Runes of Magic has top-notch visuals. Maps are highly detailed, from the wee little grasslands to enormous stone and marble cities. Day and night effects are amazingly portrayed, having beautiful skies from dusk 'til dawn. Every area is eye candy. The sparkle of crystals and water, the lush greens of Taborea's flora, and every single area in the game is worth exploring and discovering. Taborea's audio nuances give justice to every environment you explore. Calm and fierce tones blend together in harmony with the world you are in. There are times when the music is inappropriate for battle, however, especially when traversing the green, peaceful lands (usually having the calmer tones). You might also experience deafening silence in-game, since some or most of the BGMs don't loop automatically after playing.
You may encounter NPCs and monsters of the same models along the way. Repaints, resized and renamed monsters from other maps may be derived from the monsters of the lower-level maps. There are elite and boss monsters having unique appearances, thankfully. And other quest-giving NPCs have their own model, distinguishing them from the other town locals.
Map areas are huge and transition from one area to the next is definitely seamless. There's a lot to explore in the Runes of Magic world. The monsters are also evenly spread out through each area. There are numerous instanced dungeons to explore as well. However, the game usually forces you to party with others whenever entering a dungeon. There's often little to no chance going solo in a dungeon at all, especially when no one would really want to group with you for a quest or for the heck of it.
Character customization is limited,(runes of magic gold) with only around 20 face types and hairstyles to choose from. Body colors can be changed, like hair and skin. Face archetypes include an androgynous male, which is somehow disturbing or enticing (depending on your tastes), and feels out of place in a medieval world. Your looks can be complemented by fashion styles of the armor or clothing that you wear around.
