Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game which takes place in the Star Wars universe.

It is free to download and play, however it doesn't fully embrace the free-to-play model because it has gameplay restrictions. Some features can be enhanced by purchasing Cartel Coins which will automatically give the player a "preferred status". In addition, all restrictions can be lifted by opting for a monthly subscription fee.

Upon entering the game, the player must choose his allegiance between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. After that, a class and species have to be selected and then the character's appearance can be customized. Classes are very different from one another, for example the Jedi will use the lightsaber and favor close distances, while a Trooper will use a blaster rifle and prefer fighting from a long range.

The first few missions are designed as a tutorial, however for players with little MMO experience these can seem a bit difficult. This may happen because the game lacks interactivity. It tells the player where he should go and what he should do, but it doesn't show him any directions. The gameplay is very good though. Combat and movement are smooth, leveling up is pretty fast and most quests are interesting. The game heavily emphasizes the team-play walk through. Beginning with the fifth level there will be missions which will require 2 or more players. Since the game is very popular, there are always people in the in-game chat requesting help from each other.

For a MMORPG it has top notch cinematics and storytelling. Every quest will have a spoken dialogue and different ways to answer questions. Even something meaningless like the player having to kill 10 raiders fits in the grand scheme of things, and can influence his alignment to the dark or light side. The voice acting and sound effects are way above game standards, but the graphics could be better.

Lastly I have to say that the only downsides are the fact that it requires ~25 GB of free space and that it has a pay-to-win system. In any case, this game is a must-try for any Star Wars fan, and for gamers in general.