Rating: 
Summary: It's all just a shame
Review: Here's the scoop. I've played Everquest and Asheron's Call both to varrying degrees of satisfaction. But I was genuinley excited for the release of Anarchy Online. I hoped it would raise the bar in a genre (MMRPG) that has such potential but has been reduced to a banal excercise in gaining levels.
I held off from buying the initial release (thank God I didn't pay the (***)original price) and inspite of cautionary reviews from the reputable gaming press (PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World) I decided to go for it.
Why not? It sounds great. No more camping problems, a sci-fi setting next generation graphics, the opportunity to partake in a four-year story arc. I so want to like this game
You'll notice that here are like 250+ reviews on this page most of them negative. Most of the earlier reviews deal with bugs and connectivity problems. I can say after I downloaded the patches, which DID take most of a Saturday afternoon, I have had no problem connecting or staying on. I have had severe problems with lag in crowded areas. (PIII:650, 128mg ram, 64 MG TNT2). Turning off most of the graphic whistles and bells imroved the situation somewhat better but made the game no better than it's much older predecesors graphics-wise (and it looks awesome at high res, but I can't actually move around).
As to the game play: Boring. The much-balleyhooed mission system (which does put an end to monster camping) is lame. Unimagiantive maps and objectives just guarantee that the predicable level-get more gear-level, march will be a long boring one. In fact, I couldn't even complete several of the fed ex style missions (take this item to this thing in this maze) becasasue of a bug that doesn't register that you've actaually accomplished the mission objective. So I spent hours just running around a cleared-out maze trying to get my reward.
The combat is buggy and it's often hard to tell where your enemy is. Also thanks to a bug you can shoot and shoot through walls.
The technological aspect of the sci-fi roleplaying is interesting but deadly complicated. And as far as in-game help from fellow players or official agents in avatar form there is none. I did find a helpful chap nicknamed Coorwin who was able to give me the basics of nano-tech implants but since then I've been on my own.
Perhaps an active and creative user base can ressurect this game. But as far as raising the bar on MMRPG's Anarchy Online is more of the same and a huge dissapointment. I have canceled my resistration before the 30-day trial was over. I truly beleive the MMRPG conceptwill change the way the world think about computer gaming and one day there will be the "killer app" that will do it. Anarchy Online isn't it.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than it was
Review: This game was really, really bad when it was released, but my recent experiences with it have been better. I've enjoyed just relaxing with it and exploring. There are other games to look forward to, but if you prefer a sci-fi setting to fantasy, this seems to be it for right now.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Online game ever!!
Review: This is the best MMORPG I have played so far! Its far better than EQ, AC, UO, and the newest game, Dark Age of Camelot. The graphics are fantastic, and I never get tired of playing. And the game is not as bugged as some people would like you to think. Great gameplay with lots and lots of depth! I would recommend this to all fans of roleplaying games!
Rating:
Summary: Has been much improved.
Review: I have owned this game for about 3 weeks now and I already see improvements. Disconnections still happen but most are the fault of my ISP. Everyday the game improves and the storyline will be officially launched on Oct 31. I recommend trying out Funcom's 7day trial to see what you think... then go buy it because I think the upcoming 4 year story will be great. A new patch is imminent in the next week or so that will fix the bugs that remain. 4 stars because it still needs work but has excellent potential.
Rating:
Summary: a...coffee coaster
Review: Anarchy online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game set on a fictional planet in the distant future. It has an evolving storyline that uses the classic rebels verses the establishment theme. There is no magic in the game. The traditional magic element is replaced by almost equally mystical use of nano-technology. Players can assume the roles of spies, soldiers, doctors, nano-technologists and other various futuristic professions. The graphics are lovely and it has fabulous sound effects. There are no zones (ala Everquest) except for entering apartments, cities and quests. THe interface is... usable... The only problem is that the entire experience left me cold. This game is so lovely that it was almost sterile. Where is its heart and soul? If you love the future and need a switch from the previous MMORPG's on the market try this game. I, in the meantime, will sadly set my coffee cup down on my new...coffee coaster and wait for the next big thing. Singerspell
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid at all cost!
Review: With masses of MMORPGs coming out, you will do best to avoid Anarchy Online. The game promises much but delivers nothing. You are forced to do constant boring money runs in so-called missions that include nothing but killing some mobs and that gets pretty old pretty fast. Add to this poor stability, lots of bugs and self-centered development team. AO is a flop. I've been there. You don't have to.
Rating:
Summary: No change no progress
Review: Game issues have been ignored by FunCom for over two weeks now since their last major patch. Populations counts have fallen to ridiculously low levels, and I am about to jump ship and head for Dark Age of Camelot as a result of my exasperation, frustration, and disgust with FunComs colossal failure of the gaming community. I strongly recommend NOT paying your own money for this game. FunCom is -almost- a poster child of what an online gaming company shoud NOT do. They got a couple of things right. And they even pretended to fix some of the problems of this game. But they only pretended. After one set of problems was "fixed", me and my friends would discover that there was absolutely no change at all. FunCom claimed to have fixed the memory leak bug no less than four times before they finally got it right on that one bug alone. I will be cancelling my AO account, deleting this rubbish from my hard drive, and apologizing to all my friends I suckered into getting this game along with me. It is unfair consider this a a game eligible for reviewing when for all practical purposes it is still in a very buggy beta mood. Abandon all hope ye who ignore me...
Rating:
Summary: Instable
Review: Let's see the problems - 1. Gameplay was junk
2. Buggier than the swamp down the street from my house
3. SLOW
4. No storyline
5. Grouping not a huge part of the game
6. I was conned into buying a beta piece-of-junk!
Rating:
Summary: A bright, shining, broken promise.
Review: If you're thinking of buying this game and reading this, you'll want to know the following things: 1. Be very comfortable and familiar with your computer system. Ideally, you'll have built it yourself. If you're not comfortable editing registry settings, doing full backups, rebooting frequently, installing all sorts of drivers, and doing dozens--if not hundreds--of system-level tweaks, you may want to avoid this game. This game is seriously in late-beta condition. At best. 2. Be able to operate independently, as there is next-to-no in-game or out-of-game support. If you have a problem, you are on your own; do not expect customer service from Funcom. 3. Be extremely patient. You may have to install, re-install, patch, and re-patch up to two dozen times before you ever enter the game. And every following patch, you'll run the risk again. 4. Be tolerant of the company's mistakes. You'll find every patch a thrill as the time you've invested in your character wasted with a couple of keystrokes. Class balance and game balance vary wildly from patch to patch, and, with the rare exception, never for the better. Buy this game, install it, and play it, and you'll be wasting not only your money, but your time.
Rating:
Summary: It couldve been so much...
Review: This game has to be one of the biggest let downs. It was so promising but has been let down by poor programing. Also Funcom's idea of customer support is shocking. I am sorry but I couldnt recoomend this game to anyone in its current state.
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