The world in which you play at MMO is a crucial part of the game for many reasons: immersion is an obvious one, as the look can be so important, but the way the worlds are set out and populated. For example, the look of World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online is very different, with the former being very cartoony and the latter a little gritty, but they follow the same pretty dull format - you stay in an area for 10 levels or so, before being spoon-fed into the next which has resources and monsters of a slightly higher quality and level. So what about Istaria and Wurm?
The world
The World of Wurm isn't much to look at, but makes up for this with some really interesting ideas. If you've read my previous entries, you won't be surprised to hear it's a much tougher ride than you'll find in most MMOs.
The World of Wurm isn't much to look at, but makes up for this with some really interesting ideas. If you've read my previous entries, you won't be surprised to hear it's a much tougher ride than you'll find in most MMOs.
For starters, you don't get an in-game map or compass (although you can make the latter, but it's not easy). Also, you have the fear of PVP attacks and the fact that creatures range from harmless to lethal with no real regularity. Together, these elements make for a game that constantly feels edgy and challenging.
The style is realistic, with rolling green hills, grey mountain ranges, blue seas and blue skies. As you'd expect there are no cheaty teleporters, so getting around can be a laborious affair. However, this adds to the realism and is in keeping with the rest of the game. Overall, the world of Wurm fits perfectly with the theme and other styles of the game.
Istaria does things very differently, but is equally open-ended. Like Wurm, once out of the starting area you can go anywhere in the world from the offset (with the exception of a few places you'll need to be a dragon to get to) and could easily walk around a corner into a battle you can't handle. The danger makes exploring exciting, and you never feel like you're being led in the way you do in WoW.
The world is really well drawn, with the skies being particularly impressive. There won't be any points for accurate geography, but who cares, really? It's a fantasy game after all. Istaria is far from hardcore - compass and map are built into the GUI, as in most other MMOs - but the map is basic, meaning you have to add your own points of interest such as resource and danger areas. You get some great effects in the wintery and lava areas, while the music works really well too. Overall, it's a pleasure to wander around the world.
And the winner (finally) is...
Istaria, 4-3. In conclusion, both are great games in their own way and if you're looking for an MMO that blends quality crafting with good combat, but with far from cutting edge graphics, you should check out the free areas of both these games.
Istaria, 4-3. In conclusion, both are great games in their own way and if you're looking for an MMO that blends quality crafting with good combat, but with far from cutting edge graphics, you should check out the free areas of both these games.
Really, two things made me stay with Istaria over Wurm. The first was a failing of the latter, in that Wurm is just too demanding to be fun at times. I love the fact you have to make everything from the ground up, but things deteriorate too quicky meaning a lot of annoying repetition just to stay at an even keel, unless you intend to sink a ridiculous amount of hours into the game. Another example is food - you can spend an age foraging for food, but nothing you can make at low level does anything to sustain you at all - for me, it just doesn't feel like you are being rewarded for your hard work enough of the time.
Secondly, I just can't ignore the graphical superiority of Istaria in terms of graphics, as well as combat. If a game could have be much like Istaria but with the extra crafting and building depth of Wurm, it would be awesome - but I will happily give up that extra complexity on this occasion for a game that feels much more finished.
Istaria - www.istaria.com
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