Is this the most accessible MMORPG ever?

Quest Management

It's easy to lose track of who sent you where and what you need to do during a quest, especially when MMO first timers are accruing so many quests at the same time. Hero: 108 Online is on the right track for solving this problem with its Quest Path flow chart. It lists every quest line in the game and clearly shows your progress within the quest line. While it may take away some of the mystique of following the story of the quest, knowing exactly where you are in a quest line and knowing what you need to do certainly makes tracking your progress easier. There's no feeling that you missed something.

Players can click an arrow icon next to a quest location to get a persistent arrow on the game screen pointing them to where they need to go. It's a great feature for new players trying to learn the game world.

Gameplay

The controls are mapped mostly to the keyboard and have a nice arcade feel to them. You move around with the AWSD keys and attack, use powers and dash with the JKL keys. Plus, the game is fast. We leveled up 3 times in what must have been 20 minutes. Many of the animals won't even attack you unless you start hitting them, which will give younger players who have trouble with the controls a chance to party up with their friends while they get the hang of it.

But making the game accessible to newcomers doesn't mean that it won't be an in depth, epic experience. The level cap goes to 60 and Gamania estimates it'll take players 2 months of hardcore playing to get there. Once you get to 60 there are end game raid bosses to tackle and PvP arena battles to fight.

And since every free-to-play MMO actually does need to make money in order to stay free, Hero: 108 Online will be selling vanity items to customize your character. We did get to see a tank, rocking horse and motorcycle mounts as well as a fairy-like being you can equip. Many clothing items can be equipped over top of your character's armor, so you can make your character look the way you like without having to sacrifice your stats.

Messaging and Reporting

To protect the younger players, Gamania has included a "Report" icon, on the right side of the screen, which makes reporting any kind of foul play simple. You just choose from a list of offenses like "advertising" or "foul language" and then choose the offender from a list of users on your channel and send it right in. There will also be GMs patrolling the area for any such trouble makers.

Hero 108 has left out mail boxes. Any time a player wants to communicate with someone, he or she can send them a message right from the tool bar. Think of it as a courier pigeon.

All in all, Hero 108 is shaping up to be a fast, fun and accessible game. Some of the quest screens are still a little complicated for MMO first timers and something will probably have to be added for newer, shy players to meet friends. Hopefully when Hero 108 enters open beta in June, this is full-fledged MMORPG will make good on its promise to capture MMO first timers while pleasing hardcore fans as well.