This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Matthew Call.

R.O.S.E. Online, which stands for Rush On Seven Episodes, is a new MMORPG which will soon hit the market in North America. Currently the game is in an open beta phase, which means that anyone who wants to can register for and download the game for free. The game is being developed by Korean developer Gravity, the maker of Ragnarok Online. It's important to note that this review covers the European version of the game, and was conducted on ROSE's European server.

The storyline of ROSE centers on a war between two gods. Arua, the goddess of Good, created seven worlds which were good, happy places until Hebarn, god of Evil, took control of the seventh world and caused everything to go amok. Players are thrust into the middle of this conflict and must restore order to the seven worlds.

The star feature of ROSE is the graphics engine. The visuals have an anime look to them, which is distinctly unique to the genre. Cartoony visuals are nothing new to MMORPGs, but anime style cartoon graphics are unique. The graphics are certainly the game’s most appealing feature, as they greatly enhance the atmosphere of the game and help to slightly make up for its shortcomings in other areas.

Since the game features seven worlds, players are also able to travel between the worlds; each is quite large and features a unique set of environments and enemies. This enables players to have a large amount of freedom and leaves much to be explored within the game. If players tire of an area it is relatively simple to travel to a new world and get a fresh start.

The party system in ROSE is also slightly different than in other MMORPGs. In ROSE the number of players allowed in the party is determined by the level of the players in the party. The higher the level, the more players are allowed in the party. This encourages small groups in the beginning but opens up the possibility of huge groups later in the game. The guild system enables large numbers of players to group together and even attempt to take over entire worlds. When a guild owns a world, it gets a cut of all financial transactions that take place on that world, creating a massive cash flow for the guild. While this is innovative, the developers will need to ensure this feature doesn’t lead to price gouging in the game.

Last but not least of the good features is the style. While I’ve already mentioned the unique graphics in the game, they’re only part of the overall experience. The characters in are, for lack of a better word, cute. Also the game doesn’t limit itself to medieval-type weapons and equipment. In addition to the typical staff or sword, players can also use guns and other hi tech equipment like dune buggies. Controlling a sword-wielding, buggy-riding cute anime character as he (or she) drives around the world is an entertaining experience.

While ROSE’s look is unique, that is unfortunately about all that sets it apart from other MMORPGs on the market today. ROSE’s greatest weak spot is the lack of a well developed storyline. There is little in the game that gives the player a reason to feel motivated to play it. Quests are few and far between and are usually of the “kill-seven-enemies-of-this-type” variety. There often is not a reason to kill the monsters, other than the fact that the game said the player should. This means that instead of feeling like part of a greater story, players often resort to power-leveling and exploration for their gaming.

The game’s combat system also needs some work. Combat is simply point and click, then sit back and watch. Until the player reaches level 10 he only has one attack to choose from and watching the same combat animation over and over again for ten levels gets tiring. The enemies also leave a little to be desired. Some of the first enemies the player encounters are giant jellybeans. It’s one thing to be wasted by a cute little bunny rabbit or something, but a jellybean? That’s just embarrassing.

The sound in the game is neither good nor bad. There is little to set it apart from other MMORPGs and the music repeats often enough that it becomes annoying after a while. The combat sounds are decent, but could use more variety and power behind them.

Last of all, the character creation feels a little flat. There are only four character classes to choose from: soldier, muse (magic user), hawk (ranger), and a dealer. Each class has a few different looks to choose from, but the only real customization options the player gets to use control the character’s hair, gender and face. This leads to several players using the same or very similar models in the game.

ROSE is a decent MMORPG, especially since it is in beta and currently available free of charge. The anime look makes the game worth checking out for fans of anime RPGs and sets it apart in what is now a crowded genre. Unfortunately the game is not groundbreaking, and players can easily feel disconnected as there is not much of an overall storyline. The game is still in beta, so there is a chance that the developers will fix many of its flaws before its official launch in North America. If you like anime ROSE may be worth checking out, however there are plenty of other MMORPGs out there that offer a more engaging and entertaining experience. If you'd like to try the game out for yourself, feel free to give it at go by clicking here.
 

Not very original and the game needs some kind of engaging storyline.

Not state of the art, but the anime style is impressive.

Decent, but nothing that really stands out. Music repeats too often.

It is an MMORPG, so much of the fun comes in grouping with other players.

There is always more to see or do, and players will make friends with other players online.