Dark Gnome vs Fairy Tail: Hero's Journey
Dark Gnome
Dark Gnome is a fun, pixel-style 2D fantasy RPG that's fresh from the oven from Upjers. Currently available for players who know how to read German, the game will have you set up your ultimate team of warriors and send them to battle various creatures in the game's many dungeon-like locations for amazing loot. You can recruit new heroes from the tavern and equip them with the best gear you have. You can even help injured warriors recover by sending them over to the only medical tent in town.The old-school-styled combat system in this game, on the other hand, is mainly turn-based and allows you to choose which action to take, be it to attack or to stand your ground.
Dark Gnome is a game that gives off a strong 2D dungeon crawler vibe which, I believe many players would probably enjoy. The game is currently in its Open Beta phase and once it is officially released, hopefully, Upjers will provide an English version for their global players.
Fairy Tail: Hero's Journey
Fairy Tail: Hero's Journey is actually an official browser MMO game for the popular magic-dueling anime, Fairy Tail, unlike some of the anime MMOs we've encountered so far. Featuring all the familiar cast of characters, this game will pit your team of hand-picked heroes against the anime’s biggest villains as you battle your way through the Grand Magic Games and hopefully, help your guild, Fairy Tail, secure its title of being the most powerful magic guild in Fiore. However, things don’t go as planned and soon enough, you may find yourself embroiled in an adventure that’s much more intriguing…The game plays out much like your typical browser MMO. This basically means that combat is automated and questing is semi-automated as well. You won't be fighting alone either - you will eventually be able to assemble a team of mages, along with a pet and mount, to help you along in your journey. These mages, mount and pet can of course be upgraded to increase their combat efficiency and hence, your overall combat power.
Fairy Tail: Hero's Journey may have the blessing and perhaps even backing of the actual anime franchise, but the game isn't exactly breaking the typical mould that defines a browser MMO. It's fun enough for fans of the anime and for casual-like MMOs though, and if you're among the players who fall into one of these two camps, you'll want to give the game a try.