If you never played Allods Online and were to see an in-game video or screenshot, you would most likely call the game, yet another WoW-clone. And you would be right, partially. Truth be told, Allods does “borrow” several gaming mechanics and concepts from Blizzard’s hit MMORPG, but the game is more of a mix-and-match than a complete rip-off. And, last but not least, Allods introduces several brand new features. The game is a free-to-play MMO by Russian developer Astrum Nival, the guys behind Heroes of Might and Magic V, Rage of Mages and Etherlords. Gpotato are responsible for porting it to North America and Europe. The developers have taken their job more than seriously, pouring the outstanding 12 million dollars into the production of Allods. So it’s no wonder the game became one of the best known free MMO’s to date, long before its release. Let’s get on with my first impressions of Allods Online
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Gameplay
The controls and interface of Allods are pretty standard. Keyboard movement, but there is also a click-to-move option included. The interface won’t give you much trouble, except the lack of a decent minimap and the quest tracker. The game does have a compass, but that doesn’t help much. Once you’re used to constantly opening and closing the map panel, you will forget about that too. As for the quest tracker, the problem is there is no way for you to disable tracking for just one quest, meaning you will either have to track all your quests at once, or hide the entire tracker. One thing that really helps are the small overhead icons for NPC’s, who, unlike other MMORPG’s, are visible at all times, even when you’re not looking at that particular NPC. Those icons will be displayed on the edge of your screen, and will constantly cycle around you. Point one with the mouse and a small text message will show up, giving a bit of information, including available quests and NPC function. 
Speaking of quests, they are also pretty standard. Most of them revolve around killing a number of mobs or talking to a certain NPC, but most tasks are very quick and simple, you won’t have to spend more then 15 minutes on most quests. The leveling itself is fast at first and after level 5 leveling becomes much more of a challenge. This is where the fatigue system comes in handy. In addition to normal experience, you also gain bonus experience referred to as fatigue. Fatigue can be used by talking to one of the many innkeepers across the world. Fatigue has a limit, though, so don’t rely on it too much.
Combat
Combat is fairly slow in Allods, being a pain at the start, but once you get the hang of your class you won’t have much problems with it. In my 15 hours of closed beta gameplay I had the chance to test out two classes, a Kanian Champion(human warrior), which I got to level 6, for the League and Arisen Summoner for the Empire, whom I leveled up to 9. I enjoyed my experience as a summoner much more than as a champion, partly because I prefer the mage as my class of choice. As a champion the gameplay was standard enough: charge at a distance(aimed shot if it’s cooling down) and then I just spammed skills in a row(whichever was available). The champion has a combat advantage bar that most skills use. You gain combat advantage by fighting, so yeah, it’s like the warrior rage in WoW. The Summoner, on the other hand, uses his summoned pet as a tank and casts from a safe distance in the meantime. Until the enemy decides to attack him, or his pet dies, that is. Than he has to make a run for it. I haven’t had enough party gameplay or PvP to comment on either of those yet, but I plan to fix that once the open beta rolls in.
Visuals and sound
Allods’ soundtrack was composed by the professional musicians Mark Morgan(who has also composed for television series such as One Tree Hill, Kojak and Killer Instincts, and video games such as Fallout and Planescape: Torment) and Vladislav Isaev. And it’s pretty easy to guess that. From the amazing main theme to simple background noises, everything finds its place perfectly and doesn’t get in the way much.
As for the game’s graphics, Allods will impress you, that’s for sure. The graphics are not only polished and have amazing design, but they also have a particular style, a mix of comic and fantasy. Yes, I mean it, Allods is practically flawless in the technical department. It’s had a stable closed beta so far, with just bit of lag, nothing serious.
Conclusion
My first impressions of Allods online are more than positive: a polished free MMORPG with great graphics, solid gameplay and amazing soundtrack. Put in the giant fanbase and great support and you’ve got yourself a winning MMO formula.
I do believe Blizzard/Vivendi called. They would like their screenshots back. I’d like you to step back from your praise for a moment and list, in your own head, exactly which game elements in Allods AREN’T identical or virtually identical with those in World of Warcraft. Your review doesn’t list any.
