Rakion Chaos Force was the first MMORPG that MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch played. It was released in 2005 and was already free to play at that time. While the graphics and the general content of the game have hardly remained memorable, Alex is still impressed by the combat system back then.
I have no memory of how I discovered Rakion 18 years ago. But together with two friends from school, I played the free MMORPG for a few months. Content-wise, it could never convince me, as it completely dispensed with an open world and towns where you might encounter other players.
Although I could create my own character and choose from different classes, it initially existed only in an interface. From there, it could be equipped and improved, and I could start in dungeons (PvE) or battles (PvP). However, these always took place in instances and with a fixed group. There were no solo-player content at all.
But Rakion did one thing really well: action-packed fights. Because already back then, I had to aim myself, block enemy attacks, perform combos, and switch between two weapons as an archer. In 2005, a love for action MMORPGs ignited, which was later especially lived out through Black Desert and New World.
Good reactions and anticipating movements instead of many skills and cooldowns
Rakion offered a small number of skills, very different from MMORPGs like WoW or Guild Wars 1, which were in vogue at that time:
- There was a simple attack with the left mouse button
- A strong attack by holding down the right mouse button
- Another attack by pressing both the right and left mouse buttons together
- Additionally, there were two more abilities by double-pressing the directional keys “W” or “S” along with the left mouse button. A jump attack forward or a dodging move backward followed each.
The fights were complemented by blocking with the “Shift” key and by archers switching weapons with “Q”. So I had the choice between a bow for ranged combat and a dagger for melee combat.
With these few abilities, none of which had a cooldown, I then dove into the fray, which was particularly challenging in PvP. Opponents dodged skillfully, simply ran away with strong but very slow abilities, or used the environment to hide from ranged attacks.
The dynamics were very different from my later favorite game Guild Wars 1, where I commanded a PvP team as a leader for years. There, tactics and the targeted use of skills and cooldowns were at the forefront, while in Rakion, it was more about quick reactions.
Here you can watch gameplay from the YouTuber RoC Gaming:
Only one cooldown played a major role: the Chaos Form. This was charged through kills and could be used to become particularly strong for a short time. However, it takes a while to regain access to this form, which made timing particularly important.
Rakion is dead in 2023, but it has shaped me a lot
In 2023, it is unfortunately not worth installing Rakion again – I have tried it myself. There is almost no one online on the European servers, and only in Latin America do you occasionally see double-digit player numbers, but then you are facing strong lags.
Generally, the game content was not good enough to be relevant today. But the combat system has shaped me, and even 18 years later, when watching the videos, I must admit that it was quite decent for back then.
Even today, I enjoy playing action MMORPGs, especially with a focus on small duels, as you saw in the video above. Nothing beats the feeling of defeating an opponent with clever dodging actions and personal skill.
Other MMORPGs that focus on action-packed battles can be found in this list:
