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Photos of the Week September 19-26

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By Times Free Press Staff September 25, 2010 1 min read

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No free launch: Free-to-play video games rarely live up to that title

How

"Hawken" is a gorgeous multiplayer shooter set in a future dystopia in which players fight from the cockpits of surprisingly agile, heavily armed and armored mechanized battle suits.

How

"Hearthstone" is a collectible card game in which players choose a hero and employ decks of magical cards to summon fearsome minions or cast spells designed to whittle down the health of their opponent.

How "free" is "Hearthstone"? Playing matches is free, and the entire basic card set can be earned just by playing the game. Unlocking higher level cards, however, requires the purchase of card packs, which can be bought one at a time using gold earned in-game or in bundles from $3 (for two packs) to $50 (for 40 packs). Two additional themed "adventures" further expand the card catalog and cost $20 to $25.

One of the world's most popular competitive games,

How "free is "League of Legends"? Playing matches is free, but on a given day, only a select few champions are available to all players. Unlocking permanent access to a champion — as well as various other cosmetic items and boosts — requires the use of either in-game currency, Influence Points, or a premium currency, Riot Points, which must be purchased with real money in bundles costing $5 to $100.

"Path of Exile" is an action roleplaying game in which players create a character and roam around the massive online fantasy world of Wraeclast, solving quests and killing monsters to earn new equipment and experience to improve their hero.

"Planetside 2" is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter in which thousands of players fight in large-scale futuristic battles as part of a larger-scale conflict between three factions vying for control of an entire planet. The better players perform, the more experience they earn to unlock new items and abilities.

How "free" is"Planetside 2"? Creating an account and participating in matches is free and players can access every class, vehicle and upgrade as they level up. Weapons and items can be purchased using currency earned in-game. The game does offer real-world purchases, including cosmetic-only upgrades and premium memberships that offer faster leveling and marketplace discounts for $9 to $15, depending on the duration of the membership.

"Team Fortress 2" is a multiplayer first-person-shooter with humorous, cartoon-inspired art direction and a heavy emphasis on team collaboration. Before entering battle, players choose one of nine character classes such as scout, spy, engineeer and heavy gunner, each equipped with special skills and weaponry.

How "free" is "Team Fortress 2" Every class, mode and map can be played indefinitely without paying anything, but it features an in-game marketplace where players can purchase a host of developer- and community-created items, including cosmetic upgrades and weapons/equipment. Per-item prices range from 50 cents to $17.50.

"Warframe" is a fast-paced, third-person action shooter that lets up to four players join forces and control agile, battlesuit-wearing warriors as they complete missions that range from destroying ranks of enemies and stealing data to completing assassinations. Over time, players can unlock a wide range of new battlesuits, weapons and combat abilities.

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"World of Tanks" is a multiplayer game in which players control one of more than 200 real-world armored vehicles and engage in 15-on-15 battles across sprawling maps.