Do you like on line RPGs? How about one that is actually a massive first person shooter? Best of all, you can test out this new one for Free!

This is a historical article, written about the Planetside Beta run. The Beta is now over.

First, be warned. There are thousands of people in this game and thousands more actively downloading the software. So when we began the download process at 10pm one night, it only started downloading the software at 4am the next morning. And it was around 9am by the time we had the full software. That's on a cable modem, too. Installing it took over 2 gig of disk space. As in 2,000 meg.

Still, it's well worth it. We've been playing non-stop ever since. The game is very team-based, much like Anarchy Online. You begin by joining one of three different factions, all of which have their own aim for the world and strengths and weaknesses. The setting is a planet in the future, so you have a wide variety of guns, armor and vehicles.

Think of this as HALO - massively. There are little jeeps that one person can drive and others can ride in. There are small flying fighters and LARGE dropships that can carry not only your teammates but a small vehicle! You can do small skirmishes or coordinate massive attacks to control large areas of the planet.

To get you started, there's even a "virtual reality" training area. It lets you try out ANY weapon, armor or vehicle that you want, having fun learning the techniques and honing your skills. Once you're ready for the "real world", you start out as a rookie, with a pistol. Every time you gain a level, you earn a certificate which you can redeem at a terminal for new skills.

The Planetside Free Beta is Now Closed

Full Version Planetside Review

Note - Anime fans should check out the Free Ragnarok MMORPG Trial which is also going on right now - a MMORPG with anime-style graphics!