Well, to be completely honest, two things have replaced the behemoth that it Oblivion: Planetside Reserves (PS) and The Matrix Online (MxO).
For those of you who know me, you might be quite surprised to hear that I'm now playing MxO after being part of the Beta and giving it a major thumbs down before it was even released. I don't do that very often but it was, at the time, particularly painful to play... even for a Beta!
It's not been an easy ride for MxO since release... plagued by all of the usual problems that come with MMOs, but lacking in the support and features to keep people happy, it doesn't look like it's managed to hold on to more that the hardcore Matrix fans. Since SOE have taken over however, they appear to be making changes to try and turn the tide. As a relative new-comer to the MxO scene it is difficult to judge how effective SOE's steps are... or whether it will be enough. Certainly, after spending some time checking out some of the fan sites, there appears to be a very dedicated following that I doubt will give up the fight easily!
So... what got me to jack-in? Curiosity above all else. Having spent around 150 hours playing Oblivion (and completing quite a number of the quests, including becoming head of all of the guilds) I needed to find something different and while investigating the Planetside Reserves stumbled across details of the new combat system for MxO. After then finding out that I could pick up MxO for just a £5, it seemed rude not to at least give it a go!
My thoughts so far? Well... actually... I quite like it! I've not played very much so far, I've just finished my 5th or 6th mission for Zion and I'm about level 7. It reminds me (a lot) of City of Heroes. The graphics, the 'wandering' mobs, door missions and even the combat... but this is a GOOD thing as CoH is an easy game to play. MxO can be a little confusing at times as it's not always clear what you should be doing but it is not exactly a show-stopper. The combat is actually quite cool to watch and does remind you of the films. It's going to take a while to get to grips with the game as a whole and give a proper verdict but with 30 free days for just a £5 I can't really go wrong!
Planetside Reserves? I'll come back to you on that one... I've got a rabbit to catch...
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