I’ve played more than my fair share of MMOs since the genre began to gain popularity amongst the gaming community. World of Warcraft, Tabula Rasa, Everquest: I have run, walked, and fought my way through all of them. However, something new made its way to me from across the Internet, an invitation to a new and darker species of MMO, a passage to a realm that has made the very halls of the Forsaken’s realm seem like Central Park on New Year’s Eve. It is the realm of Requiem.

What most stands out about Requiem: Bloodymare is how violent it can be. Oh, certainly, there are other MMOs that are not known for their clean hands, but Requiem takes this much farther forward than any of the rest. Enemies don’t simply slump to the ground when defeated: limbs are removed, heads suddenly go missing without leaving a note, and in extreme cases, the bodies of your foes will end up not-so-neatly bifurcated. It is not surprising given the very dark theme of the game, which places you in a world where violence is a daily way of life and the world is a much darker place than it once was. If you’ve always thought that the current crop of MMOs always tended to be too tame, then Requiem: Bloodymare is the game for you.

What most separates one MMO from another is the story and when you have a boundary pushing MMO like Requiem: Bloodymare, the story should be particularly significant. It largely depends on what race you pick, as each have their own relations to the other two races, but in general, the story is that the world Requiem exists in is one that has been devastated by the continued application of mad science and even madder magic. That end result is a dark and twisted landscape that is populated by hideous creatures which are collectively known as Nightmare Monsters, which exist in two forms; stronger monsters come out at night and require proper planning and preparation to defeat lest the party, and a party you will need, be chopped into salami.

Getting chopped into neat julienne strips isn’t what this game is all about, though, as there a number of interesting features for players to explore. Apart from a broad sweeping PVP system, there is also the Weapon Enhancement System, the DNA System, and the Beast Possession System. The Weapon Enhancement System gives players the chance to structure their gear their own way by creating unique weapons of their own or simply altering the ones they have, while also having the option of making brand new gear in several different item creation programs.