NCSoft launches free MMO

Austin (TX) - MMO hack and slash fans who are tired of paying monthly fees may want to take a look at Dungeon Runners, a new game from NCSoft. The multiplayer game is your typical ’sword and shield’ game, but also boasts a classless system that doesn’t lock players into a specified set of skills. Players is completely free, but advanced gamer may want to purchase a monthly membership for more privileges.

The PC-only game can be downloaded at dungeonrunners.com and weighs in at 420 MB. Players can log into NCSoft-controlled servers for free, but people who pay $4.99 a month will get priority queuing during busy periods.

Subscribers will also get access to more powerful items along with bank storage for up to 220 items. Regular players can only keep the items that they can carry.

NCSoft promises that Dungeon Runners will have some humor in it and there will be funny weapons like "Shifty’s Crystal Sword of the Hypersonic Monkey" and the "Pulsating Dragon Eye Amulet of the Thorny Donkey." The company says the game has more than 200 hours of gameplay.