Games to download

Strife is a new MOBA by S2 Games, the maker of Heroes of Newerth. Despite its name, Strife has been trumpeted as the answer to the MOBA genre’s highly competitive - even toxic – community, and playing the game it’s easy to see why. S2 have worked hard to create a softer, more accessible game without compromising on the key elements that make MOBAs so enjoyable.

From changing the farming system so that gold is shared among team members when one makes a successful kill, to the introduction of a rating system that rewards good behavior and bans multiple offenders from in-game chat, Strife is all about encouraging team play and a friendlier online environment. Gamers who love a serious challenge might prefer to stick to the high-stakes play in other MOBAs, but Strife is perfect for new and casual gamers.

It may be easier, but that doesn’t mean it’s without challenge. Strife does try to change things up. There is a giant ape who can be freed by one side to wreak havoc on the other, super useful pet companions to train and customise and a crafting system that rewards loyal players. Far from just being a novice version of a regular MOBA, Strife is a serious step in a more positive direction for the genre, and a great opening point to any gamer who’s hung back from MOBAs so far.

Nosgoth is a spinoff of the popular Legacy of Cain series. Long time fans will likely be disappointed that Psyonix and Square Enix have chosen to follow the free to play model, creating a game that's very accessible if not very intelligent. There's little reference to the much loved series, other than a couple of scattered names and design motifs. But if you can forget the brilliant Cain games that came before it, there's still fun to be had in Nosgoth.

Play as vampire or vampire hunter, with several classes on each side to choose from. The main draw is Team Deathmatch, which sees teams of four pit against each other, human versus vampire. Here, you'll hurl across Nosgoth's beautifully detailed maps in two rounds, playing one species and then the other. This is a much needed swap, as the vampires - who can fly, climb walls and make joyous, deadly leaps - are both more enjoyable and more powerful to play.

As a free-to-play game, Nosgoth gives a fair amount without requiring you to pay up, and most rewards for sale can also be earned by the patient. Haters of the model can choose instead to pay a one time fee and get all the purchasable content at once. Overall, it's a fun, easy title, though it doesn't live up to the epic Legacy of Cain universe it inherited.

Dragomon Hunter is a free-to-play downloadable MMORPG.
The title presents a typically oriental concept, with deliberately unrealistic characters and a vibrant and colourful game world.
The gameplay is typical of Korean MMORPG, made of fairly repetitive missions with plenty of farming and unrestrained grinding.
To diversify things a bit, there is a system of recruiting defeated enemies, through which we capture monsters and take them back to help us in combat.
Dragomon Hunter, far from representing an excellence in the genre, has proved to be an effective pastime. It's not without flaws, but still manages to entertain and amuse. It is recommended especially if you have a soft spot for the atmosphere and style of manga.

➔ Main points:

• Classifcal Korean MMORPG released in 2015
• Be prepared to face long grinding sessions.
• Colorful, inspired and well-done cartoon \ anime graphical style.
• Defeat your enemies and have them become your pets!

Dawngate is a MOBA released by Waystone Games, a company under the umbrella of Visceral Games, which is under EA. With those names involved, you’ll expect a high quality product and Dawngate does not disappoint. Even in open beta, the graphics are great in this title – vivid and lush, though undeniably similar in palette to the game Dawngate is competing with, League of Legends.

But Dawngate isn’t just another clone in the crowded MOBA genre. It does add some real originality to its gameplay – narrowing down to just two lanes, adding roles for your heroes (called Shapers here) to focus on and granting bonuses to your minions when you destroy enemy Bindings or towers.

There is certainly enough new content being brought to the table here to intrigue any MOBA fan.

Twin Saga is the latest high fantasy setting MMORPG to come out from Asia and offers a promising outlook for the genre by putting the power of choice in the hands of the player. rassembler du matériel ou forger. The game features 10 different classes that players can swap between freely at any time without cost or restriction. Player housing also takes a different approach – the Terracottage is a mobile house that can move like mounts, and is a place where guilds and friends can hang out, gather materials and even craft.

If you enjoyed games like Final Fantasy, Ragnarok and Kingdom Hearts, Twin Saga’s 3D art style and animations will definitely appeal to you as it hovers between anime and cartoon, but the graphics do look a little aged which is surprising.

Overall, Twin Saga is a fairly good MMORPG that contains rich lore and story that is complemented by a fast-paced action combat system that suits the art style. There’s plenty to do in PVE ranging from hidden quests, Astral Adventures and Dungeons, while the competitive players can try their hand at PVP in arenas or battlegrounds. Ultimately, Twin Saga should be credited for its fresh approach but doesn’t do enough to stand out from the MMORPG crowd.

