Runes of Magic is an MMORPG from 2009 that enjoyed great popularity at the time. But how good was it really back then? We at MeinMMO take a look back.
What kind of game is it? Runes of Magic is a free-to-play MMORPG from Taiwan developed by Runewalker Entertainment. It is published here by Gameforge, which is also known for other MMORPGs like Metin2 and Aion.
You choose a race and a class, after which you enter the corresponding starting area and step into the fantasy world of Taborea. The story is about gods bringing the land to life and searching for a mystical legacy from the past. You as a hero are to support them in this.
You focus on leveling up and improving your character. The maximum level at the start was 55; it is now 100.
The following content is offered in Runes of Magic:
- Dungeons and bosses in the open world
- Raids for up to 36 players
- Housing
- Crafting
- Mounts, but only at higher levels; initially, you have to walk
- PvP with various modes
Free Clone of World of Warcraft
When Runes of Magic was released in 2009, it initially received criticism: It looks like World of Warcraft – the developers are accused of copying the MMORPG. Not just the graphics, but also the battles and the user interface are similar to the WoW of that time.
However, this was the perfect solution for players who could not afford the subscription in WoW. That’s why so many players joined Runes of Magic back then. “If you’re looking for a WoW clone, this is your game,” says Youtuber MMOHuts in a video from 2010.
Recently, the new expansion Dragonflight launched in WoW:
Combining Classes
In character creation, you choose your race and class, but that’s not your only class. You can then select from different faces and hairstyles using sliders, adjust hair color, and even shape different body regions. Characters can vary widely in size and width.
The class system of Runes of Magic was a special feature at the time. You leveled up two classes simultaneously – for example, Warrior and Priest. Today, it’s even three. You can thus switch between classes and their talents. As a warrior-priest, you are a paladin. The addition of the third class has made it even more complex, but it was already interesting in 2009.
Thus, it provided much more variation than other MMORPGs at the time. Classless systems were not as common back then as they are in modern MMOs.
Very, Very Many Quests
Runes of Magic overwhelms you with quests, which can feel overwhelming at first. You receive quest after quest, even before killing your first monsters. This can quickly become confusing for some players. However, once you understand them, they guide you through the MMORPG and offer assistance.
The quests themselves have you running from point A to point B and feel grindy since you might, for example, need to find and kill 25 wolves. Thus, they are more repetitive than individual and exciting. Youtuber TheLazyPeon tested Runes of Magic last year from today’s perspective and gave up after 40 minutes, stating, “This drains my willpower.” The quests felt too monotonous for him.
A major problem was and still is the inventory space – it is nowhere near enough to carry everything you receive from completing quests. Both in the past and today, your bag simply isn’t sufficient.
Strong Pay2Win Aspects
Youtuber Pwnance tested Runes of Magic last year and summed it up as “Credit Cards of Magic”. The cash shop of the MMORPG offers many options to enhance your character for real money and becomes increasingly important in the later stages of the game to keep up with others. For instance, there are jewels that can either enhance your item or fail and degrade it.
If you die, you lose experience. That’s why you can buy items that prevent this. Additionally, there are very powerful runes and other items that are difficult or almost impossible to farm in-game.
The inventory space problem can also be solved by investing real money. That is why it has likely never been improved for free-to-play players, even though everyone complains about it.
To always be optimally equipped for the corresponding level, you can buy equipment directly in the cash shop. Every few levels, there’s something new.
The Youtuber Josh Strife Hayers talks in a video about players he met on Discord. They claimed to have spent over 10,000 dollars on Runes of Magic and still did not have the best possible equipment.
Is the game still available today? You can still play Runes of Magic today – even on Steam. In its home country Taiwan, however, it has already gone offline and is likely to die in Europe at some point as well, as the player numbers are very low.
According to SteamDB, there were a peak of 212 simultaneous players online in Runes of Magic in the last 24 hours. A few more on the standalone client. The question of whether it is still worth it today should be asked by everyone themselves. At least for the nostalgia aspect, you should check it out again before it’s too late.
Did you play Runes of Magic back then, or are you perhaps still playing it today? Which classes did you choose? Was it a good alternative to WoW? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO!