Is “fatigue XP” somehow different from “rest XP”?
Once again, characters in Allods appear as mass murderers, psychopaths who spend all day killing thousands of creatures without a second thought.
Let me guess: your world-altering “hero” goes to sleep on the steps of the bank too, just like the heavily armored hobos in World of Warcraft? ‘Cuz lemme say, if Allods does have player housing, your article would have been better off pointing that out rather than talking about the quest tracker.
I understand that the 2005-era graphics (marginally updated from WoW’s 2003 low-polygon count) are colorful, blocky, and designed to addict, which passes for “beauty.” I understand that the constant clicking and utterly repetitive keystrokes put you into a semi-hypnotic trance and that’s why you will do the same actions for literally hundreds of hours. However, while that might make a “successful” game (as it does with WoW), it sure doesn’t make a “good” one. Least of all when it’s a unabashed ripoff of WoW, like Allods is.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:26 pmQuote
How do you design graphics to addict?
Allods has excellent art direction. It also has a lot of very good visual humor. Parts of it are positively satirical.
There’s a lot more going on in both the graphics and the excellent quest and lore text than simple WoW copying.
Gameplay and interface do ressemble WoW, but only in the same way almost all post-WoW MMOs do. That’s just a given for would-be mass-market fantasy MMOs. The point is, Allods is as much fun as WoW. And it’s free.
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:35 pmQuote
“I’d like you to step back from your praise for a moment and list, in your own head, exactly which game elements in Allods AREN’T identical or virtually identical with those in World of Warcraft. Your review doesn’t list any.”
Astral Ship Combat End Game .. and no subscription fee ..
I’m sold
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:01 pmQuote
@Chris, I never said it didn’t copy WoW, most free-to-play games follow a successful formula. All I said is that Allods Online adds it’s own atmosphere, a few ideas(like preparing skills in advance), humor, and the result is not a 100% WoW-ripoff like, for example, Runes of Magic. I bet you haven’t played Allods. You should.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:14 amBy the way: Your witty lines about WoW are hilarious.
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Firstly, and this isn’t opinion but fact – WoW’s graphics are vastly inferior to Allods; Let’s just get that out of the way right off the bat.
Secondly, Fatigue XP is vastly different from rest XP both in the way that it is earned and the way that it is used; So I’ll chalk that up to the blind WoW fanboy who knows little-nothing about other MMOs except what he reads. I call that spectator syndrome.
What are you talking about “mass murderers and psychopaths who kill thousands of creatures”… What do you think you have to do in WoW!? And how do the characters look any more “psychotic” than those in WoW? If you’re trying to insult their superior art design and graphical quality, by all means go ahead; Makes you look pretty stupid as you defend a game which is inferior in those areas.
World of Warcraft invented the ezmode MMORPG, and that is why most of its original player base are all gone. Easy come, easy go, and those players who like to get a lot of reward without having to do much to earn it, they will enjoy WoW at first – but once they reach the stage where they want to be challenged, they won’t find such a challenge anywhere in the game, anymore, and that is why only 30% of new WoW players make it past lvl 10. The game is dying, get over it.
With games like Allods, TERA and GW2 on the horizon, WoW isn’t going to die from any single MMO, but from a thousand cuts in all directions as players leave the stale and mundane for something new. World of Warcraft has ripped off countless MMORPGs and implemented their systems and options into their own game, so for you to point the finger at any one else for “ripping off” WoW is probably the biggest joke in your whole post. G’day, ignoramus.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:32 pmQuote
@Chris
Wow lover much?
All mmo’s are very similar, in many aspects…I have played Warhammer, Lineage, GW and are now currently playing and loving Aion….In ALL of these games players have made comparisons to wow every single time, it grows tiresome. Wow is not the be all and end all of mmo’s and if Im not mistaken, blizz have allso stolen a few ideas from other mmos’ themselves (the achievement system was from warhmmer online)
mmo’s are mmo’s…..they are all very similar. I think the biggest drawcard in this game will be the fact that there is no monthly sub.
