"Dungeons & Dragons Online: StormReach" by Atari
DDO's greatest strength as a game is that it is different from all the rest. In terms of market appeal, tat difference is also its greatest weakness. DDO is the closest game I have seen to playing an RPG with actual pen and paper (and beer). You cannot solo and playing with strangers is a mixed bag. This makes the game harder than most.
I play with old friends and have been having a blast. The game seamlessly merges dice rolling with arcade FPS action. You have to position yourself and swing before you get a dice roll and I love that. The world tries to be realistic in terms of physics and graphics models, which I also enjoy. For instance, plate armor looks like plate armor not chainmail or splintmail or cartoons. Archery actually involves aiming (what a concept) and theifs are required as there are bona fide traps.
The game does have some rough edges which they will surely improve upon - assuming it survives. Everyone talks about World of Warcraft (which I hate) but I hope DDO is here for a long time.
