If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably wondered how long your bank account would hold out if you started playing World of Warcraft. With a monthly fee of about $14, it can take a serious toll on one’s grocery budget. For those of you not up on the acronym, MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game and Blizzard’s baby, WOW (World of Warcraft), is quite possibly the most famous one out there. But like I always say, video games shouldn’t be about whether you have enough money to keep playing, but rather about whether you have enough coffee to keep you up until the wee hours of the morning to beat that final boss. For that reason, I will take you through the best free MMORPGs out on the market.

First off is Maple Story, a two-dimensional side scrolling role playing game released by Nexon America Inc. It has already exceeded 3 million registered users in North America. Maple Story is part of the new trend of “free-to-play” games, usually offering the base amount of content to enjoy the game. However, if you want to make your character look more unique or get new weapons, you’ll have to shell out a few bucks. If you can deal without amazing graphics, this game is for you, as it offers more cartoony characters and pre-rendered stages. Leveling up takes some time but when you do, it is rewarding. Character models are unique but at a certain point are just pallet swaps from easier enemies in the past. Overall, it is a fun game, if you can look past the 2-D graphics and hokey music. Download at: http://www.maplesea.com/

The next game is Flyff, or as it’s advertised: Fly For Free (or Fun). Flyff places you in a magical landscape of baubles and broomsticks. The general level farming is at work here -- kill odd enemies, level up and get cheap equipment. It is more graphically impressive than Maple Story and with an added bonus, as the name hints, you can fly for free. However, this cannot be done without some work; characters can only purchase their first broomstick after some time spent leveling up. With the broomstick (or hover boards for the higher levels) one can travel freely and show off to everyone who hasn’t reached your status. Check it out if you must play in 3-D, but it can run into bugs here and there. Download at: http://flyff.gpotato.com/download/

The last of my trio is Silk Road. This game takes you back to the fictional past of Asia’s 5,000 mile trading route. With easily the best graphics of the three, Silk Road allows the creation of realistic human characters and the use of historical Chinese weapons. Enemies usually come from Chinese lore and have interesting looks and attacks. The biggest downside to Silk Road is the lack of a login queuing system or other login control features. In other words, login is frustrating if a server is full. As they usually are, it is almost impossible to get sufficient playing time. If you do manage to get inside, the extreme lagging may cause you to throw your laptop across the room in frustration. But for those who manage to avoid all of this, be prepared for a great game with lovely visuals and a great history lesson to boot. Download at: http://www.silkroadonline.net/

The one thing to remember about these games is that they are free. Since the developers do not have the constant flow of cash like big name developers, the graphics are usually sub-par and game-play can be frustrating. But if you can look past the minor blemishes, you’ll have a great experience, especially since you aren’t paying $14.95 a month to kill boars for an hour. As for those who want a more satisfying graphical experience, check out Guild Wars. It can be found in your local Gamestop or EBGames for about $30.00, but that’s it, no monthly fee and graphics to rival those of the major MMORPGs out there today.

As an added bonus, all of the games listed work on our school issued laptops, so there is no need to purchase a high-end desktop- just make sure you don’t start playing in class!