My Thoughts On Rift

I jumped into Rift looking for something a bit different from WoW. The way I look at it, if I want WoW why not play WoW? What I am not looking for is an unfinished game that is uncomfortable to play. I have had that experience a couple of times in the past and that is never pleasant, especially if you are paying.

So far the Rift experience has been primarily positive. In fact there are no glaring issues as far as I am concerned. There has been nothing that is so awkward that I see it as a deal breaker. Rift plays like a finished game; I can’t say that about a couple of the other MMO’s I have tried. The game itself is not lacking depth and it has plenty of polish. Overall it is a great game out of the box.
I think it would be appropriate to make a small list of what Rift is and isn’t. For those of you out there that are on the fence, this might help keep you in WoWs backyard, or you may make the jump into Rifts to play with the new kids for awhile. Let me break it down for you.

Graphics: Rift is gorgeous. It should be it is a brand new game, WoW is 6 years old. I might be mistaken but I believe that Rift is using the same graphics engine that Aion uses.

Game Play: Everything is where you would expect it to be. “C” for character sheet, “P” for professions and so on. The keybinds and basic interface you are familiar with are there. The Rift designers apparently decided it was better to not re-invent the wheel, so the game has a comfortable familiar feel.

Every element of the user interface can be moved at will, EVRYTHING!

Interaction with quest giving NPC’sis smoother here, it feels more natural.

Character Selection: There are so many Class/Soul combinations possible it is almost overwhelming. The old definition of Tank/Heals/DPS as MMO roles is being rewritten by Rift.
WoW’s dual-spec pales in comparison to Rifts use of Roles. Trying to pin down the “best spec” will be tough for the min/maxers.

Game Environment: Rift is not WOW, there are some major differences. Public groups and Public Raids are at the top of that list.
Solo play is possible but you do not have to wait until max level to “raid.” The Rifts in the world allow everyone to participate even as low as level 10.

Gear: Gear and Stats will also be familiar to WoW players. There are a few additional stats in Rift but your basic understanding will go a long way here.
The traditional grey-white-green-blue-purple standard is here. I have no experience beyond this so there could be more.

Add-Ons: There are none. This can be good or bad depending on the player. More than once over the weekend we found ourselves wondering about DPS. We were eager to have a comparison. I have decided that no Recount is a good thing, but others may not agree. As for UI customization, see “Game Play” above.

Game Resources – Knowledge Sites: The web resources for Rift are severely limited. This is natural for a new game but it can be very frustrating for veterans of the genre. Razer has been extremely frustrated looking for “best spec” information and this is understandable. There is definitely opportunity here if the game holds a respectable portion of the market.

Game “Feel”: The game feels comfortable. It is familiar and that could be a problem. It feels like WoW so I should play it the way I play WoW right? Wrong. WoW is primarily a solo game until max level, Rift is not. It has been said WoW starts when leveling ends. I am so used to that model I found myself pushing through quests and trying to avoid Rift events in order to level. This is a mistake. The rewards for participating in Rift events are substantial. Ignoring these is foolish.

The majority of the character animations are spectacular; however I find that I am missing the subtlety of some of WoW’s animations. I am not sure I can put into words how some of them feel different. Running and jumping in WoW feel smoother. WoW has more finesse. Not that there is anything wrong with Rifts, it just doesn’t feel as natural as WoW’s. I think that this type of thing comes as a game matures.

Overall I am pleased with Rift and I do not feel that I wasted my money. It is too early to say if it will replace WoW as my game of choice. Right now I am eager to play Rift, it has been awhile since I have felt the same about WoW.