Great game with flaws
Gameplay: The combat system is fun for the classes that have finishing attacks and counter attacks. This keeps us from just doing auto attack and spamming like one or two ability buttons. With my mnk I press about 12 different buttons per fight. The quests are pretty much like every other MMO out there but there are some unique quests out there. For instance I did a quest where I had to place the bodies of a dwarf, halfling, and high elf into a bag then I had to dispose of them into the river and then fight their undead counterparts. It was a weird quest but was fun in its own way. PVP is the game is badly unbalanced and the disciple and cleric are considered the god mode classes. I have a disciple and I dueled my friend who is 3 lvls above me and I completely destroyed him with my disciple. I have a main mnk which is probably the weakest pvp class in the entire game, but Im hoping that with updates and such the mnk will become better. Leveling in the game is pretty slow after lvl 10 and you level alot faster if you group more often than soloing. The game allows you to solo but you have to look for the solo quests or solo the group ones at a higher lvl.
Graphics: The graphics are good but sometimes there are some hiccups that take away from the sheer beauty of them. The mobs sometimes vanish or do not move at all and are still causing damage to you. This does'nt happen too often though but is annoying when it does.
Sound: The sound effects are average but sometimes the music is ok.
Value: The death penalty may seem annoying to some players but it does add some flavor to the game as you really care about dying and sometimes it can be fun getting to your gravestone while its littered with enemies. Thank goodness for mnk fake death.
Conclusion: Well the game is not for everyone and many people who have gotten used to WOW gameplay will feel frustrated but if you give it a chance and have a friend to play with after a few hours you will learn to appreciate the game and enjoy it. Its not impossible since WOW was my very first MMORPG then I went to FFXI and never once did I ever play EQ series. If I find the game entertaining then Im sure even the less hardcore players will find it interesting. Im not a causal player but neither am I a hardcore gamer; I guess Im about right in the middle. If you are looking for something new besides WOW and want to use most or all of the ability buttons you have then give this game a try.