Do you like the idea behind World of Warcraft Classic but aren't comfortable with the way that Blizzard has been handling itself? Are you not ready to let Halloween go just yet, but also don't want to actually spend any money on Halloween activities? Perhaps it might be worth looking into trying out Astellia Online for the weekend?
Astellia's Halloween celebration, which has added a Halloween Candy Hunt and pumpkin-themed quests, will be free for all curious players to try out between November 1 and November 4.
The MMORPG, which was released this year, promises to "return the genre to its roots." While there's certainly a reason that old-school MMOs kind of fell out of favor, WoW Classic has proven that there's quite an appetite for them. Astellia's earnest attempt at recapturing the genre's glory days had our veteran MMO reviewer hooked, so the free event might make the game worth checking out for anyone who's mildly curious.
As far as how the game actually works, it starts with your basic Tank, Healer, DPS trifecta, but then adds a little bit of Pokémon on top of it. The game lets players collect "Astels," which can be summoned as allies to help players out in battle.
Of course, those who wish that "Old school" meant a return to the more anarchic days of Ultima Online won't get what they're looking for. There is still a sense of general order and an emphasis on removing griefing from the game. The dedicated PvP zone and Arena may still be enough to sate the appetites of anyone who goes into an MMO looking for trouble.
The free weekend begins Friday, November 1, and lasts through Monday, November 4. All players have to do is enter the coupon code ASTELLIAFREETRIAL to get started at the official Astellia website. Those who want to keep playing only have to pay a one-time $29.99 payment for a game license -- though there are some benefits to paying more, because of course there are.
Source: Twitter
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