I'm quite sure many gamers are tired of cookie-cutter MMORPGs. You know, the games that like to copycat one another and never really try anything innovative? One developer is looking to buck that trend, thus enter Artifact and their little gem, Horizons.

So what sets this game apart? Number one is the ability to create living, breathing communities with other players. You buy a plot of land, and develop it in any way you want. Your fellow villagers can opt to build a school which will allow you to learn a new character class, rather than be tied to one entirely. It is the collective aspect of play that is the most intiguing to me of all. One can play individually if he wants though, because the world is so massive, that making your own stake and never bothering a soul is entirely possible.

Quite simply, you're given choices. Characters are promised to be highly customizeable, and there are 9 different races from which to choose. Obviously the coolest is the dragon, who does not build villages or suffer attacks from the undead, but whose job is to hoarde around as much treasure as possible. Of course, I can imagine a band of humans leading parties to raid dragon lairs in an attempt to slay the player dragons and steal all their booty.

Horizons is very much playable at the moment, as it is in its second beta, with a third beta slated to release soon before the game's launch in September. Given that of all the PC RPGs shown at E3 that I want to play this one the most, I can honestly say that if Artifact can get me of all people to pay for an MMORPG, then they'll be very sucessful with this game.