RIFT receives too little of the MMORPG community’s attention, partially due to its age (six years now), contentious feelings toward Trion Worlds, or a perception that the game is “generic World of Warcraft.” And yet it’s endured and grown wonderfully over time, becoming a perfect rebound MMO when you grow bored of your current title and remember that, oh yeah, RIFT is out there. And it’s free. And it’s actually pretty good.
Right now I’m in the midst of what has become a yearly pilgrimage on my part to return to RIFT. The announcement of this fall’s expansion has nothing to do with it, I’m sure. As I’ve been leveling up a Rogue and getting to know some friends in a new guild, I keep making a mental list of how many features I absolutely adore in this game. RIFT might get overlooked, but it really shouldn’t. This is as full-featured a classic MMO as they come, and it’s only getting better.
So here’s my personal list of 10 favorite features and aspects of RIFT, in the hopes that perhaps your attention might drift back to Telara one of these days.