Here goes the very first 15 minute review of a MMORPG on FreeMMORPGs.com. Keep in mind that the 15 minutes means the review started from the second of logging in until exactly 15 minutes later. This includes lag and being disconnected. Why do it like this? To have a set time frame for the first impressions of each game.

On to the game! For a game that has a reputation for problems such as hacking and bots, it is interesting to note that Silkroad Online uses GameGuard for hacker prevention and image verification when logging in. Once logged in, you need to choose from a long list of servers. Do not choose one that says crowded or you may have to repeat the login process all over again.

Once you log into a server, you can choose to start in China or a Europe. I chose China. Instead of being able to customize my character with facial features, hair styles etc., I was given a choice between many preset Chinese characters. Although disappointed with the lack of customization, it was interesting to choose my weapon at the very beginning. I chose a Glaive and headed into to the game. As soon as I entered the game, I was hit with an item mall alert. The game has an item mall, got it. Moving on, it should be noted that Silkroad is one of the few Free MMORPGs that supports my widescreen monitor. The controls are via keyboard and/or mouse. Some free MMORPGs allow only mouse movement.

Instead of trying to find a tutorial or a beginning mission since none popped out at me, I decided to explore a bit and try to experience a little combat. On my way, I passed several player stalls selling goods and several people standing around trying to advertise powerleveling services. Not too far past all of this, the server decides to spit me out of the game completely. Thankfully, I was able to log back in with a few minutes left. As I log back in, I make my way to the first monster I find and started hacking. The combat does not seem complicated at all and does yield a noticeable amount of blood spray. I was able to chop down a few of whatever-they-were before the 15 minutes expired.

Overall, not a bad 15 minutes spent. The game lacks initial direction when starting and the login process can be frustrating, but the game was easy to jump into and start hacking away. Furthermore, player population is not a problem as many other people are playing. Silkroad definitely needs more polish, but is still worth a try.

First Impression Decision: Would play more.