There is a huge difference between Sony Online Entertainment’s Free Realms and other games that launch through a browser. For starters, the game does not play through a browser and even though you don’t download a big client, per se, you still get a new window dedicated to the game itself. The game is also a wide-open gaming experience, with a host of jobs a player can do, thus giving the gamer the ability to do just about anything they wish within the borders of the three-dimensional virtual world.

The game has a ton of different jobs, each with their own outfits, and also has a micro-transaction scheme in place where players can pay real world money for in-game currency to buy items above and beyond what the game normally offers. Toss in the ability to play a card game and you have a pretty robust game model. But the game is actually intended for the younger set.

While the game is advertised as free-to-play, there are some elements that do require players to subscribe to the game (the monthly rate is $5); and the game does have micro-transactions in place as well. Basically, what this all means is that to experience the full game, you will have to pay a few dollars here and there.

With that in mind, we turn to a 13-year old for her input about the game. Emma played the game (it needs to be noted that all MMOs are works in progress, always changing, growing and expanding, but these were her impression after playing the game for a week) and filed the report:

In this game you can create a character to play and create an adventure to start. When you get enough money you can even buy a pet! This game is fun and interesting but can be a little tricky at times. Flying or walking around, just doing whatever. Maybe you’ll go play a mini-game or do a quest or maybe you just want to enjoy the scenery, who knows, after all you can do whatever you want.

It is a game that children can play and be safe. Kids ages 10-12 years old would be ideal ages for this game, however the controls do take a while to get the hang of them. The people who play in the game most of the time are quite friendly, people will stop and talk there is just so many friendly characters, both computer generated and people who have created a character to play.

One appealing thing about this game is that it is different from most MMO’s. Most MMO’s are meant for teens, but this game is for younger children; it is really just there for kids to have fun, to do whatever. There is not an abundance of violence. The “bad guys,” such as the computer-generated evil postman and the hooligans, are more weird than scary. Battling them successfully does give you money and points. My pet Dalmation cost me 350 gold coins, which I earned with battles and doing quests.

This game is really good at following its concept. It doesn’t try to make a long story out of itself; it is a game where you create your own story line. Something it does not do so well is that sometimes when you move from place to place it takes so long because everything is so spread out.

From what I have seen this game has no technical problems what so ever. It played and it worked fine.

What is so appealing about this game is that there is so much freedom to it, yet it is safe. All the mini-games are fit for the ages 10-12 and they are really entertaining. You are meant to have fun in the game, that’s what it is for. You can be so creative making your own person and make an adventure come to life. My pixie, an elvish creature with blue wings and an outgoing personality, met many people in the days I played. Her favorite place was the sanctuary, she really enjoyed the demo derby, but she did have problems with the hooligans.

This is a free game – no downloads and you can make tons of friends and have a pet! You create your own adventure to play in. Flying or walking you will have a ball playing this game.

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There are, essentially, two character races – humans and pixies and all the creation options are designed to click-through in a hurry. Where you start to distinguish your character is when you level up a job and customize the custom you will be wearing while in the role of that job. The game also has a robust Web presence; players can access their characters and create profiles for their characters. There are 15 jobs to start working up and by focusing on one, players can level it up to 20 easily. However, the game is not just about picking one job and grinding it to the max limit – this is a game that is about variety, whether you are playing a Puzzle Quest-type puzzle, or taking part in a demolition derby or kart racing, or even preparing foods with various buffs. In that regard, the game may be ideal for the younger set, or those with short attention spans. Of the 15 jobs, two focus on racing, three are tradeskill (like cooking or mining), six concern themselves with combat and four are miscellaneous (postman, adventurer, card duelist or pet trainer).

As players level in combat skills, they will learn new skills that are applied to hot keys and can be activated easily. The game also does not have a death penalty, or even death for that matter. If engaged in a fight and you lose, you are knocked out. Get knocked out three times and you fail the mission. The combat is only activated when players click on a mob that will show a sword when you cursor over it. The mobs do not attack of their own volition and when you enter into combat, you are transported to an instanced zone.

Each of the missions is based on win or lose but even if you lose, you still have the chance to collect experience and such.

Graphically the game has a nice look, with solid color schemes and bright, bubbly characters. The sound is also very nicely done and keeps the mood upbeat.

Yes, there is a fair amount of grinding in the jobs, but the game does have a lot of variety that should hold the attention of younger players. This is not a game that will require players to invest hours upon end at one sitting; rather this is a more casual game that allows players to pop in, accomplish a task and then log out.

Gameplay: 8.5
Controls are easy to understand, and the game is easy to jump into and play. There is a bit of a grind in the levels for the individual jobs, but the game is varied enough to keep players from feeling they are focused on one area too much.  

Graphics: 8.7
The game has a nice look with imaginary characters, a rich palette of colors and smooth animation. Each of the jobs and the associated games run very well.

Sound: 8.5
The music and ambient sounds set a wonderful tone for the game.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.7
There might not be enough here to hold the attention of older games, but this game has a broad range of game elements that should keep the targeted demographic engaged for hours. The game also has a nice Web element for tracking characters and such, which adds to the overall quality.

Multiplayer: 8.5
A solid and friendly community makes for a pleasurable online experience.

Overall: 8.5
This is a very solid MMO. Sure the game is not as “free-to-play” as it is advertised (if you want all the content), but players have a variety of things that they can do, and while geared for a younger crowd, there are elements here that older games might enjoy as well. The game is about variety, in a fantasy setting, and everything experienced embraces the game and seems geared to make the game player feel at home. Free Realms is an enjoyable adventure.