Massively FREE online games

Tired of paying monthly fees to feed your gaming habit? Here’s a look at a few massive multiplayer online (MMO) games that are available for free. It’s all of the fun and none of the poverty!

Pirates of the Caribbean Online**On the Web: www.piratesonline.com

Just when you thought you’d seen your last “sea-wench slaps Jack Sparrow” shtick, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Online comes along to give you a few more. Within the first 20 minutes of the game, you get quests or training from Jack, Tia Dalma and Will Turner (who thoughtfully provides you with an old, rusty cutlass to maraud about with).
While I give kudos for allowing characters to run around in blue pinstripe pants and hot-pink long-coats, Pirates Online earns negative newbie points for being limiting with name choice (my first character name, Aggie Sassypants, was rejected for not being “pirate” enough). Also, an inability to deviate from standard hair and skin colors during character generation adds a grating edge to the customization options.

Fiesta*On the Web: http://fiesta.outspark.com

Somehow, the makers of Fiesta managed to out-Disney the Disney MMO, with lines like this from the introduction, where the goddess Teva looks down upon the planet and watches little children playing with their woodland friends. The narrator speaks: “Something kept them holding on even when circumstanceswere dire … something made them fight on, even though there was no reason to believe in the future. These creatures called it ‘hope.'”
Excuse me while I go vomit rainbows.
The characters in Fiesta overlay on-screen in a 2-D “paper doll” fashion. Regarding the environments, I have seen better background renderings come out of high school computer-science projects. The game itself is very “cute” with run-of-the-mill goddess-of-light versus the evils of darkness backstory, but on the whole, there’s nothing to distinguish the game from its contemporaries.

Requiem: Bloodymare****On the Web: www.playrequiem.com

Finally, a good old-fashioned sci-fi horror MMO! First, let’s discuss the banalities: Yes, the male characters all look ‘roided out. Yes, their female counterparts all look like Barbie, and yes, their resting stance is the ubiquitous ready-for-action hip-cock. However, if you can get past those factors-and the game’s adolescent title-Requiem is pretty frickin’ awesome.
Unlike most MMOs currently out there, Requiem actually shows some gore in your battles against all manner of demons and fiends. Bits and pieces fly everywhere as you slash your way to glory. Additionally, characters can be customized through resequencing one’s DNA in game play to raise or minimize certain attributes. The environments are beautiful and quite realistic, if a bit sparse.
It should also be noted that only the beta version of the game is available stateside (the original is a Korean MMO). Once the full version of Requiem launches, I doubt this gem will be offered for free-so grab it while you can.