Sometimes we manage to snag assignments that are just incredibly enjoyable, both to play and to share. Such was the case when I picked up Symphony from a tip in ZAM’s General Games forum. An indie game from Empty Clip Studios, Symphony follows in the steps of games such as Audiosurf; by scanning your music library, Symphony creates custom levels based on the tempo and rhythm of the song. What kind of levels? Read on for a few examples and some short clips of my experiences!

Let’s face it: as MMO gamers, we’re usually pretty poor at upgrading our PCs. Compared to our FPS playing brethren, we try to eke out as much life as possible from our components. When it is finally time to buy a new base unit or bundle of parts, we try to stretch our cash as far as possible. Considering our tendency to splash out on mice with more buttons than the average calculator, it’s surprising that we’re less inclined to think inside the box.

During Gamescom, I had the good fortune to meet up with NVIDIA representatives and check out their latest collection of hardware, from brand new desktop and laptop chips to the latest in mobile gaming. I also managed to get a close look at some of the latest games and MMOs running on this new kit, so that I could see for myself just what a difference it makes. From multiplayer Mech-fest Hawken to contemporary MMO The Secret World, the results are stunning.

The world of MMO games is a vicious one. Many times we’ll see promising ideas from a company, just to watch its game sputter and die in an over-saturated game market. So what makes a game company survive and thrive?

Trion’s plugging right along; not only has its flagship game Rift been a commercial success, it is currently in Beta testing for its second game, End of Nations. How does Trion manage to buck the odds? Here are the five factors that I think give the company its competitive edge. If you agree or disagree, comment after the article!

With Guild Wars 2 fast approaching, we take a look at the main characters that will form your story.

In this editorial, we take a long hard look at the controversial Logan Thackeray.

A decade is quite some time in anyone's book.

But thanks to the astonishing work of Cairenn and Dolby, MMOUI is 10 years old today and still growing.

Traversing Telara is an exclusive series of articles from Trion Worlds that explores Rift's lore and gameplay mechanics through the eyes of one intrepid adventurer. It's a great read and a fantastic introduction to the world of Telara. Even if you're a veteran of Rift, you might enjoy hearing about the game from another perspective! Read on for Traversing Telara #1: Gods and Souls!

                          Catch up on all the past issues of Traversing Telara here!

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, there is a massive world event going on in RIFT at the moment. It started a few months ago with the Carnival of the Ascended, when the citizens of Telara - Defiant and Guardian - celebrated the one year anniversary of the Ascended returning from the dead to fight the Dragon Gods. But week after week, the celebrations turned from genial carousing to bitter rivalry, and the Defiant and Guardian began to clash once again.

What they didn’t know was that the Laethys and Maelforge were taking advantage of these distractions to form an alliance. An alliance that brought their respective dragon cults, the Wanton and the Golden Maw, together in an attempt to take over Telara. Since this plan has been uncovered, both Defiant and Guardian have been working furiously to un-cover their plot and put a stop to it.

It took a while for everyone to realize what was happening, but now the War of the Wanton Maw is a threat that hangs across the land. The past few weeks have revolved around closing down Earth and Fire Rifts, killing Rift creatures, and just generally trying to stem the flow of the tide. At times it’s seemed almost impossible, especially when you click on your map and see Rift icons popping up everywhere. But it looks as though we are finally pushing them back.

Guardian spies are busy trying to discover what the final plan of Laethys and Maelforge is but, in the meantime, it is the responsibility of all of the Ascended to fight the attackers wherever they may be.

It's hard not to be impressed with what's going on with Rift right now.

Trion are taking a very solid game to the next level - and being very smart with the way the company is promoting the upcoming expansion Storm Legion.

Fancy trying out a high fantasy MMO and not be charged a dime for it? You’re in luck, as SoE has you covered. Joining their growing list of free-to-play games is Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. With a wide range of classes available to play in an expansive, seamless world, this revamped MMORPG might quench that thirst for something different.

Converting a veteran MMO like Vanguard to free-to-play is no easy matter, so we asked the experts. I recently got the chance to discuss the revamp with Salim Grant, Creative Director for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.  During the interview, we touched on the reasons behind the switch and updating the game for a modern audience. 

ZAM: Before we get started, can you give us a quick recap of what Vanguard is all about for those readers who might not have looked at the game before? What can players look forward to that's unique to the game?

Salim Grant: Vanguard Saga of Heroes is a fantasy, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the world of Telon, which is a vast, ancient world filled with adventure and magic. Vanguard is a game about freedom, and the world of Telon is filled with exotic locations. Players take a role in one our unique classes and can challenge dangerous creatures through our groundbreaking and dynamic combat systems. 

Trion's Rift has garnered a healthy share of positive buzz with the recent live streams and videos.

The dev diary below is a good example of why.

The graphical improvements, the focus on large scale bosses and environments help make an impressive package for the Storm Legion expansion. With two new continents, Telara will have much more room to adventure in and the new levels, souls and gear show why Trion calls this Rift 2.0.

Intriguing times lie ahead for Rift fans.

It’s a little over thirty days since the final, released version of The Secret World found a home inside my PC. Although I’d been playing beta versions of Funcom’s latest MMO for several months before that all-important launch, it’s the one that goes on sale that counts. Since then, I’ve been delving deeply into this mysterious echo-world.

The end of the first “free” month is usually the end of the honeymoon period. Existing players are weighing up if they want to continue subscribing, while potential newcomers are looking on and trying to decide if they want to dive in. Funcom’s decision to throw the game open to everyone recently for a free weekend of celebration and adventure certainly didn’t hurt. But for those of you still on the fence, this long-term review should end your agonizing quandary.

If you haven’t already seen it, Chris Tom’s first impressions of the launch are well worth a read. Unlike me, he deliberately avoided spoiling himself as the release date crept ever closer. I’ll be continuing where Chris left off, taking a closer look at how the game holds up to sustained play.