Requiem: Rise of the Reaver is a Free-to-Play MMORPG set in a dark distant world where an event known as the "Thanatos Incident" rendered the world almost unlivable. Create your own biological weapon known as a Temperion and experience the horrors that grip Ethergia.
The game features a unique horror-themed aesthetic with impressive graphics and gore mechanics that enhance the gameplay experience.
Combat is satisfying, with impactful hits and amusing ragdoll physics on defeated enemies.
The game offers a nostalgic experience for long-time players, with a variety of classes and a dark fantasy world to explore.
The game suffers from numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues, making it difficult to play consistently.
The player base is extremely low, leading to a barren world and a lack of community interaction.
Many aspects of the game feel outdated, including the graphics, quest design, and overall gameplay mechanics, which can lead to a tedious grinding experience.
graphics
180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many reviewers noting that they reflect its 2008 release, often comparing them to early 2000s visuals. Despite this, some players appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric design, which contribute to the game's horror theme. Overall, while the graphics may not meet modern standards, they still evoke a certain charm for those who enjoy the aesthetic, though technical issues and bugs detract from the experience.
“I absolutely love the grotesque but fascinating art style, and exploring the world is a treat.”
“Drawing parallels with Dark Souls for its unforgiving combat, Requiem: Desiderium Mortis offers stunning graphics, but lacks depth in story.”
“However, the dark aesthetic beauty of the game, its immensely satisfying combat, creative environmental and character designs, and its ability to immerse the player into its intense horror atmosphere definitely help the game remain enjoyable and fresh even amidst the sea of more modern MMORPGs.”
“Unfortunately, the game needs a major graphic rework as it looks like it's straight out of 2004.”
“The graphics for this game are bad; the UI is bad as well.”
“The horrible programming, dull graphics, crappy hit detection, lag, and unapologetic greed which constitutes this game hasn’t changed at all.”
story
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
79%
8%
The game's story is often criticized for its lack of depth and engaging content, with many players finding the quests repetitive and uninspired, primarily revolving around "kill x amount of y" tasks. While some appreciate the horror aesthetic and the potential for interesting lore, the overall narrative experience is marred by bugs, poor quest design, and a grinding gameplay structure that leaves players feeling quest-starved, especially at higher levels. Despite these shortcomings, some players still find enjoyment in the game, particularly when playing with friends and creating their own backstories within its world.
“All in all, I've enjoyed the game very much though I do wish they'd give more of the story in-game even if it is just in the form of main questlines. I love finding out about a game's world and its lore.”
“I've played over 50 MMOs and I never found an MMO which can take me in as much as this game... call it nostalgia if you will, but this game is fun. If you follow the quests, the story is quite cool and the classes are fantastic.”
“Has a wonderful story and background, and to me at least, is one of a kind.”
“Drawing parallels with Dark Souls for its unforgiving combat, Requiem: Desiderium Mortis offers stunning graphics, but lacks depth in story.”
“Ragdoll death physics will entertain you (for the first 5 minutes), questing will give you something of a buzz (until you realize that every single quest is a copy-paste of the previous one), and those of you hopeful for an immersive story will be left scratching your heads, wondering how somebody could mess up Korean-to-English translation so badly.”
“The story, as I've been told, does exist in this game but I could not find it.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
78%
13%
The gameplay of the game is often criticized for being outdated and typical of early 2000s Korean MMOs, featuring grindy mechanics and repetitive fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the unique setting and class mechanics, many feel that the combat lacks refinement and innovation compared to genre leaders. Overall, the game struggles with aging systems and a lack of engaging content, particularly at higher levels, leading to a mixed reception regarding its gameplay quality.
“Extremely underrated MMO... amazing gameplay, skills, classes, and ideas.”
“The mechanics were not too complicated and it was just perfect for me.”
“This game is not about the graphics; the gameplay and leveling can be quite a challenge. Skill points cost $4 USD to reset, so you better think in advance about what skill you want your character to have. In my opinion, this is a nice way to have unique builds and not have 90 out of 100 players with the same skill build like in WoW.”
“Requiem has many of the problems associated with a game released in 2008, from archaic systems that no longer exist in its contemporary peers, to a grindy gameplay loop that demands plenty of time and patience.”
“This 'game' was trash then and remains trash today, with an appalling lack of any improvement to core gameplay.”
“Within the first hour of gameplay, I witnessed very little to redeem this game as I was sent on boring, pointless fetch quests and I didn't catch any crafting system but I'm left to assume it's just as bloody awful as the rest of the game.”
grinding
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
3%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with many players noting it as excessively time-consuming and often feeling pointless, especially compared to modern titles. While some players appreciate the grind for its nostalgic value or find enjoyment in the repetitive gameplay, others express frustration over the lack of meaningful quests and the monotonous nature of the tasks required to progress. Overall, the game is described as very grindy, appealing primarily to those who enjoy such mechanics.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Experience points are better; I reached level 60 by just doing quests, pretty much no grinding.”
“I don't mind grinding in games, but when my efforts feel useless, then what even is the point?”
“None of this is able to outweigh the disgusting amount of grinding you have to do to level up, which is something modern games don't make you do.”
