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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Weirdly brilliant, but maybe even dangerous, 15 Nov 2003
By A Customer
I know, that's stupid review title - but in my opinion there is simply no other way to describe this game. I played UO for just over two years, with "'on' 'off' periods" before I quit and went over to DAoC. This game is brilliant not only because it is is getting on a bit and is still fun, but just because it let's you do just about anything you want - it has such depth, that even after years of playing it, you still don't know half of the things there is to know about it. You don't have to level, you don't have to learn any skills, hell, if you really wanted, you could live in Moonglow forest all your life and live off the sheepskins of feral lambs that you personally sheared. Also, because there are no levels, you'll find that there is much more of a balance between newer and experienced players - you become what you make of yourself. If you put no skill-learning time in, you'll still be as crap as when you began. There are no 'super players' wandering around either, because there is a rather modest cap for each skill, and you are still always at risk when you enter a dungeon whether you are a grandmaster swordsman or not, and since dying leaves you with none of the possessions you were carrying (VERY upsetting) until you find someone who can resurrect you and you manage to find your way back to your body (while defenceless) without being killed again, and you make it back in time to prevent your body being looted by players... tragic, dying; isn't it? You get the picture. Part of what I'm saying is, this game is so addictive, that you'll find yourself logging on with intentions of 'I'll just go tame a hart/improve some skill' and all you end up doing for 4 hours is sitting on your tamed horse at the local bank, deciding which outfit suits your hair colour best! Obviously, this game is no longer in possession of state-of-the-art graphics, or soundtrack, but what it does have creates a worryingly immersive atmosphere, and call me sad, but I soon came to think of this game as something of a drug; I missed it when I didn't play it, and even now, several years on, when MMORPGs hve moved on significantly and I don't even play it anymore, I long for a game which would give me the freedom to go out into the wilderness and tame my own horse; create an 'address book' of my friends houses which I can teleport to at will; or even just go shopping for sexay leather armour, and see how close to luminous pink you can get it dyed ;) Why do I call it dangerous? For the first year or so, one thinks of it is time well-wasted. After a while, you realise that you mostly end up accomplishing nothing, virtual or real. And to top it all, whatever RPG you wean yourself onto, you will never ever forget this game in all its nostalgic glory. Buy at your own risk!
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