Rift

If you're the type of player determined to plough through the levelling process with only the bare minimum of social interaction, then you may find the frequency and ferocity of these invasions overwhelming to the point of frustration. Far better to embrace them and appreciate that rare forging of social bonds with strangers. Marching from one event to another in the raid group you've just bumped into makes for a breathless change of pace in the linear questing.

Beyond the world and its lore, a game with a player-versus-environment focus like Rift lives or dies by its dungeon content, the mechanism for obtaining the most precious loot. At present there are an impressive 10 dungeons spread throughout the world, offering a satisfying challenge to appropriately levelled players. Bosses are well-tuned and ease you into the strategy of the game as you rise through the levels.

At the current level cap of 50, these instances will also offer an Expert mode, featuring not just arbitrary tinkering with health pools and damage but adding entire new wings, story development and bosses. At present, only one raid encounter exists in the game, although more is promised soon, and Trion has thus far delivered on its promises to tweak and refine the game post-launch. We have high hopes for the endgame potential of Rift.

The emotional baggage of damage meters and 'Gear Score' elitism currently hangs heavy over Telara, and there's a sense of caution in forming groups and assuming roles, given the embarrassment of options available. Trion has promised a dungeon-finder tool in the near future, but it's to be hoped that this remains a server-specific affair at first, to ensure that the blossoming sense of community and personal reputation remains.

As for the user interface enhancements so enthusiastically embraced by the WOW community, an API is in the works, but its scope has yet to be detailed. Whether the game would suffer from the addition of add-ons that allow players to brag about their damage or reduce boss encounters to hand-holding exercises is a debate that rages on the official forums.

We're accustomed to making certain allowances for a freshly minted MMO: there will be bugs, servers will collapse without a moment's notice, and there will be nagging concerns around the breadth of content. But Trion has proved that it is possible to produce an exquisitely polished, content-rich MMO from the moment of launch, setting a dangerous precedent for upcoming releases in the process. Bad news for publishers, great news for the rest of us.

That Trion has managed to meet every expectation set in the past few years, from achievements to fully-fledged crafting and economy, while also bringing a truly innovative feature to the table is a testament to the will and determination that's driven Rift's development.

If you simply cannot bear the prospect of another fantasy MMO replete with all of the traditions that have come to define the genre, then Rift is unlikely to change your outlook. But if you hanker for a new world – one that feels familiar yet fresh, with an atmosphere of discovery and experimentation – then Rift stands proudly, ready to greet you with open arms.