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Ryzom

Ryzom Game Cover
65%Game Brain Score
graphics, story
grinding, atmosphere
66% User Score Based on 323 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

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Ryzom Game Cover

About

Ryzom is a multiplayer open world role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Winch Gate Property Limited and was released on May 6, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Ryzom, also known as The Saga of Ryzom, is a free and open source massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Nevrax for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux.

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Ryzom screenshot
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66%
Audience ScoreBased on 323 reviews
graphics19 positive mentions
grinding21 negative mentions
  • Ryzom features a unique skill system that allows players to customize their abilities and spells, providing a deep and engaging gameplay experience.
  • The game has a vibrant and helpful community, with many players willing to assist newcomers and share knowledge.
  • The crafting and harvesting systems are intricate and rewarding, allowing players to create their own gear and resources, which adds depth to the gameplay.
  • The game suffers from outdated graphics and a clunky user interface, which can be off-putting for new players.
  • The tutorial and initial gameplay can be confusing and overwhelming, making it difficult for newcomers to understand the mechanics.
  • There are significant limitations for free-to-play players, including level caps and restricted access to certain features, which may hinder the overall experience.
  • graphics
    87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Ryzom are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its 2004 release, with many players noting their mediocrity compared to modern standards. However, some appreciate the game's unique art style and atmospheric world, which still retains charm despite its age. Overall, while the graphics may deter some gamers, others find them acceptable and even enjoyable within the context of the game's nostalgic appeal.

    • “The graphics may look a bit oldish, but the artistic direction is just stunning.”
    • “If you can get past the 20ish year-old graphics, you'll find yourself dazzled by the strange landscapes and alien flora and fauna that inhabit them.”
    • “The graphics are definitely dated, but each region is well-constructed and feels like a legitimately different place -- with different flora and fauna, architecture types, etc. it has a beautiful, older 3D MMORPG charm.”
    • “Ryzom's unique otherworldly vibes couldn't save it from poor writing and poorer graphical updates.”
    • “Graphics-wise, this has some fairly mediocre and dated-looking graphics that will understandably be a turn-off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract players despite having no up-front cost.”
    • “The graphics are from 2000, 16 years old; they are still playable but not going to impress anyone today.”
  • story
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as intriguing and well-constructed, set in a unique world that encourages exploration and player-driven narratives rather than linear quests. However, many players find the quest system repetitive and simplistic, often involving mundane tasks like gathering or killing specific creatures, which can lead to a grindy experience. While the lore has potential, the lack of engaging storytelling and clunky interface detracts from the overall experience, making it challenging for new players to become invested.

    • “Great story, got magic and sci-fi, with a believable reason why you get saved when you die, depending on who you go with it's either high technology or the powers of ancient beings.”
    • “One of the only MMORPGs I've played recently where the lore, story, and world are well-constructed and unique, the community has very little toxicity, and the other features are at least passable.”
    • “I found the missions difficult - mainly because some of the instructions weren't clear, but I was so drawn in by the flora, the fauna - the motions and movements of the creatures of the land and the story behind the living world of Atys that I kept coming back.”
    • “The quests in this game aren't really much of anything.”
    • “But the quests are from the stone age of MMOs and the landscape has a lot of barren and uninspired places, the towns and settlements being the worst.”
    • “I didn't get the story throughout playing this game for around 20-40 minutes, so all in all this game is really bad.”
  • gameplay
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Ryzom is characterized by its deep and complex mechanics, offering a unique crafting system and skill progression that diverges from modern MMORPG standards. While some players appreciate the immersive environment and community, others criticize the outdated graphics, cumbersome mechanics, and the grind-heavy nature of skill advancement. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy old-school MMOs but may deter players seeking a more streamlined experience.

    • “Once you understand the mechanics and talk to the community, there are 10,000 hours of fun to be had.”
    • “Today, it still has a great atmosphere and genuinely interesting gameplay mechanics, such as how you build your skills, the four seasons, weather, day/night cycles, animal migration/interaction, and original lore/background stories/races.”
    • “On the other hand, there are a lot of gameplay features making this game very deep and challenging to master.”
    • “The gameplay is not captivating.”
    • “So, the gameplay loop is grind profession x, upgrade your skills, grind profession x again, upgrade skills, grind again, upgrade, grind grind grind, upgrade...and for what?”
    • “I can get past the dated graphics but the gameplay itself is garbage, even games back in the 90s had better combat and movement, not to mention the game for me (central US) constantly has a minimum of 200 ping with mobs warping toward you when you hit them with a spell and your spells lagging behind the actual cast bar.”
  • grinding
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is characterized as slow and monotonous, with players often finding it tedious and lacking in variety, particularly in quests and activities. While some appreciate the nostalgic, old-school feel and the community support, many express frustration over the endless grind required for leveling and crafting, leading to boredom and a lack of incentive to engage with the game's content. Overall, grinding is seen as a central but potentially off-putting element of the gameplay experience.

    • “The graphics are kinda outdated, but are still very charming, so I don't mind that. However, I feel the user interface is clunky and makes navigating it very frustrating. The game's also grindy and becomes monotonous very fast, plus there's little variation in quests or activities.”
    • “A very old school game. The quests are simple, the combat is simple, and the grinding is endless. There is no loot that's dropped, just materials, so you can grind up your own crafting.”
    • “Unfortunately, you will need a group/guild for higher level content (I know, surprising in an MMO), and the grind past level 150 or so becomes very tedious.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a captivating otherworldly atmosphere, characterized by its unique graphics, dynamic day and night cycles, and an engaging weather system. While some elements may feel dated, the rich lore, seasonal changes, and deep roleplaying mechanics contribute to an immersive experience reminiscent of classic titles like Morrowind. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to draw them in despite its lower production values compared to more mainstream titles.