February 28th, 2010 at 10:07 pmI might give it a go, but I doubt Ill be leaving aion to play it on a regular basis.
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Hey. Calm down. Everyone is too hung up on which game is better. It’s all opinions homies. Stop comparing games and play them. You either like it or you don’t, so play it or don’t. If it’s not your style, then quit playing it and try the next one. It’s that simple. There’s just no point in continuing to play a game you don’t like JUST so you have more info on stuff to bitch about it. And by the way, coming from a programmer, whether alot of stuff is borrowed or not, it takes mad skills to produce a game like this. If you think you can do better, go to school, learn how, and make one. Besides, you’re always gonna notice stuff about games that others have already had. There’s only so many different ways to do it. When the world has seen around 1,000,000 games made, people run out of ideas. Hey, I’m just statin’ so don’t be hatin’. Peace.
March 6th, 2010 at 7:38 pmQuote
I can see the poster below me has not played Allods, since he refers to the graphics as “blocky” and “2005-era”. Please play the game before basing your opinions solely on screenshots. I was skeptical on the graphics at first myself, and I can assure you, screenies do not do them justice.
Another way I can tell you haven’t played Allods is that you have no understanding of what Fatigue is and how it works. It is earned while questing and leveling and spent like currency at an Innkeeper for a bonus, not by “logging out on the steps of the bank.”
Long story short, if you wish to comment on something (especially if your comments are 100% negative), have something to base them on. You’ve obviously never played the game, and really don’t have much right an opinion. Quit being a fanboy. Just because a game falls into the MMO genre and has a GUI and spell/ability toolbar doesn’t make it a WoW clone.
The setting is different. The graphics are different (and arguably better). Each class is given a unique ability/mechanic. The feel is different. Precharging of abilities is something you don’t find in WoW. Talent trees/Ruby trees points allocation and build setup are completely different. But… then again, you’d know that if you’d actually played Allods.
If you have it already set in your mind that you dont’ like the game, don’t download it and don’t play it. But don’t come here bashing it with never having actually played it and no understanding of how the basic mechanics of it work. Thanks.
March 30th, 2010 at 6:00 pmQuote
XP RATE ITS INCREDIBLE SLOW RATE I TAKE 5 hours to to advance from level 5 to level 6
April 6th, 2010 at 4:01 amQuote
“I don’t have money to play free mmo games”, Game Navigator.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:30 pmQuote
After thoroughly reading the initial review and all of your responses, I (a former WoW, GW, and Aion player) am convinced that I must try this game :]
Thank you all for your input.
June 9th, 2010 at 6:17 pmQuote
Laundry
June 19th, 2010 at 4:32 pmQuote
thnx all for the review, i found it very interesting stimulation(the discussion that is) coz im searching for a gud, medium graphics great gameplay mmo.
Ill try this one can you also give me other suggestions to try, eg. upcoming mmmos to watch out for or mmos already in the market. I would be very thankful!
Thanks Again ppl…
June 24th, 2010 at 6:19 pmQuote
This game is bad
but not from technical view
it has HUGE potential
but the community of the game is being destroyed by greed
its changing into pay to play – after each death u have a chance to have your blue/purple/orange gear cursed – it will give u negative stats – and only way to remove it is cash shop items – its understandable that they want cash shop ppl to have advantage over ppl who play for free – there is alredy something like this called runes – which will make u hit harder and take less dmg – but now adding the cursed items will make the population to be cut by 50-70% (something that already did take place on russian servers)
this game is going to be destroyed by poor decisions
if ur looking for an mmo u better take a look at games called Vindictus and C9
June 28th, 2010 at 5:14 pmQuote
Beautiful graphics. Sluggish quests and leveling. Excessive dying. Customer service lacking. In spite of this, I really enjoy this game.
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:35 pmQuote
Hah, i like this arguement about WoW vs Allods vs all other MMO’s.
I’ve played WoW, Aion, GW, Warhammer, and even Allods, tho i must say that i find WoW the most addictive.
