On the one hand, the action RPG's core gameplay is among the best in the free-to-play scene. The MMORPG does an admirable job of bringing Middle-earth to life while also writing character-driven quests that contribute to a sense of narrative progression rather than coming across as busywork. However, LOTRO's storytelling and world are not only fantastic but rank among the genre's best. Combat is probably the game's weakest point and can be off-putting to newcomers who want something a bit more exciting. LOTRO's combat and visuals expose its age, which is hardly surprising considering there is only so much a developer can change via updates. The free level has a couple of other restrictions like allowing only two character slots on a server, but players can subscribe to the VIP or Premium tiers if they want to break these walls. After that, they would need to invest in the remaining five LOTRO expansions. Nowadays, all players have access to the base content and all the expansions up to Helm's Deep, which requires them to reach level 95. The Lord of the Rings Online has been around for more than 15 years, and while the game launched with a subscription, it eventually went free to play in 2010. World of Warcraft and Runescape are not the only MMORPGs seemingly destined to last forever. There are not all that many quests, at least compared to other free Steam RPGs. However, New Genesis is very grind-heavy, in the sense that the game expects players to just head out and fight enemies to gain experience. The main story is decent for an MMORPG, even if it is on the short side. The world is beautiful and diverse without being too huge. This goes beyond just the combat, as Sega also took steps to ensure that traversing the map is also enjoyable.

The real-time gameplay is fast-paced, responsive, flashy, and simply fun. New Genesis has plenty of things going for it that make it worth a download at the minimum. That is just the most obvious change, as New Genesis also revamps PSO2's combat, progression, and graphics.

This iteration tweaks quite a few things, including the introduction of an open-world as a replacement for self-contained regions. Phantasy Star Online 2 spent nearly a decade stuck in Japan, but it eventually morphed into New Genesis.

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