Chances are if you're a long-standing player of Rift, a lot of what I've said in this review is (while probably encouraging) not a surprise to you. Judging by the sheer amount of improvements I've seen since the last time I played, not to mention the content added over the course of the core game's many updates, I'm guessing Rift players know their MMO of choice is clearly handled with care and attention. But if for some reason you're a Rift player who has hesitated over whether to pick up this expansion, I'll sum up my take simply: it's fantastic. Go get it.
Although there's not much about this expansion to entice new players into the game, it does offer a big incentive for returning players to renew their subscriptions. If you like RIFT, you'll enjoy Storm Legion.
Rift is a game that does everything right.
The heart of Rift is the souls system, which enables one to configure not one, but THREE full talent-trees and use all three at the same time. Each talent-tree can be swapped out among a truly amazing multitude, and finding which you like the most and synergize the best is one of the best aspects of Rift.
There's a huge amount of variety and diversity in the games mechanics, even if it does (to put it lightly) take a few pointers from WoW.
It's an amazing game, and I highly recommend it. It's also free, so there's no reason to not check out what you've been missing.
Rift Storm Legion is awesome! If you are looking to raid Rift will fill that crave. Raiding content is challenging and rewarding. All of the bosses have multiple mechanics which makes each fight unique. At times the faction rep can be a grind. PvP content is improving. And with the Free to Play model you can't beat it. Trion Worlds listens to the community and makes the game better and better. Do not miss out of this game it is awesome!
It gives fans precisely what they want: more of everything they're already enjoying. Some might wish for an expansion that pushes the boundaries a little more, especially when so many other MMOs are shaking up the genre with radical new ideas. But at the end of the day, Storm Legion adds a ton of fresh content, including two enchanting new continents, at a reasonable price.
Two new huge continents, four new souls and a ton of new quests will bring us back to Telara to fight against the new threat. Are we ready for Storm Legion?
The new class souls and Dimensions are a great welcome to the game for new and old players, and the gigantic new continents add some much-needed diversity to the end game.
Trion never disappoints when it comes to adding content to the game. This expansion tripled the size of the world, added player-housing, more souls for the classes, and finally capes to wear. The new zones look beautiful and the artwork really sets them off. Still one of the best looking MMO's on the market if you have a good rig to run it on.
The level cap was raised to 60 and can feel like a grind at times after 50, but its not too bad considering all that is available to do and your many options in getting XP in comparison to most games. Don't rush it, try and enjoy it without the itch to get 60 as fast as possible.
Rift: Storm Legion provides exactly what Rift's community wanted. Player housing, or dimensions, provides a whole new incentive for high level players. With an incredibly large landmass to explore and a new city to behold, Storm Legion is a hefty new addition to the MMO scene. However for players burnt out from the MMO genre, or players not looking to complete tedious levels to reach Rift's glorious endgame, Storm Legion is not for you.
When SL first came out, I liked it quite a bit more than a 6. The grind from 50 to 60, while long, had options. To a player returning to the game after a 9+ month hiatus, there was some lack of clarity on the other leveling options, balance issues not withstanding. Now that the honeymoon period has closed and I am fully back into the game in a casual raiding guild, it is clear that SL was not quite ready for release. Besides the obvious locked zone (the Dendrome) that was supposed to be released in patch 2.1, instant adventures are pointless, carnages are just grinding with bonus experience tacked on, onslaughts are cheap power-leveling areas, gear progression is extremely flawed, experts are mostly moot, grinding for infinity stones and notoriety (reputation) is dull, and end-game raid progression lacks a second 10-man at least. While I understand from the forums that much of this content is on the way, it should have been ready with SL, or at worst with the following patch or two. It has now been almost 3 months and a majority of the issues with the release are still prevalent. That said, I really enjoy Rift over other MMORPGs, but I spend more and more of my leisure time playing other games and other genres.
The game still suffers from major performance issues and TRION is not able - or willing - to do anything about it. The expansion feels empty and soulless. The new continents are indeed very large but they are poorly designed and boring. If I could at least say it's "more of the same" but no, it's not. It's inferior to the original game. Skip this one.
The game itself is only decent, which is why it received a rating of 2 instead of 1. What destroys this game is the supporting cast. Trion GM's and customer service have proven abysmal over the life of the game, and have only spiraled down into some of the worst experiences since the company layoffs. With the move to go f2p, I would hesitate to recommend this game to anyone based upon some seedy business and service practices.