Three Rings' nostalgic dungeon crawling hack 'n' slash MMO has captivated Senior Staff Writer Chris "Pwyff" Tom with its catchy tunes and vibrantly unique graphics.

Swords, for example, come in a few different types and styles, with certain swords dealing tons of damage at the cost of speed and swing count, while others boasting high combo potential but low damage per swing. There are also guns and bombs available that offer the same range of diversity in style, and with players only being able to bring four weapons (at most) along on their adventures, no two players agree on what the "optimal" weapon load is. I tended to gravitate more towards the revolver style guns and the heavy-swinging swords, but others seemed to be having a lot of fun with their rapid-fire guns and bombs.

Perhaps the best thing about Spiral Knights, however, is just how vibrant and lively their world is. Right from the start, players are dropped into an eye-popping world that's just teeming with colorful monsters and even more colorful armor sets. Upon further investigation, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ian McConville of Mac Hall and Three Panel Soul webcomic fame was the artist behind most of the weapons, equipment and creatures of Spiral Knights, and the style he brings to this MMO is nothing less than stellar. With a game that's so heavily dependent on getting cool looking equipment, you know you've done something right when players simply crowd around town, admiring the unique looking armor sets. There is also a good deal of variety in the monsters you're bashing, ranging from the adorable cat-eared ghosts that meow before they attack, all the way to the boss imps who carry around a cup of coffee and promote their lesser imps by asking them to come in on Saturday.

The level designs of Spiral Knights are also not to be ignored; while most levels can be fairly straight-forward in their layout, this MMO is unique in that its overall level progression is directly tied to player activity. As players adventure, they pick up minerals, which can then be used to influence the level progression of certain gates. If, for example, a player dumps only red minerals into a gate, when that gate opens, there will be a lot more monster arenas (the level type associated with red minerals) in that dungeon. In other words, with enough influence and cooperation, players can actually dictate what sort of monsters and level types they see in their dungeons.

Overall, Spiral Knights is, without a doubt, a worthy nostalgic trip for any gamer who's always up for some hack 'n' slash adventuring on an MMO scale. If you're bringing a few friends along for the ride, just be prepared to lose yourself for hours on end in this game's charming art style and funky retro music. I know I'll certainly be keeping my eye on Spiral Knights for future developments (war hammers would spell the end of my spare time), because while the point of the game is to go deeper underground, I can only see this MMO going up from here.

Chris "Pwyff" Tom, Senior Staff Writer