Warning: Wall of Text Ahead. Also, I tried to cover all the aspects but there are FAR too many to include and I realize I probably missed a large amount of them. I hope whoever reads the whole thing enjoys it!

Life is a MMORPG that is on a scale that is larger and more intricate than any other game on the market to date. The style is generally that of the Sims except there are more options, more quests, more traits, significantly improved graphics and beautiful character models. One unfortunate casualty amongst these improvements is that the developers have chosen to make all of the aspects regarding character creation randomized, thus restricting the choices of the player. This is not the developer entitled G.O.D by some and simply Nature by others first outing in the market of MMORPGs. They have released two more MMORPGs in the past entitled, " Triassica and Cretaceon Sim" and "Troglodyte Sim". Both are perfect examples of what happens when a developer rushes to complete a game. The two aforementioned games were essentially unplayable and eventually completely forgotten except for when spoken of in hushed whispers amongst gaming communities.

The story of Life is highly non-linear so I honestly find it hard to review this game on that front. Suffice to say that your choices are somewhat limited based on a game mechanic known as "The Natural Lottery". This mechanic generates a character's appearance, place of origin, the time period your character exists in, his/her personality traits, their statistics, their status in the societal and economical structure, class and the skills that are most suited for them. I did experience a glitch that was said to be common, which resulted in an obscenely grotesque character appearance that could be considered nothing less than an abomination but the developers force players to play as that character. Though this may feel as if the developers are wrestling all choices away from players, there are options to change your character's appearance to a degree. Your character must rely upon other players' until he/she reaches a Level of 18 and in some instances even longer depending on your character's skills and personality traits. I can't say I am particularly pleased with this factor of dependence that is foisted upon the player right from the get-go but you are not forced to maintain contact with the "parent" players, which gives the player at least some choice. In addition to parent players, you are also borne into a group of other players called a "Family", which you may leave as well. Each player has a randomly generated amount of time they are allotted to play when they are assigned a class.

Like any other traditional RPG, you are presented with a seemingly innumerable amount of fetch quests/menial tasks in order to achieve a goal. You can complete those goals solo, in co-op or with a group. This is accomplished through a very traditional party system, which is essentially walking up to other characters and asking them if they want to join your party. Sometimes the groups you get into are horrific and end up doing nothing but messing up your quests and being detrimental to your progress. There is no "party search" system, which leads the ambitious player into endless hours of frustration if he/she gets in the wrong group. PvP mode is active at all times and players are always competing with one another to achieve their goals. There is a leaderboard that tracks the overall "Cash" each player in the game world has. The more cash you have, the more your character will be able to progress his/her skills and advance in the societal structure. Cash is also a fundamental part of the economic structure of the game and its value fluctuates based on your character's place of origin and the time period your character exists in. Each task/event within the game has certain consequences that are apparent at one point or another at some point during your playtime.

There are varying classes that you are randomly assigned to at the start via the aforementioned engine. You have randomly generated stats and abilities to which you can add skill points to. Certain actions such as driving your car head-on into another player's car may subtract points for a certain or definitive amount of time (sorry guys this is no GTA IV). The amount of classes available is seemingly endless, although they all fit into one of a few basic categories: Doctors(which includes researchers and the like), Engineers (which includes architects and such), Educators (teachers), Artists (musicians, writers, programmers, designers and so forth), Hobos and the Insane (pretty much a zombie class) . Players do not start their game out as hobos but if their Cash level reaches below what it costs to live, then the character will lose everything and be forced to become the bane of all MMOs, "The Beggar"(AKA the "Hobo" class). Thankfully, such players are not found in many of the areas that your character originates from. There are also players who are labeled as "Criminals" and these players are found everywhere. The only purpose of "Criminals" is to make other players miserable and scam/steal from them. Also because the game is constantly in PvP mode they tend to kill other players, which is frowned upon amongst the rest of the community in most cases. Such actions are generally researched by moderators/administrators and when caught the "Criminal" players will either be placed in a confinement area for varying degrees of "Time" or they will be banned permanently from the server. Each class has a specific set of stats that the player may increase through leveling up and different educational outlets.

The world is enormous and consists of stunning views that are highlighted by the dazzling graphics. The only exception is if your character suffers from the "poor eyesight" trait, then you have to buy a clothing item called, "Glasses". There is also a glitch that results in lack of audio or lack of video for the game and the developers have wiped their hands of the problem stating that it is the fault of the player. Players have yet to figure out how to avoid this glitch. Random events are generated by the engine and some events you can choose a response to and some you can't. Many of the random events may or may not directly impact your character. The weather system is stunning and encompasses everything from natural disasters to snowy days depending on the game's integrated season system. All players beyond level 8 serve as quest givers (a new system specially designed for this game). The quests depend on your class, level, societal status and economic status.

As with many other MMOs, there is the option to chat to other players. This is usually a requirement if you want to excel at Life. The controls are smooth, although sometimes they are frustrating and clumsy. This is especially noticeable when your character is a level 1. "Time" is an important aspect of the game. Much like in games such as Dead Rising, players have varying degrees of time allotted to them in o der to accomplish whatever goals they wish to achieve. Once a player's "Time" is up the game ends. How the player spends that time depends on the individual. The amount of time may also end when the players life points reach 0, which results in death. In this regard, the game is punishingly unforgiving because there are no saves and no respawns. Like most other games, the game of Life is more enjoyable and easier to complete when played in Co-Op or with Groups but choose your partner(s) carefully because each wrong choice takes its toll on your "sanity" meter. These points are randomly assigned by "The Natural Lottery". There are other acts/events in the world that can either add to or take away from your total "sanity" points as well. Once these points are totally gone your character will change classes and join the "Insanity" class. This results in being institutionalized for the rest of your playtime by moderators or administrators in most cases.

The company that released this game has a questionable track record and there was a large amount of controversy surrounding this game's release because of it's ridiculous price. As a result, some consumers may decide that the game is not worth it and simply opt-out of the experience. Overall though I feel as if the game's flaws are outweighed by the incredible progress the developer has made since their last two attempts to make a game. If you're looking for a somewhat entertaining and different experience in regard to MMOs then this game is for you. Even gamers who generally do not like MMOs will find something to enjoy in this game. So, here is to Life because even with its flaws it is still a fun and enjoyable game!

Pros:

Gorgeous World

Great gameplay

Well integrated weather system

Limitless gameplay options

Unpredictable story

Sharp Controls

Cons:

Price

Limited amount of time to play

Beggars and Griefers

No choice to play outside of a PvP mode

Some glaring glitches

Overall: 4/5