As 2003 draws to a close, it's hard not to look back over the last 12 months and conclude that it's been a disappointing year for MMORPGs. Galaxies turned out to be a bit of a damp squib, Shadowbane had its own share of problems, Final Fantasy XI was decent if uninventive, and all the rest were put off until next year. One title that has made it out, and just in time for Christmas, is Horizons: Empires of Istaria, a somewhat under-hyped fantasy-themed swords-and-sorcery epic. We dusted off our Quarterstaff of Extreme Hurtiness +4 to give it a test run.