Talisman Online is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game in which you create a character from one of five available classes and go on quests in a colourful fantasy world. The distinctive features of the game are the Talismans, special items that each class uses to upgrade its abilities. Each Talisman has its own special abilities, allowing you to customise your character's abilities.

Beginning your quest

If you've played industry leader World of Warcraft, a lot of Talisman Online will seem pretty familiar. The basic gameplay has a lot of similarities, as do the colourful, cartoony graphics. There are five core classes: monks function as tanks, wizards do ranged damage, assassins do damage in close combat, tamers control pets and fairies provide healing and support. Wizards can be of either gender, but the other classes are gender-locked: monks and assassins are all male, while tamers and fairies are all female. Regular events, PvP arenas, scheduled guild wars and a defense mode in which five-player teams fend off waves of computer-controlled mobs all add variety to the gameplay.

Free and fun

Talisman Online is one of the better free-to-play MMOs on the market; the graphics are charming, gameplay is varied and the different classes are fun. Its one real drawback is that there isn't a lot about its gameplay or appearance that stands out as really new rather than derivative.