ArcheAge: Unchained

ArcheAge: Unchained tries to be the cleaner, buy-once version of a large fantasy MMO, with crafting, trading, housing, farming, and the usual open-world grind. By our assessment, that makes it the one to notice if the subscription model of the original puts people off, because the pitch is less about premium access and more about a flatter entry point. Its appeal is the breadth of systems: there is a lot to do if someone likes economy, gathering, and setting long goals in a persistent world. The limit is the same one that hangs over many huge MMOs — time, repetition, and the need to accept a busy, player-driven structure. In practice it asks for patience and regular attention, and it is strongest when a person wants to live inside a faction-and-crafting sandbox rather than be rushed from quest to quest.