KeeblerElf

Based solely on gameplay, Forge would be a 10/10. Its PvP is balanced, fun, exciting, and can melt the hours away. Once they put in some more features, such as a party system (and generally more group-friendly features) and a little more info on your screen (such as showing which debuffs you currently have on), the game will easily be a 10. They also have not yet implemented their leveling system fully, but based on the updates so far I do believe they will continue to flesh out these kinds of (important) features (I played the beta when I was a backer through Kickstarter, and the game has come a long way in just a couple months). Why is Forge PvP so much fun? There is no grinding (it literally doesn't exist in the game, as leveling only gives you sidegrades, rather than a definitive advantage). There is no currency. Each class feels balanced and unique, with a relatively small number of skills each. You also don't need to worry about out-playing someone else, only to lose because they have better gear. Gameplay feels tight and balanced: the UI is responsive (ie, healing shows an instant effect on others' health - not always the case with other MMO's I've tried), cooldowns are appropriate and don't feel overpowered or useless. Players have good feedback about whether their abilities have landed properly. Sounds and effects feel pretty polished. Each class has a defined role and is good at what it's intended to do. And the fundamental idea behind Forge - that you need to aim each ability (except a few AoE abilities) - is good in concept and in execution. The two weaknesses of the game are its semi-unfinished features (which I do have confidence will be changed) - such as the leveling system, giving players just a little more info about the game mechanics, and more group-friendly features - and its somewhat small player base (but obviously the game just came out). I do hope more players will continue to pick up this game. At $20, it's a steal, and I can't think of any game I've played that has PvP that I would describe as being more fun (including MMO's, FPS's, RPG's).

I bought the deluxe edition of this game Friday night on Steam. Too bad for me: the product key didn't work; while I wait for Ubisoft to respond to my issue (Monday at the earliest), I'm stuck being unable to play the game I already purchased. I've never experienced an issue activating a product through Steam, so I blame Ubisoft's launcher. What's worse: I was even "temporarily banned" due to "excessive requests" (I tried the key with and without hyphens). I just wanted to warn fellow gamers that you may be in for some frustration if you plan to buy the game and play it right away! I also felt that this issue was directly related to the game's playability, hence appropriate to include in a review. That being said, I've played the game's demo for a decent amount of time, and I have (mostly) positive things to say about it. If Ubisoft responds appropriately to my issue, I will come back to edit this post and give a proper review of the full game.