Pocket Legends BETA makes its debut on Android: WoW Gameplay meets Portability

Back in 2004, Blizzard changed the gaming world by introducing the mega popular hit, World of Warcraft.  MMORPGs began to take the spotlight. I admit, I was addicted to WoW. I remember many on occasions where I would hastily finish my homework so I could join a guild run of Molten Core (Only played until Burning Crusade). I stayed up hours and hours hoping for an epic drop from Onyxia. Although it was fun and all, WoW burned a hole in my pocket. With the advent of high end mobile phones, I began to wonder when would a MMORPG hit the scene.
Fast forward six years. Spacetime Studios, LLC broke new ground in the mobile world by releasing Pocket Legends for the iPhone and iPod touch this past April. It was considered the first ever mobile MMO. With rave reviews, Pocket Legends took the mobile MMORPG genre by storm. Only time would tell when Pocket Legends would hit Android. Android definitely needed a nice MMO for it's 100,000+ library of apps.

Finally, that day has arrived. Pocket Legends finally arrived on Android. Spacetime Studios has taken the liberty of porting the hugely popular game to the Android Market. Let it be known this app is still in the Beta stage so things can change before it's release version. I have been playing with this app for hours and here are some impressions.

At first glance this game has somewhat of a WoW-like feel. In the beginning, you take up the role of three unique animal classes; a bear-like warrior, mystical elf, and a bird-like archer. The warrior can be considered a close combat character while the elf is a caster and the archer is a long range attacker. You accept quests and complete them to acquire powerful weapons and some nice pocket change. You also battle bosses while level skills and attributes along the way. As your character grows in strength, you become worthy enough to take on even stronger bosses. If you're bored, you can duel some people on your downtime (player versus player).

Some of the features found throughout the game include (sorry I can't remember all the features but these are some of the many):
-Leader boards
-Customizable characters
-Capture the flag arena play
-Various open worlds and towns
-Many quests and events
-Ability to trade, sell, or give loot as gifts
-Stash loot away for safe keeping
-PvP (player versus player)
-In game chat
-Ability to make friends and quest with them
-In game store for paid items (Special items you can buy with real money)

Stats Page

Special Skills Page

In Game Market (Buy Items Here With Real Money)

 Pros:
-Quite addicting
-Reminiscent of WoW
-Quick continue feature (It's easy to continue by loading from a quest)
-Nice graphics and sound especially for a MMO on a phone
-Catchy storyline
-Customizable characters
-Controls are pretty responsive and concise

Quick Continue Feature

Cons:
-Surprisingly large file (almost 14mb after installing to SD card. 40mb in total)
-Depending on what phone you have, controls may feel cumbersome (Trackballs should be implemented)
-Lag in some areas due to high populations (Just like WoW)
-If you die, you start from the beginning of the level
-No in game saving feature (when you load a quest, you start at the beginning though all attributes are saved)

Gameplay Screens

Other Players Chilling

Casting Spells

Quest Dude

 Overall, Pocket Legends seems to be a quite competent MMORPG even in the Beta stage. The mechanics of the game seem similar to WoW but instead you have pocketability. You also have a pretty interesting story line in an enchanted world. The graphics look rich and detailed. I was actually surprised my HTC Aria handled this game quite well. I have not experienced any lag whatsoever except for crowded areas (possibly due to servers). The user interface is fairly easy to use especially when casting special spells/attacks. I do enjoy playing this game and I am happy it finally made it's way onto Android. Oh yea I must not forget, this game is a MMORPG so it's an online game. You need internet connection whether it be 3/3.5/4G or Wifi to play this game. If you have a limited data plan like me, I suggest playing on Wifi because it is quite easy to rack up bills especially if you don't have an unlimited plan.

If you enjoy WoW and want a cost effective alternative or just want an exciting app to pass some time, definitely check out Pocket Legends especially since it's FREE!! Beware Pocket Legends is quite addicting =P

Edit: From what I understand, there have been quite a few fixes after I posted this. Consensus shows rating have improved since then.

Here is the .apk for the game. A moderator on the Spacetime Studios, LLC posted this apk for people who can't access it on the market.

http://www.4shared.com/file/JnzwMQ7I/PocketLegends.html

Pocket Legends BETA (3D MMO) for Android on AppBrain