The trial is designed to dazzle you and draw you in. If you are easily dazzled, stay away. On the other hand, because a trial does give you a no-obligation chance to try out the game, it does have an obvious benefit. Playing the trial version will give you a glimpse into what you can expect from the game that you just simply can’t get by looking at the box or screenshots or reading reviews.

But does a MMORPG trial version really give you an accurate reflection of real game play? That’s the most difficult question of all. The thing about free trials is that almost every one of them differs from each other. The approach to free trials varies substantially. While all of them come with a time limit, the actual amount of time varies significantly.

One game may grant you a month’s worth of free play, while another gives you only thirty minutes. Some games only allow you to play in certain areas while others give you complete access, but only up to a certain level. In other games, you may not be able to go on certain quests or buy certain items.

On a more realistic level, some games require you to enter credit card information in order to take advantage of the trial, while others allow you to download without giving any personal information.

When it comes down to it, the offer of a free MMORPG trial is probably something that most would-be consumers should take advantage of. While it does present a psychological risk to those who are more apt to buy things they’ve tried out—and who have a history of buyer remorse—there’s really no reason not to take advantage of the offer.

Except in those cases where the company requires credit card information. This, too, usually doesn’t present a problem when dealing with well-known companies who have a reputation. But if you decide to give your credit card info to a company you’ve never heard of before, take a moment to step back and do a quick search on them under the “news” tab of your search engine.

If they’ve been involved in any recent scam, it should more than likely show up.

Tags: MMORPG Guides