➔ Main points:

• Ability to switch classes without restrictions or cost
• Story-driven MMORPG
• No pay to win in cash shop
• Mobile player housing

Embark on the immersive world of Naraka: Bladepoint, a distinctive battle royale game released in August 2021 and converted to Free-to-Play in late 2023 by 24 Entertainment and NetEase Games Montreal. Set on Morus Island, the game accommodates up to 60 players, allowing them to choose from a diverse roster of heroes, each equipped with unique skills.

Naraka: Bladepoint stands out with its focus on martial arts-inspired melee combat and a rock-paper-scissors combat system, creating a dynamic and challenging gameplay experience.

Whether venturing solo or teaming up in trios, players navigate the island, adapting to a shrinking safe zone and strategic encounters with other squads.

With a global player base surpassing 6 million copies sold, the game transitioned to a free-to-play model, extending its reach across PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5 platforms.

Naraka: Bladepoint offers an engaging and accessible entry into the world of battle royale, where players can enjoy the thrill of combat and strategic gameplay in a visually captivating environment.

➔ Main points:

• Martial Arts Mayhem: Get ready for melee combat like you've never seen! It's like Bruce Lee meets a rock-paper-scissors showdown, with weapons, grappling hooks, and skills that'll make you go "whoa!"
• Solo or Trio Tango: Play it your way - solo or team up with two buddies. Because why fight alone when you can have a squad with you? Teamwork makes the dream work, baby!
• Chaos on Morus Island: Explore, fight, and survive on this crazy island. As the safe zone shrinks, the shadow corruption spreads, and you'll be praying at Buddhist sites, dodging enemies, and respawning like it's a wild, action-packed game of tag.
• Global Gaming Galore: With over 6 million copies sold worldwide, Naraka: Bladepoint is strutting its stuff on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5. Plus, it went free-to-play, so now everyone can join the party without breaking the bank!

Orcs Must Die! Unchained is one of the latest Tower Defense Games in which your aim is to repel a hoard of orcs trying to breach your defenses and reach the innermost area of your base.
A number of paths are accessible to your orc enemies which they can use to point their offense in an effective way.
On the contrary, you have mines and other repelling items to stop them and, in turn, try to breach their base.

Orcs Must Die! Unchained allows you to team up with your friends or go solo with a number of tactics available for either option.
Just like other similar games, a number of classes are available for character selection with each class having a unique set of abilities.
In-game purchases can also be made to upgrade your characters and pose an even more serious threat to your opponents.

➔ Main points:

• 2015 MOBA with an amazing humoristic and entertaining style.
• Set-up deadly traps and kill all the orcs trying to destroy your base, and breach theirs in turn!
• Five available classes of characters.
• Can be played solo or co-op.

Winning Putt is a golf simulator set in a realistic environment, published by Bandai Namco and developed on CryEngine. Among other features, it allows players to customize their characters' appearance and gear, and offers three classes to choose from: Power, Accuracy, and Balance.

Players level up and earn gold by completing challenges that allow them to purchase new items. The game's shop offers new golf balls and bags, along with sets of clubs to optimize the gameplay. Factors such as the wind's direction, the slope of the course, the characters' mentality and stamina, and the club equipped define the players' success in each session.

Consumable items, such as edibles and GPS mini-maps, are stored in the golf bag and can be used to revitalize energy or have a better view of the terrain, respectively.

➔ Main points:

• Club joining bonuses
• Rich and realistic environments
• Diverse variables that can affect the ending result
• PVP tournaments

Blade and Soul is a Korean MMORPG recently published by veterans of the MMO industry, NCSoft.

Originally published in Asia, a little over four years ago, the long anticipated game finally makes its way westward. Fans here in the west have long been clamoring for Blade and Soul: the flashy anime inspired graphics and the apparent innovation of its highly touted combat system make NCSoft’s newest experience seem like an amazing proposition.

The question though, does it live up to all the hype? In many ways yes, the game’s combat is reminiscent of classic combo based fighting games, making each encounter engaging and unique.

The graphics are great, if a little dated. However optimization issues and lag run rampant, PvE is somewhat lack luster, and gearing at max level can be a bit of a chore.

The game is a mixed bag, it does some things right and some wrong, however the things it does correctly may be enough to outshine its rougher aspects by the standards of some players.

➔ Main points:

• 2016 Free to Play MMO
• Action Combat
• Fun 1v1 PvP
• Great Environments

Savage Hunt - Dragon's Prophet is a relaunch of the original Dragon's Prophet. All the dragons are now free, and the game is the culmination of five ears of bug fixes, changes, and new content.

➔ Main points:

• Lots of dragons to tame.
• Action-based combat is fun.
• Large-scale Frontier PvP.