The initial promise of Mabinogi is high -- after all, it's got many instantly obvious benefits for new users. It's free with no monthy fee. There's a strong anime aesthetic, several years of continued development in Korea before it reached here, and a wide variety of possible ways to live in the world.

Yet when you enter the world, it's hard not to be very disappointed if you're looking for more than an average MMORPG experience. The first several hours set you on a list of errands and monster bashing quests that are absolutely bog standard, and along with a bewildering amount of information on different statistics and skills, it'll quite quickly become too much for anyone who isn't interested in playing it like a game. It's possible to ignore most of these tutorial missions, but in many cases you'll miss out on important skills that (as far as I know) could cripple your character completely.

So, sure, I definitely wasn't happy with the opening experience -- particularly section which required me to murder baby foxes, the big softy that I am – but that does seem to be somewhat a requirement for an RPG. There are some nice touches, though, particularly the fact that there are no set classes (at least in the early stages, anyway). You can, if you wish, spend time learning to be the best monster basher there is, and then give that up for a life as a weaver, without any particular difficulty.

There are some other aspects, though, which are maybe less well thought out (or just dealt with in too foreign a way for my liking). In Mabinogi, characters can age naturally (about 1 year a week) but this is complicated by a "rebirth" system which allows you to rebirth your character at a younger age pretty much whenever you like. As characters are at their best in their late teens/early twenties, almost all other players you'll see in the world fill a narrow demographic, somewhat removing the chance for a really interesting player populace.

Players are generally a pleasant and sociable bunch, however. Although it might seem just advertising blurb from the game makers when they talk about players gathering around campfires to hang out and play instruments, it actually does seem to be something players in the world like to do -- they're warm to newcomers and chatting sociably can happen often if it's what you're interested in. Too, many players have taken on the task of learning Mabinogi's instruments and even composing music; though they have a slightly naff MIDI sound, it's still a cute aspect of the social world.

Players are also most likely who you'll do the most trading with, but it's here that one of the main problems makes itself clear -- it seems far, far easier to make enough money to buy things through adventuring and monster hunting than it does from part-time jobs, foraging, fishing, or any other non-violent pastime. This is particularly problematic when even the cheapest clothes cost thousands of coins; the rewards and general economy seem far out of whack. It's here that I actually found myself wishing that microtransactions could be used to purchase new items and clothes, as my character's peasant clothes were depressingly dull, and I was thousands of coins away from anything else worth wearing.

And one final issue: the interface is clumsy and dated. Mabinogi has been around since 2004, admittedly, but this is one part that could do with a serious overhaul; the otherwise simplistic graphics are actually quite pleasant and fitting.

To conclude my conclusion, Mabinogi is a mixed bag. I think that players have to be prepared to put up with perhaps too many traditional MMORPG conventions to enjoy an otherwise quite vibrant world with a healthy social aspect, but those that do want to enjoy a (slightly) lighter-than-average RPG could find a lot to enjoy here. I'll admit, however, I don't have much urge to continue in the world -- the level of grinding required to afford new items is just too much.