The crown jewel of the Artix Entertainment games, it's a lot more serious than their other games in a way that works but it still has that trademark silliness that makes it feel unique. It's a well-realized medieval fantasy setting with an intriguing story that's only grown more mature as time has gone on; quite frankly I'm surprised by how many scenes from this game have stuck in my memory.

The battle system is pretty good, with a variety of classes to choose from, and fights move pretty quickly so I never feel the crush of the grind. It's one of the few games of this genre where I actually felt compelled to seek out and complete every mission because they're simple, but satisfying.

Yes you have to pay for a membership to unlock everything but it's a one-time fee so it's basically the same as just buying a game. Having to buy the special book to unlock the seasonal events year-round is kinda annoying but just think of it as a dlc lol.