We start the adventure with Skyforge by downloading and installing the game client. We will also have to create our character when we log-in for the first time. Many new players may find this element a little bit surprising. The game has a lot of customization options for our human avatar! In addition to the classic, i.e. hair and facial features, we will choose, for example, body type, the way we move, ornaments, tattoos, and even... the size of individual muscles! Once we get through this process, the game throws us directly into the story prologue, which also serves as a tutorial. Within minutes, we will learn about the basics of the combat system, completing quests, and earning loot. All this is accompanied by really atmospheric cut-scenes, which highlights the Role-Playing element (the genre is called an MMORPG after all...). The tutorial ends with a beautifully-made cut-scene which…

...develops into the story we will come to know. In a nutshell (and without too many spoilers), we will learn that we are one of the few people who possess the divine element, which gives us supernatural combat abilities. Our mission is to fight all evil on the planet Aelion (which is named after Aeli, the local deity). I don't want to spoil anything more so that each of you can enjoy it yourself. As you can easily guess, gameplay-wise, the story will be directly related to the quests available in the game, which is a natural development of the tutorial. At the very beginning, these quests will be quite simple so that we can train our skills on the battlefield. However, over time, they will develop into missions with multiple plot points that we will be able to perform in any order and in any way.

Another hybrid and next-gen element in Skyforge are the fluid system of character classes. Is this system overly complicated? The answer is definitely not! There is a simple rule here – you can switch your current class at will by going to a specially prepared hub, the game's main city. A selected class determines our skills and the way we play. The production offers up to 18 classes (!!!), each with unique mechanics. However, following the classic division into classes in MMO games, the developers have divided the classes into 5 archetypes: Support, Defense, Energy Attack, Melee Attack, and Ranged Attack. Remember, however, that individual classes aren't available from the start – you will have to unlock them. This procedure is intended to make new players know the different archetypes. Then, they start their fun by mixing various gameplay styles, matching them to their own preferences! It is also worth mentioning that each of our subclasses can have a different set of gear, which allows you to switch between them at almost any time.

The combat itself is done in a very intuitive non-target mode. You aren't able to mark the next opponents with a cursor and use your skills by pressing keys 1 to 9 on the numeric keyboard. The developers have decided to create a system of skills that allows players to form advanced combos. You will have to learn which skills work together and how to use them most efficiently (and effectively). Don't worry, because you won't be forced to write down your favorite sequences on a piece of paper and memorize them, because the game intuitively tells you what skills we can combine to activate a given sequence. Of course, this requires some mastery of the combat mechanics, but it's not as complicated as it sounds. Remember that each of the above-mentioned classes has unique attack combinations – if you play as a multi-class character, you will have to learn them all.

This isn't the only hybrid element in Skyforge – the game is both instanced and open world. Aelinar serves as the main hub and base where we meet other players, take on tasks, and even expand it. This is where we have access to a world map that will allow us to move to instanced locations. They are mainly intended for progressing the plot and for solo or group (consisting of 4-5 players) fights where we have to complete a given dungeon in the best way possible. The second type is classic open world-style maps. The open-world zones expand as the main story progresses and are exactly what we know of traditional MMO games – big maps designed for exploration.

The Allods Team's production isn't just about fighting and exploration. There are also dozens of side activities that will be a perfect break from defeating successive hordes of monsters and bosses. One of them is the mode of unlocking cosmetic items, which we can "put on the main armor", making our character look more casual. On the screen above, you can see that a female character can wear dresses, uniforms, rock outfits, etc. There's a lot of them – you have to take my word for it – and getting them all (or just the ones you like the most) will be great fun. Importantly, they do not affect or replace the statistics of basic objects, but only make our character look more unique. The same goes for the numerous mounts. With them, you can move around the game world more efficiently. Could there be anything better than hanging out with your ultra-rare dragon, owned by only a few players on the entire server? Well, the developers certainly knew what they were doing... :)

Skyforge is completely free. Its core is the free-to-play model, so free players can enjoy it without restrictions. Of course, premium players have access to new content a little earlier, but this does not affect the basic aspects of the game – they are the same for everyone, which is crucial in online games. Nevertheless, there is also a premium store where we can purchase boosters to facilitate gameplay, mounts, cosmetic items, etc. It is worth noting that the game gives us the opportunity to earn premium currency – Argents – for example for daily logging, and for certain missions. Remember not to spend them at the first possible opportunity – you will make better use of them later.

Allods Team's game stands out in almost every aspect from traditional MMO titles. It offers a class(less) hybrid system, intuitive non-target gameplay and a strong emphasis on the story with many cut-scenes that certainly help immersion. In addition, the game offers great graphics, a climatic soundtrack, and a free-to-play gameplay model that allows free players to enjoy all aspects of the game. We can recommend Skyforge to all those looking for something new and want to take a break from classic online "target" games. We guarantee you won't be disappointed!