Runescape is a classic MMORPG that started in 2001 and has gone through several different iterations and has spawned a cult following and gone through several changes since its inception. Now I originally played this game back in 2010 and though rather than explaining all the skills, quests, and everything that you’d normally find in an MMORPG I thought it would be more relevant to talk about the major changes, for any players that are hopping back into it after seeing it’s on Steam like I did.
The biggest change that I noticed was in the combat. Originally it was a “you click attack and wait” system where you couldn’t really do much outside or healing and adding a couple buffs. Now they’ve added an entire new system with different special moves, an adrenaline bar that fills when you fight and lets you perform ultimate attacks. Several of the skills have also had serious overhauls. There are several new armors to use, smithing has been overhauled so now you can store your ores and bars in a “metal bank” and there are many more ores to mine. There are several new skills like Archeology which provides many useful buffs for other areas of play, and Invention which allows you to make several interesting and useful items.
The story has been drastically changed from the original as well. So much so that the game has entered a new Age. Most of the original quests are in what’s called the 5th Age and the new quests take place in the 6th age. The quests range everywhere from tough and serious to lighthearted and silly and the variety makes completing the quests much more fun because they don’t all feel stale too similar.
The world of Runescape has also changed dramatically from when I first played. The biggest change (and most useful) is the introduction of a teleportation network that lets you teleport to any major city you’ve visited for free. It makes getting around so much easier and is one of my favorite changes to the game. There’s also much more to explore. Areas that were once empty fields now contain forests, temples, and other areas to explore. The world feels much more alive than it originally did, and it feels a lot less empty.
There has been a “loot box” system introduced into the game that has been some area of controversy, however it isn’t nearly as bad as other games. You get Gold Keys that you use to open chests and most of the items you get help you train skills faster, however you get a free key every day you log in and complete a simple task and 2 keys for every quest you complete. I use my keys frequently and have never felt the need to buy any with money since I get so many from just playing. While I can see why players find it annoying, I’ve personally never had a problem with it. All the other items you buy with real money are mostly cosmetic and the game never really bothers you to buy anything.
Overall, I’ve been having a lot of fun playing Runescape again. It’s familiar but still feels like a new game thanks to all the changes. If you played the original and want to relive the nostalgia, I’d give this a try and if it feels to different there is also an “old school” version that is much closer to the original game. But I would still try it out and see what you think of it.

Runescape is a classic MMORPG that started in 2001 and has gone through several different iterations and has spawned a cult following and gone through several changes since its inception. Now I originally played this game back in 2010 and though rather than explaining all the skills, quests, and everything that you’d normally find in an MMORPG I thought it would be more relevant to talk about the major changes, for any players that are hopping back into it after seeing it’s on Steam like I did. The biggest change that I noticed was in the combat. Originally it was a “you click attack and wait” system where you couldn’t really do much outside or healing and adding a couple buffs. Now they’ve added an entire new system with different special moves, an adrenaline bar that fills when you fight and lets you perform ultimate attacks. Several of the skills have also had serious overhauls. There are several new armors to use, smithing has been overhauled so now you can store your ores and bars in a “metal bank” and there are many more ores to mine. There are several new skills like Archeology which provides many useful buffs for other areas of play, and Invention which allows you to make several interesting and useful items. The story has been drastically changed from the original as well. So much so that the game has entered a new Age. Most of the original quests are in what’s called the 5th Age and the new quests take place in the 6th age. The quests range everywhere from tough and serious to lighthearted and silly and the variety makes completing the quests much more fun because they don’t all feel stale too similar. The world of Runescape has also changed dramatically from when I first played. The biggest change (and most useful) is the introduction of a teleportation network that lets you teleport to any major city you’ve visited for free. It makes getting around so much easier and is one of my favorite changes to the game. There’s also much more to explore. Areas that were once empty fields now contain forests, temples, and other areas to explore. The world feels much more alive than it originally did, and it feels a lot less empty. There has been a “loot box” system introduced into the game that has been some area of controversy, however it isn’t nearly as bad as other games. You get Gold Keys that you use to open chests and most of the items you get help you train skills faster, however you get a free key every day you log in and complete a simple task and 2 keys for every quest you complete. I use my keys frequently and have never felt the need to buy any with money since I get so many from just playing. While I can see why players find it annoying, I’ve personally never had a problem with it. All the other items you buy with real money are mostly cosmetic and the game never really bothers you to buy anything. Overall, I’ve been having a lot of fun playing Runescape again. It’s familiar but still feels like a new game thanks to all the changes. If you played the original and want to relive the nostalgia, I’d give this a try and if it feels to different there is also an “old school” version that is much closer to the original game. But I would still try it out and see what you think of it.