Fantasy Earth Zero

Scott of Pumping Irony was chiding me and other bloggers today on Twitter for getting totally excited about a game, writing loads about it, then dropping that game the moment something new came by. I was all defensive, pointing to my long-term coverage of W101, STO, DDO and, when I played them, EVE, EQ and EQ2 when – I remembered Fantasy Earth Zero, Dragonica, Dream of Mirror Online, Dragon Oath and so many other games I played heavily for a few weeks, then totally forgot. ...

After writing my own review of Fantasy Earth Zero a couple days back, I went looking for other reviews to find out why the heck I’d never heard about this game. Or if I had heard about it, dismissed it as just another Asian F2P MMO. By the looks of it – graphics incredibly dated (it is, after all, a four year old game) – huge anime influence – it looks entirely humdrum. None of the reviews I could find hinted at the all levels invited, grind-free RTS gameplay hidden inside. ...

Fantasy Earth Zero is a Massively Multiplayer Real Time Strategy game originally published by Final Fantasy-makers Square Enix, but now by Gamepot USA. Although FEZ in some ways resembles a variant of the Asian free-to-play model (and it is now F2P), once you finish the comprehensive tutorial and are led to the main part of the game, the game’s true nature becomes clear. The players are the soldiers in the massive armies of five nations, all vying for control of the rich center country, the source of the best treasure and resources. (A sixth nation sits apart, neutral, and is the only place where players from opposing nations may meet outside of battle). ...