    • “The game has an otherworldly atmosphere, and even though it can be janky, it can also be beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are old, but they have a unique quality about them. Combined with the day and night cycles and the weather system, this game is full of atmosphere.”
    • “Today, it still has a great atmosphere and genuinely interesting gameplay mechanics, including how you build your skills, four seasons, weather, day/night cycles, animal migration/interaction, and original and fresh lore/background stories/races.”
    • “However, I can say this: the graphics are old, but they have a unique quality about them. Combined with the day and night cycles and the weather system, this game is full of atmosphere.”
    • “It's comparable to Morrowind in its own feelings of atmosphere that draws you in.”
    • “Roleplaying is very deep thanks to a community really into such atmosphere.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally considered good and fitting for the setting, though its presence is inconsistent, with some players noting a lack of variety and engagement. While the sound design is acceptable, many feel that the overall experience is lacking, leading to a sense of monotony in gameplay. Overall, the music contributes positively but is overshadowed by other gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The music, when present in the game, is quite good and fitting for the setting.”
    • “The music and character design is acceptable, and has a lot of lore to read.”
    • “The constant background music helps to set the mood.”
    • “The constant background music, to 'set the mood'?”
    • “It needs lots of improvements; no music, no jump or crush, no sudden events like creatures rushing, everything is too gentle, like a game for tea-time.”
    • “Sound and what little music there is are both okay.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs and crashes that hinder gameplay. Users express frustration over a lack of a functional user account interface and the need for extensive troubleshooting, leading to an overall negative experience despite the game's fun elements.

    • “It's insane that after 6 years, there isn't a working interface for a basic thing like creating a user account and that I have to hunt for troubleshooting instructions on a game that might actually ask me to pay money at some point.”
    • “Not sure if it was Steam's fault as usual or the game server, but I can't waste time with something that freezes every few minutes.”
    • “This game is way too buggy to play.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game is mixed, with some users reporting significant performance issues such as freezing and poor controls, while others find it runs smoothly on lower-end hardware. Overall, the game's UI is functional but lacks a modern, clean design, and the lengthy tutorial detracts from the initial experience.

    • “Ryzom runs smoothly on my i5 laptop without dedicated graphics on Linux!”
    • “I can dial back the CPU and GPU all the way and achieve roughly 6 hours of playtime according to the performance overlay software.”
    • “There's lots of smaller issues as well, like the terrible performance I experienced while testing, where for some reason the whole game would freeze for seconds at a time repeatedly.”
    • “The bizarre and archaic controls, or the terribly boring tutorial that makes you do 45 minutes of homework before you can actually start playing.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal, with characters primarily serving as guides rather than having meaningful arcs. While the crafting system offers depth and flexibility in skill choices, the overall character creation and design are deemed confusing and outdated, detracting from the experience. Additionally, the lack of engaging quests and poor graphics further diminish the appeal of character development.

    • “The crafting system is deep, and character development is limited only by which skills you choose to level; there are no classes to limit you.”
    • “The music and character design are acceptable (still, an old game) and have a lot of lore to read.”
    • “Graphics are trash, character creation is trash, no character development at all since characters just tell you where to go and that's that.”
    • “I do not recommend this game because the graphics are painful to look at after a certain period of time and the character design and system is confusing, and the quests are hard to understand.”
    • “The music and character design is acceptable (still, old game) and has a lot of lore to read.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players note that the game's replayability has significantly improved due to the introduction of new starter tutorials and changes to out-of-combat regeneration mechanics, making it more engaging and less tedious. The adjustments allow for a smoother experience, encouraging players to create new characters and explore different playstyles.

    • “The variety of character builds and playstyles keeps me coming back for more. Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting!”
    • “With multiple endings and choices that truly matter, I find myself replaying the game just to see how different decisions affect the outcome.”
    • “I rolled a new character and it had a new starter tutorial, which I guess would help new players. The main difference is that the out-of-combat sitting regeneration has been altered. This makes the game 300% more playable. In the past, you would be fighting for 30 seconds and then sitting for 3 minutes to recover.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage me to replay it. Once you've seen the story, there's little incentive to go through it again.”
    • “After completing the main storyline, I found that there was not much left to do. The side quests felt repetitive and didn't add any new experiences.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is often derived from amusing translations, which players find entertaining and adds a lighthearted touch to the experience. Overall, the comedic elements are well-received and contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The translation may be funny sometimes; anyway, it's quite nice to have such a tool in-game.”
    • “This is hilarious.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of Ryzom is transparent and honest, with no misleading advertisements or deceptive practices reported by users.

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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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7502h Median play time
5003h Average play time
6-10000h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Ryzom is a open world role playing game with science fiction theme.

Ryzom is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 5003 hours playing Ryzom.

Ryzom was released on May 6, 2016.

Ryzom was developed by Winch Gate Property Limited.

Ryzom has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its grinding.

Ryzom is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Eldevin, EverQuest II, Villagers and Heroes, WAKFU, Mortal Online and others.