Once you hit the level cap a new set of quests open up (some of which require raids of 10 or more players to complete), and all of the lower-level instances are revamped and scaled up with additional bosses and rewards like tokens used to purchase specialized gear. They don’t feel all that different from their low-level counterparts, but the incentives make them worth replaying—especially for anyone looking to compete in Rift’s player-vs-player instanced battlegrounds, called Warfronts.

Until level 50, three different Warfronts are available, providing their own takes on Capture Point, CTF, and keep-away. The fourth Warfront, Battle for Port Scion, is only available to level 50 characters, and it’s a PvP fan’s dream. Set in an enemy-occupied city, players earn points by completing objectives, defeating powerful, high-level NPCs, and summoning great allies, all the while doing battle with other players. Here’s the kicker: killing the enemy faction doesn’t actually help your team towards the 1,000-point goal. This emphasis on teamwork over ganking leads to more strategic battles—an accomplishment that other PvP-focused MMOs should really take to heart.

Virtually all of Trion’s concepts in Rift have paid off, and instead of turning out cheap or punishing, these features help make Rift’s world feel epic and rewarding. Rifts are undoubtedly the best execution of public quests to date. They make exhilarating experiences like slaying massive golems from the Plane of Earth part of the daily routine, and the massive, zone-wide events feel unlike anything I’ve experienced playing an MMO. The core experience of the MMORPG hasn’t been reinvented, but arguably that’s a good thing. Rift’s ideas build on the concepts of MMOs that have come before it, creating a refined game that can stand with the best of the genre.