OVERALL RATING		3.5
Presentation		3.0
Control		4.0
Gameplay		4.5
Fun factor		3.5
User Rating		4.0

Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood is a mobile MMORPG that until now has been the most successful of its kind around the globe.  Hitting North American shores, fantasy-loving gamers finally get to see what the fuss is all about.

A great empire has fallen into chaos after the death of its emperor.  The rightful successor has been ineffective and now faces defiance from the nobles who wish to create their own rule.  As a lone warrior, your task is to help reunite the empire but who you swear allegiance to and decide to fight against is completely up to you in this game.    

The story will take you into battle against many a foe as you get to choose from four characters to create your ultimate warrior.  Like all good RPG’s, he can be upgraded in a variety of skills such as Attack, Defense and Magic but can also purchase and equip stronger weapons, gear and helpful items.  (Apparently there are well over a thousand objects to collect and some of these can be created by combining items.)

Once your warrior has been prepared it’s off to do battle against the noble of your choice and this basically takes the shape of a normal hack and slash title:  enemies approach, you wield your sword, cast a little magic, drink a quick potion and when they are slain, rinse and repeat.  After the noble has been defeated, cash is earned for new items and you can also visit with generals to gain their wisdom and friendship.  As you continue to defeat armies and become a legend in your own right, an amazing path unfolds that ultimately leads you to one of 24 different endings.

The game supports a Gamevil Live feature that currently allows you to store items online when the character’s inventory capacity is exceeded.  You can also trade items with other online users and upload your character for future download to the multi-player game modes.  When these become available, up to four players can battle against unique enemies via the Co-op mode, players can go head to head in the Battle mode, you can form a guild and take on others in a Guild War, and in Siege Warfare, you can send an attack against a rival’s castle or protect your own.

Path of a Warrior: Imperial Blood is a deep game with much to offer and it has already proven itself to MMORPG players outside of North America.  The hacking and slashing portion of the game is a little wearisome so it offsets some of the overall goodness but hopefully all of that will be taken care of once the multi-player online modes have been implemented and that should hit the spot.