RuneScape is an MMO with almost two decades of activity, making it one of the first games to implement the common elements found in today’s MMORPGs. RuneScape was released in 2001, and at its time of release was one of the games that started the MMO trend thanks to its attractive ability to allow the player to live a so-called “second life” surrounded by other players in a virtual world.
However, the most influential aspect in the popularity of RuneScape was the ease with which the game could be accessed, since instead of requesting the installation of a program to be able to play, RuneScape only required a web browser with Java. That feature made RuneScape especially popular in high schools, universities, bookstores and other sites frequented by young people with a lot of free time.
RuneScape is still running today with a much more advanced version in gameplay and graphics, but its other version, RuneScape Old School (abbreviated as OSRS) has become quite a particular case because, as its name indicates, it is RuneScape with the classic style; no new-generation graphics, no orchestral music and no modernized gameplay. It’s the same RuneScape of yesteryear, with its old-fashioned graphics, quite simple music and quite complicated gameplay, but still, with a success quite close to that of the original RuneScape.
The previously mentioned RuneScape Old School has an Android version that stands out for its Retro aesthetics and gameplay, which has managed to adapt exactly the experience of playing RuneScape at the beginning of 2001, so exact that it even has the flaws that used to have RuneScape at that time.
In OSRS for Android, the player will be able to create their own character, along with the option to customize it with the look and feel they prefer as the game progresses. The OSRS world is huge, divided into different regions, each with its own style, enemies and rewards. If you’re not careful, you can get lost in an area with monsters capable of killing the player with a blow.
Only in the early hours of the game will there be some peace of mind; the first zone serves as a tutorial and for the player to adapt to the controls and style of the game. When the player gets the freedom to explore the world, he is free to decide what to do in the game, among the almost unlimited amount of options available. If the player prefers, he can complete missions, or train in certain skills or trade with other players, or form a clan; or simply talk to other players. Freedom is absolute, and that’s a good thing, but it’s also a bad thing for those who are used to the linear instructions of modern Android MMORPGs.
The RuneScape item market is still present as always, so getting a lot of OSRS gold will be extremely important in the game, but that can be easily achieved through the market offering various websites where in exchange for little money, you can buy OSRS gold in large quantities.
The RuneScape Old School for Android has controls that perfectly adapt the gameplay of the PC mouse to the touch screen of the Smartphone. Gestures are used to move the camera, zoom in or out, and most of the time a simple touch on a character or object will be enough to do what you want. There is also the option of holding down the screen to get the context menu, but this is too small to be usable on a phone, so it will be easier to play OSRS on tablets.
In short, Old School RuneScape for Android is a game like before, and that implies accepting certain conditions, but you must also take into account that the game is still in Beta state, so it will continue to improve. The adaptation to Android is as good as you might expect, without completely modifying the game.
