Tarisland review - "A familiar MMORPG"

• Tarisland features vibrant cartoonish graphics
• Combat is similar to that of most modern MMORPGs
• The game's story and NPCs are not memorable

From classics like RuneScape to newer titles such as Night Crows, there are quite a few MMORPGs available on mobile these days. And now, the long-anticipated mobile MMORPG Tarisland has joined their ranks. But does its ode to World of Warcraft graphics, vivid environments, and real-time combat system add up to make it a true contender? 

Tarisland offers Exciting Classes

Upon first launching Tarisland, you'll need to choose your character's class. This RPG features standard classes like Warrior, Mage and Paladin. However, there are also more distinct classes to choose from, such as Bard, Phantom Necro, and Shadow Swordsman. When selecting a class, you can view each one’s Group Importance and Maneuverability stats.

There are four important attributes listed for classes - Tank, Healer, Melee, and Ranged - and each class has one or two of them. For instance, the Bard class is a ranged healer and is of great Group Importance, while the Barbarian Fighter is a melee tank. Viewing class stats and attributes can help you determine which will best suit your playstyle.

Tarisland features a Charming, Vibrant World

After choosing your class and creating your character, you’ll immediately find yourself transported to the charming world of Tarisland. Featuring cartoonish graphics reminiscent of World of Warcraft, the new MMORPG offers beautifully rendered cutscenes that quickly immerse you in its whimsical world.

You’ll also be treated to intuitive controls, which really is a must for a game this complex. Your various combat abilities are displayed in the lower right corner, along with the jump button. Use the left virtual joystick to move and the right to control the camera.

You can also enable auto-run. When using auto-run, your character moves automatically, and you control their path by using the camera joystick. This really comes in handy, considering how big the game is, as it lets you focus more on reaching your desired destination on the mini-map.

Tarisland: Typical MMO Combat

There's nothing unique about the combat in Tarisland. Rather, the game sticks to the proven real-time combat mechanics that have flourished in MMOs for decades. You target an enemy, choose an attack, and then wait for the cool-down period before attacking again. Ideally, cooldown times could be a little shorter; however, you won’t have to wait too long between attacks.

While combat follows MMORPG standards, it seems to be missing that spark that makes battles in multiplayer games exciting. The graphics are lovely, there are plenty of abilities to choose from and the controls are easy to pick up. Despite all this, combat just feels lacklustre, especially when questing on your own.

After progressing a bit, you'll be able to venture into dungeons where you'll be teamed up with other players to slay nefarious foes. Dungeon bosses tend to have a lot of health, so you’ll need to whittle it down as a team while keeping an eye on your health and dodging incoming attacks.

The NPCs of Tarisland are Unremarkable

Much like the game’s environments, the NPCs of Tarisland are brought to life in cutesy cartoon style. However, while they are visually charming, the characters themselves aren’t overly interesting. Their personalities, while varying don’t make any of them distinct enough to stand out from the masses of non-player characters found throughout the many existing MMORPGs. The same can be said for the game's story. There's nothing wrong with it; it just simply is not that memorable.

Tarisland offers a rather enjoyable MMORPG experience. The game’s diverse classes and a myriad of skills give the gameplay a customized feel. However, while the adorable cartoony graphics are sure to charm you, the stale combat and cute but unmemorable NPCs keep Tarisland from being a worthy World of Warcraft successor.