Game: Fury
Genre: Massive Multiplayer Action Game
Platform: PC

Nearly every massive multiplayer online game (MMO) has some form of player versus player (PVP). From Ulitima Online to World of Warcraft players have enjoyed the option of attacking their fellow players in consensual or unsolicited combat. Even when there was nothing to gain there will still people who got their kicks from attacking their fellow man (or woman).

Fury promised to be the pure incarnation of that spirit. Instead of focusing on grinding and leveling, Auran Games decided to make a purely focused PVP game. Their goal was to be “number 1 in PVP” instead of pulling in millions of players to lose their lives into 40 man raids that do nothing but cause frustration. 

It looks like any other game when examining the HUD and basic layout. The bottom has the player’s spells and health as well as other vital information. Instead of classes the player dabbles in any of the four schools of magic. Focusing on one or another leads to powerful abilities to unleash damage or protection. Players can choose several different abilities and outfit the same character with them by changing the template. Because of this, the player is only granted one character slot with infinite possibilities.

There is no single player and the only time anyone will fight anything that isn’t being controlled by another Fury player is in the Bloodbath Training Arena. There are no combative NPCs, no quest givers, and no bullshit. At launch there are a few game modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Vortex: Fury’s answer to Capture the Flag.

Fury is straight-up combat that makes other games pale in comparison. This is only true if your focus is only on PVP, however; if you are into questing and dungeon-delving then move on – there is nothing to see here. For those whose primary focus in any MMO was PVP combat there is no reason not to try Fury for a month. It isn’t for everyone but it’s hard to tell exactly who it is for without them playing it.

The graphics are better then any game of its kind on the market. Armor shines and glows as fireballs streak past players charging into battle. Area-of-effect spells come off in wonderful looking animations that don’t take away from the hectic combat. They are also not too elaborate as to draw attention from the main point of Fury: competition.

Auran had a purpose when building the game and it was to make the best competitive RPG to date and it would be hard to argue that they did a good job of meeting that goal. In an interview with Tony Hillam - CEO of Auran Games – he stated that Fury was for the "low hanging fruit" = disenchanted MMOers who can't find a good PVP game.” They seem to have done it and hopefully this winter they will sweep the trees.