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Welcome to Flat Broke Gaming Review! As a lifelong gamer I’ve played on almost every major system, wasted tons of money on worthless games, and found a few dedicated souls that actually slog through all the trash to find us the gems that are out there and give great reviews.
Recently, I’ve forced myself to limit the amount of games that I buy, and in order to stay on my budget, I’ve been drawn more and more to the enticements of the “Free-to-Play” advertisements that many of the online games have running right now. It seems that almost every MMO, MOBA, and any other style of online multiplayer game have added the option to play without a subscription fee, a promise that seems too good to be true. So the real question is: are they worth your time, or are you only getting enough of a taste to buy the subscription/character pack/etc.?
That’s what I’ll be trying to answer for you. The plan is simple: each week I’ll pick a new game, one with FtP content, and then post a review here on this site. In order to qualify for review, the game will have to meet the following requirements:
1. Not be a flash game. Don’t get me wrong, flash games are great, and I might make exceptions to the rule, but in general, I’m looking for games that you can play for months, and most flash games you’re done with inside of an hour or two.
2. Offer a free subscription option. Guest passes, demo modes, and other forms of playing that do not allow you to pick up where you left off won’t be considered.
3. Have some kind of Multiplayer interaction, whether PvP, Co-op, RPG, etc.
4. Allow for more than just the “Training Areas” to be accessed. There can be some areas where you have to have a paid subscription to enter, but there should be a robust enough open area for FtP Players that you would want to continue to play.
After the week of playing, I will write up a review with a zero to five point score on each of the following criteria:
1. Playability: Does the game allow anyone to play, of any skill level, and with any system/peripherals. A 5 would be a game with minimal system requirements that my wife could easily pick up the basics. Whereas a 0 would be a game that only the most hardcore system with the latest joystick/steering wheel rig/controller/etc. could handle, or one that if you have never played a game of that style before, you have no chance to even figure it out before you’re a splatter on the backdrop.
2. Atmospherics: Does the game have good graphics, nice music, maybe even some witty character banter? Top scores will go to a visually enjoyable art style and good audio that adds to the feel of the game, whereas the goose egg games will be impossible to stare at without H. P. Lovecraft level psychosis setting in (unless it is a Lovecraft game, in which case…) and where you would leave the speakers off while you play.
3. Community: I have played with polite, professional, and courteous gamers, and have also had the thirteen year old who seemed to think that anonymity allowed him to fire off a string of foul-mouthed four letter obscenities without pause. While this isn’t something that the designers or producers have a huge control over, you know and I know that the other players you run into always influence the gaming experience. Also, if no one plays the game, why play? Games with a five here have a robust community with good natured players the norm rather than the exception, and the game itself allows you to mute/block other players who aren’t so polite. A zero will mean that the game either has few players out there, possibly none, or they’re all rude, crude, and there’s nothing you can do about them.
4. Learning Curve: Different from playability, learning curve scores will be based on how easily you can master the game, compete with other players of your own skill level, and whether there is always room to grow in the game. Top honors will be earned by games that have a smooth transition from newcomer to the elite players, and the chance to grow and learn new styles of characters, new tactics, etc. If the transition from noob to pro is impossible, there is only one way to play that works, Lvl 50 players are wasting Lvl 3 players at the spawn point, or once you’ve finally ground out enough EXP to reach the top there’s nothing left to do, this game gets nothing.
5. Cash Value: All of these games should provide hours of cash-free gaming, but if you do decide to break out the checkbook, what do you get out of it? And how much do you lose to those who regularly spend $50-$60, even $100 a month on unlockable content/subscriptions/etc.? Hi-Fives will be had for those games that do not penalize the budget-conscious, offer sweet skins/mods/areas/challenges to those who have money to burn, and bonus points if they have an alternate way to buy the extra content (yes, there is extra credit on this quiz). A Gibbs Slap will be given if I get turned into a smoking crater every five seconds by the player who paid for the auto-targeting shoulder-mounted laser cannon with unlimited ammo, cyclic rate of fire, and built-in stealth technology (NOW only $149.99!!!). Also, constant advertisements while playing will lose points.
6. Support: Every computer I have ever had has crashed. What we’re looking for here is how does the developer handle these inevitable problems, as well as update patches. A five will be available to those games that show quick response to any problem, and that update on a published schedule with fixes for the known problems. A zero will be given out if the game lags constantly or drops my connection on a regular basis, if patches happen at random and never really fix anything, and if the developer’s response to any support-related email is “MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
The game will get scores in each area as well as a cumulative overall score. In addition, out of the four games that I review each month, whichever game gets the highest score will be played for the next month in addition to the new games being reviewed, and at the end of the month I will revisit the game with a more in-depth review.
So there’s the plan. Got a game that you want me to review?Post a comment. Think that my review is completely off base? Comment on it. Looking for me in game? My Login will be NoCashReq, or as close as I can get to that. Want to help me expand my gaming budget? A donation option will soon be available, so keep an eye out for that. Until then… GG!
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