Yes, WoW has shit graphics. but look how f**king large the game is. Probably one of the largest MMO’s out there.
I recall soemone saying 30 % of freshiez dont make it past level 10. thats is because:
1. No patience – Which will be even worse in Allods considering it takes a considerable amount of time to level.
2. MMO’s aren’t their style.
3. They liek teh game, and get shocked that they have to pay £9 a month for it (OMGWTFBBQ £9 – It’s the end of the world!) >.>
I find Allods a good game, but i say the combat style and the use of spells and skills are a bit wierd for my liking.
And i find this wierd, We seem to be comparing WoW to Allods, when Allods is so much like Aion, i myself can agree to that.
And Finally, as said so many times, MMO’s are bound to be similar, they general have to be, to be classed as an MMO.
But all are different, like WoW has Talent Specialization and Glyphs. Aion has ‘Stigmas’ and is a PvPvE based game (Different to many MMO’s i’ve played). And i’m nto too sure about Allods, i found the game too much of a hardship to level and not rewarding enough when you do. So i quit at level 7.
So please, dont go – WoW is better cus ladidah, Allods is better because that, this and whatever. Live with that fact that they are similar, but people prefer the differences of one game and not the other.
July 11th, 2010 at 9:19 amQuote
Oh and Also, if 30 % of people dont get past level 10 in WoW, then damn. Hardly anyone would od in Allods. it takes less that 1 hour to get to level 10 in WoW. yet it takes that to get from level 5 – 6 in Allods
July 11th, 2010 at 9:25 amQuote
This is not a WoW clone. I’m getting old people. Do you call a gibson les paul standard a fender stratocaster clone because it has 6 strings and you play it with a pick? Is one piano a clone of another because it has 88 keys? Is WoW an Everquest clone maybe? It’s just an interface people.
November 12th, 2010 at 1:30 pmQuote
I fayed this game and all of u WoW players are addicted to lvling instead of willing te be following a very good storyline which I personally find a very good aspect of the game and another huge plus point is the fact that u can just roam around and be amazed by stunning graphics and the battle system and the fact that its a free to play mmorpg with pay options and all those ppl that are scared by curses u get some anti curse free and meanwhile find a way to not die which u don’t want in any game;)
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:56 pmQuote
You can tell the young players from the old, by what they compare to WoW…. Well here’s some info for you… MMO’s as you know them have been coming out since the early 90′s.. and they all resemble each other up the line… just like RTS’s all resemble each other.. cause it’s the style of game… if you want something different, go play mortal kombat.. and If you want to get really down to it… WoW has stolen every feature and aspect from other MMO’s, and if you are diverse enough of a player you can even name where they stole each feature from… When WoW first came out, it had very little feature wise, most of the neat useful stuff was added later, once it proved to work in other MMO systems, as other mmo’s came out that threatened taking customers from WoW, suprisingly and mysteriously their better ideas were magically implimented into WoW… bottom line, WoW is the Bill Gates of the MMO world, i.e. alot of dumpster diving and stealing ideas…
June 27th, 2011 at 11:46 amQuote
I like WoW and I also like Allods.
Its funny how rabid not only the WoW fanboys, but the WoW haters are. Shows just how influential that game has been.
Ive been playing MMOs since Meridian 59 and while it is true that many share the same basic design principals, I think each has brought something new. WoW brought a *ton* that was new and dramtically changed the genre (whether for good or bad is subjective) Yet somehow posters like the above will acknowledge this, yet only call WoW out as being the “Bill Gates” of MMOs. So WoW “stealing” from what came before is bad, but everything that came later “stealing” from WoW is to be expected. Odd logic.
As for Allods, very solid game. I dont find the leveling slow at all.
For the cash shop, I think players need to stop whining. Either pay a sub fee or expect that the cash shop will have compelling items.
What some vocal players seem to want is a free game that has a cash shop which has items that they would never need or want. Yeah… good luck with that. People need to make money for a biz to work.
October 27th, 2011 at 1:47 pmQuote