“I played this game for a long time back when it first came out (before it moved to Steam back in 2007) and I had a lot of fun with it in the beginning... but as you progress, the levels get harder to obtain and the game gets really grindy to the point of insanity.”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including combat delays and poor collision detection. While some find humor in the buggy ragdoll physics and enjoy the game despite its flaws, many express frustration over the lack of polish and persistent technical problems. Overall, players suggest that while the game can be fun, its stability issues significantly detract from the experience.
“This game has no excuse to be as buggy as it is and have as little quality of life features as it does.”
“However, the lack of polish, collision detection, aiming, buggy animations, and mesh models made the game feel less like a horror and more like a mess.”
“So many damn bugs and the GMs are always full of crap; they keep spawning new armor and jewels to make mall sales. It's insane, buggy since beta, constantly crashes, and they can't fix anything. Even the client is bugged at the moment; it's been one week and they can't figure out how to fix it. They asked people to use Steam, rofl; don't download this crap.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and immersive horror-themed environment, complemented by dark aesthetics and creative designs. Despite its dated graphics, the atmospheric world, combined with satisfying combat and engaging music, creates a compelling experience that stands out in the MMORPG genre. However, some users note that the game's mechanics require refinement to fully realize its potential.
“However, the dark aesthetical beauty of the game, its immensely satisfying combat, creative environmental and character designs, and its ability to immerse the player into its intense horror atmosphere definitely help the game remain enjoyable and fresh even amidst the sea of more modern MMORPGs.”
“The graphics are... well, exactly what you'd expect from such an old game, but they work with the bleak atmosphere.”
“Despite the dated visuals, the game stands strong, offering an overall enjoyable experience for those who appreciate a mature and visceral gaming atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and the creepy theme is very special and enjoyable; I don't know any other MMORPG that pulled it off like Requiem.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The music in the game is described as hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric, enhancing the nightmarish visuals, though it often fades into the background and becomes unnoticeable. However, many users report significant issues with the music playback, with some experiencing almost no music at all during gameplay, leading to frustration. Overall, while the music can create a certain mood, its inconsistency and lack of presence detract from the experience for some players.
“The gameplay and graphics may not have aged well, but the nightmarish visuals and melancholic music are still hauntingly beautiful.”
“The music is of that variation that creates a certain mood and that you stop noticing very soon, which is not a bad thing.”
“Recommended if you like blood, monsters, skimpy armor (both female and male), monstrous player characters (in skimpy armor), more blood, and running around as a big monster-thing while awesome music plays.”
“Oh, and you may want to play your own music in the background-- seems to have an issue playing any kind of music.”
“There hardly is any, save for the music at the character select screen and the attack and death moan sounds the enemies make.”
“I have no clue if later areas will have music or not, but I don't think I could stand playing this long enough to see.”
monetization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
36%
57%
The monetization strategy of the game has been heavily criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players feeling that the developers prioritize profit over gameplay quality. Many users report that microtransactions are essential for competitive play, making it difficult for free-to-play users to succeed, while the overall experience has diminished since the game's earlier days. Additionally, the lack of effective anti-cheat measures further exacerbates frustrations within the community.
“Everything from the microtransactions store you can buy for in-game money from players, but you need to get it first.”
“All in all, this new release is a cheap cash grab from an old game.”
“I've been playing this game since 2009 until 2013 when things were pretty cool, but the developers focused too much on money grabs. If you don't invest money, forget PvP (though this game is not worth even $1). Since the cash grab attempt, I pretty much logged in like once in 3 months and I can see no difference. If you're a beginner, don't touch this game; it's full of elites that will wreck you in any way possible. Oh, and this game has almost no anti-cheat; you can basically cheat with Cheat Engine.”
“They made microtransactions a vital part of this game.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from its buggy ragdoll physics, which lead to amusing glitches during character deaths. Players appreciate the blend of funny and sometimes sad storytelling across various quests and dungeons, although some feel the humor can wear thin over time. Overall, the game offers a mix of comedic moments, particularly through its unique gore and ragdoll mechanics.
“The buggy ragdoll physics on dead mobs can be kind of funny.”
“It's fun to watch stuff glitch out when they're killed; it makes it funny.”
“Multiple dungeons and a lot of quests with interesting stories (sometimes sad, sometimes funny).”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with frequent crashes, significant FPS drops, and stuttering during PvP battles, even on high-end gaming rigs. Players report that performance deteriorates drastically during large events, often resulting in unplayable frame rates. Overall, the game's complex computations contribute to its poor optimization and performance issues.
“Unoptimized game, battlefield crashes, random crashes everywhere.”
“Very poor performance even on gaming rigs.”
“I remember the game was not optimized too well and when hundreds of people gathered up for an event, the game was giving me about 5 fps.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as uninspired and lacking depth, with some reviewers noting it feels dated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles. However, the character design itself is praised for its creativity and interesting avatar choices, contributing to the overall aesthetic and immersive experience of the game.
“However, the dark aesthetical beauty of the game, its immensely satisfying combat, creative environmental and character designs, and its ability to immerse the player into its intense horror atmosphere definitely help the game remain enjoyable and fresh even amidst the sea of more modern MMORPGs.”
“On the other hand, character design seemed well done, with interesting choices in avatar design.”
“The character design is quite impressive, showcasing a variety of unique and engaging avatars that enhance the overall experience.”