Apocalypse RPG

I've recently been led to an online RPG - still under beta as I do so, but functional none the less. Boasting a population of over a thousand characters, it's free to join up and you can pop by whenever you have the spare time.

Find it at - http://www.apocrpg.com.

Gameplay is very simple - move your character around town (or the main map) with the arrow keys. You can enter buildings or perform actions by clicking on the option on the main part of the screen. There are also buttons to access your skills and your inventory.

A neat approach to the game is to limit the player to one valley. In this region the enemies are a little easier and you are only allowed out when your equipment has "cleared customs" - at which time you get your first armour and your exit visa to the rest of the world. This happens when you reach level 6 - and when you're battling weedy wasps and scorpions, that could take a while.

Like many online games, the graphics are simplistic to facilitate download speed. Likewise sound is minimal but there is some battle sequence music when you're attacked. The game plays in most internet browsers.

With zero cost to join up, there's no reason not to take a peek at Apocalypse RPG. Though it's still early days, the game is geared towards an adult audience and so (eventually, if not yet) there may be some elements unsuitable for under-18s.