Eternium

Eternium is the kind of action RPG I can pick up pretty easily and immediately understand what I am supposed to be doing. I choose between a Mage, Warrior or Bounty Hunter, head into different areas and spend most of my time fighting enemies, collecting gear and making my character stronger. The basic combat is fast and straightforward, but there is quite a lot underneath it once I start getting further into the game. I can travel through forests, villages, graveyards, castles, snowy areas and even parts of the Moon and Mars, so the adventure does a good job of changing the setting as I progress. The combat is probably what I enjoy most. I can use different weapons depending on my class and unlock a large selection of skills and spells as I level up. The Mage has things like Arc Lightning and Frost Nova, while other classes have their own abilities that change how I approach fights. I also have three companions that bring their own abilities into battle, which gives me more options than simply standing there and hitting enemies until they disappear. The swipe to cast system is particularly nice because it makes using abilities feel more involved than just pressing a button every few seconds. The loot and progression give me plenty of reasons to keep going. I am constantly finding better equipment, gemstones and other rewards, and I can craft socketed rings and amulets as I get further into the game. There are different gear rarities and a large amount of character progression, with Champion Levels continuing after level 70. I like this because there is always another improvement to work towards. It does have that classic loot driven RPG feeling where getting a better piece of equipment can make me want to try another area just to see what I can find. There is also a surprising amount of content for something that is free to play. The main campaign has four story acts, and there are randomly generated Trials of Valor levels for longer term progression. More recent updates have added things such as Gone Rogue, recurring events and new gear systems, so the game has continued receiving updates rather than simply being left as an old mobile RPG. I also appreciate that the game does not use an energy system to stop me from playing the campaign, and the core progression can be enjoyed without constantly having to spend money. The main weakness for me is that the game still feels like a mobile RPG at its core. The combat is enjoyable, but after spending enough time with it I start noticing how much of the experience is built around repeating areas, collecting better equipment and improving numbers. Some of the later progression can become quite grindy, especially when I am trying to make meaningful improvements to a character. The story is also not really the reason I keep playing. There are some fun characters and a decent adventure across different worlds, but I am much more interested in the combat and progression than I am in following every part of the plot. I also think the free to play design deserves some credit because it could have been much more intrusive. There are in app purchases, gems and other optional systems, but the game does not rely on an energy bar to restrict the main campaign, and its official description makes a point of saying that the best rewards can be earned through playing. I can also play most of the game offline once the content has been downloaded, which is something I really appreciate. It makes Eternium feel much closer to a traditional single player action RPG than I initially expected from a free to play game. Overall, Eternium is a solid action RPG that I think does a lot right for a free game. I like the fast combat, different classes, companions, loot, crafting, varied locations and the amount of progression available once I get deeper into it. The grinding and repetitive nature of the later game stop it from reaching the really high ratings I would give to my favourite RPGs, and the story is not particularly memorable for me. Still, there is a lot here, the combat feels good and I appreciate how much of the actual game I can enjoy without being forced into paying. For me, it is a very good old school style action RPG that has enough depth to keep me playing while still being easy to understand. Rating: 7.7/10