you're stuck as an Adventurer class forever (Rather than a mage or paladin), you might as well become multi-talented. Spells are generally more powerful, but take your MP, of which you have a limited amount.

The actual gameplay is simple; between battles you can rest for free and talk to people that want to give you quests (some tough, consecutive battles that give some sort of reward), train your skills, and buy stuff from the shop. When in-battle, you may switch your weapons and armor about as much as you please, and then choose if you want to attack with sword or sorcery, or flee. Currently, there's no penalty for dying, so you might as well fight till bitter end.

Sounds fun? Sounds like Final Fantasy's battle system? Well, yes, but with no storyline to look forward to. You're going to do a lot of clicking, and a lot of waiting for everyone (you, your enemy, and your pet(s) if you brought some along) to finish their attack animations. Sound is only available to donators, and music is still in the works - though you might as well just run WinAmp anyway.

So why play this game, and not Legend of the Green Dragon or Fairyland, which have similar, but better, combat systems? Well, the graphics are done using Flash and are pretty good, if you don't mind an anime-esque style, and well...There are DRAGONS! I, personally, will continue playing, as there must be bigger and better dragons at higher levels. There's even evidence of a dragon as a pet later!