Alganon, a new MMO from indie developer Quest Online, has been making waves recently in the gaming press. Unfortunately, the press has had precious little to do with the game itself and more to do with the fallout of their late-game leadership shuffle. Frankly, I’ve found that entire mess somewhat humiliating for all parties involved. However - as they say - any press is good press.

Regardless though, and at least for today, we’re going to be discussing the game itself, as there’s quite a bit to discuss really. April 28th marked Alganon’s “hard launch” with the release of patch 2.0. I say “hard launch” because there was a “soft launch” back in December of 2009 that was nothing short of disastrous. I was present during that period and can attest to the general lack of quality; the game in that state was so poor that I ended up uninstalling it within an hour (and that’s also why the title of this article is second impression as opposed to first).

So, what exactly does the 2.0 release entail, and does Alganon indeed warrant a second (or first for some of you) glance? Well let’s take a look (note the following is nowhere near the full patch notes, I just snipped out the most relevant to this article):

• Instances have been unlocked! Howling Foothills near the Grok Ruins, The Temple of Balam'karr near Balam's Thumb, Lethe Caves in the Green Mountains, Bur Clasp in The Burs, Lusha'aton off the Golden Shore, and Warkfiend Karr at Telduxx Tower.
• Where monthly subscriptions once stood, the Tribute Market is now available. Purchase tribute online or in-game and use it to receive gifts from the gods that can unlock studies, grant unique mounts and pets, and much more.
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