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Tabula Rasa literally means “blank slate” in Latin. For months before the beta, I was trying to figure out why that name would be chosen for a science fiction MMORPG. What made Richard Garriott pick that name several years ago. Well, after playing in the closed and open beta of the game, I have a clearer understanding of where the name came from and how well this MMORPG stacks up to the competition.

I would also like to say thanks to Lila Yee of RelatePR for helping Aeropause get an invite to the closed beta many weeks ago. It definitely gave me a chance to see not only the progress of the game, but how much a game can change through several beta releases. Also, every picture in the article can be clicked to get a full sized version.

The back story for Tabula Rasa is where the game gets its moniker. Earth is attacked by the brutal Bane, the alien bad guys, and we go to war to protect the planet. Unfortunately, we are unable to defeat the Bane, so we use alien technology that allows us to jump to other worlds, where we fight with other races that have been fighting the Bane for many years. It also seems as if some humans have a gene or have been bred to hold powers, called Logos, which will help turn the battle against the Bane. It sounds a bit confusing at first, but the new intro movie below will give it greater justice than I have.

Starting from the character creation screen, you are given a wide palette to create your character. Almost everything about your character will have ways that it can be changed or adjusted to make it look unique. For testing purposes, I went with an Amazonian pink-haired woman in shades, because who doesn’t like Amazonian pink-haired women in shades. I can say that in all of my travels in the game, I did not find anyone that looked like my character which is a cool factor. It gives the world a sense of reality as you feel unique.

Upon arriving in the game, I started to notice how well the game runs. At full and light loads, I was able to run Tabula Rasa at 1920×1200 resolution without any frame drops or hiccups, barring the occasional lag. The first training level was a bit sparse as it is in a desert area, but as you move to the first world in your journey, Concordia, the view becomes far more spectacular. Wide open expanses that feel very alive. Sometimes, it was nice to stop fighting or running errands and look at the scenery. The game is pretty and will be a nice showpiece for those wanting detail as well as game play in their MMORPG.

As you start to get into the game, you are introduced to the hook of the game, which are Logos. Logos are found at shrines around the planets that you will encounter in your journey. They will open up new powers inside of you that will help defeat the Bane. Some of these shrines will also offer clues into your existence in the world and your purpose in the fight against the Bane. This first Logos power that will become available to you is the Power Logos that will give you the ability to shoot lightening from your fingertips. Looking at the Logos Tablet in your inventory, there seem to be dozens of Logos powers you can find and incorporate into your fighting style.

The interface is rather easy to pickup for beginners and veteran MMORPG players alike. Most controls are bound to a single keystroke and will give you all the info you need from inventory to character stats. Mission goals are always viewable in the top right corner of the screen and a mini map at the bottom right will help guide you to your goals. I was a bit confused with what bar was what in the bottom left of the screen, never really knowing which bar was health, shield, or Logos power. That will probably be explained in the manual, but it was rough to not really know if my shield or my life was going down at any point in combat. And you will be in combat quite often.

Combat happens at random and is fast and furious. It also happens quite often once you get away from the comfort zone of your bases. Your weapon of choice will be activated with your left mouse button, while your equipped Logos power is used with the right mouse button. Switching weapons or Logos powers during battle is as easy as choosing the corresponding number key to select it. You have five quick weapon slots as well as five quick Logos slots. There is a small amount of load time before you use a Logos power, because your character has to activate the power when they want to use it. It leaves you open for an attack while you prep the attack, but it is not bad enough to be a huge liability. Mastering the combination of Logos strikes along with standard combat weapons will make you a battle master as you gain levels.

There is a bit of a level grind to the game, as I have put in almost 30 hours into the game but I am only at level four. I would hope the game would level you a bit faster, but it is something that can be tweaked in the future. The missions are pretty straight-forward and never seemed too difficult to finish. They will make you feel like a bit of an errand boy/girl, but this is the norm for most games of this nature.

Overall, the game is a lot of fun and I plan to delve into the beta some more before the game goes live in a couple of weeks. The biggest decision for this game is the same as most other MMORPGs – is it worth a monthly fee. This is debatable. I am hooked into the story that is developing, but it is currently not worth me shelling out $12-15 a month. I would like to make a small suggestion along the lines of what Sony did which gives access to all the MMORPGs from them for one fee, if you choose the Station Access plan. NCSoft would be wise to offer a plan like this, as it would make it easier to swallow in the long run. But each individual has to decide whether the fee, which has not been announced yet, will be worth the cost of admission. But once inside, there is a lot of game and potential waiting to be accessed. Look for the final product on October 16th, barring any delays.