The Spirit Weapon system offers players a more powerful weapon, but also requires some TLC. These weapons host a spirit, which requires conversation, food and guidance. As players chat, feed and guide the spirit, it grows stronger. Increasing the spirit’s in-game stats, helps players attack with this weapon and do more damage to foes.

Mabinogi welcomes seven new pets to its world – a cow, white sheep, white flame spider, herb pig and three new dogs, Border Collies, Miniature Pinschers and Samoyeds. The new pets can collect and offer items to assist owners. Cows can acquire milk and sheep can gather wool to assist the owner. With a little work, spiders can assist with the collection of cobwebs and herb pigs can offer herbs. The new dog breeds possess an auto item pick-up function, which means these pups fetch dropped items.

There are other additions to Mabinogi this month. The new Peaca Dungeon is the most challenging yet and will require players to find monsters’ weaknesses to survive. There are also new books to read and skills to learn. Players will have new arrow tips and bolt tips available for battle. And with five more hair colors and three more eye colors available through the purchase of a premium character card, players enjoy enhanced customization features for avatars.

Mabinogi offers a robust, online universe where people can experience all facets of fantasy life from fighting to harvesting. The game’s radiant 3-D graphics are infused with an art style based in Celtic and Welsh mythology, which also gives Mabinogi its name and foundation. Mabinogi provides a new experience with its variety of gameplay, unique combat system, and orderly time element and age component, to provide additional depth to Nexon’s latest free-to-play offering. In addition to traditional MMO features—challenging adventures, exciting group quests and a plethora of fearsome monsters—Mabinogi offers a much fuller “life” for its players. Players can increase experience by taking jobs, such as cooking, shearing sheep or other farming duties. The game’s unique music program allows users to write and share music in MIDI formatted files. Players even have the option of getting married, so don’t be surprised if married life leads to some cooking and dungeon raiding whenever the urge strikes the two of you!

Mabinogi’s traditional mouse and keyboard functions unite with its distinctive combat, and anthology of game-play styles, that should excite the most hardcore gamers. Players will also quickly discover Mabinogi requires more finesse and strategy during combat than just pushing a few buttons and haphazardly attacking everything in sight. The unique fighting system adds another degree of complexity. Characters develop skills in three categories—Life, Combat and Magic—so users can not only gain experience by fighting a giant spider but also by cooking dinner and learning a new spell. Players acquire Ability Points as they gain experience in the game to help show progression. This gives players more freedom to play Mabinogi however they choose.

Additionally, Mabinogi’s time is standardized and as users play longer they are awarded different “daily” bonuses as incentives to play on a regular basis. Plus, avatars age on a weekly basis and get taller as they get older (up to 21). Avatars gain ability points up to the age of 25 as well. Plus, players will see their avatars’ diet affect appearance. Mabinogi also features a long-term storyline that is revealed over a series of generations and weaves its way throughout the game. Using these unique features, as well as the heavy socialization aspect present in all of Nexon’s games, gives Mabinogi a unique placement in the world of MMOs. And like Nexon’s previous offerings, the game is free to play.