Massacre & Conquest is my newest browser-based gaming obsession, as this real time strategy game provides an engrossing post-apocalyptic world as well as some engaging game mechanics to sink your teeth into.

The heart of the game is the map, which shows everything you need to know as far as where cities, borders, and other things are so that you have an idea of the context in which events happen. Meanwhile, you will be constructing buildings and leveling them up using the “time bar” system, which allows you to do up to five hours of construction without waiting until you exceed that limit. Players can simply load up their construction queue before they stop playing to take advantage of this feature.

Recruiting combat units is an important part of play and easy to do so that you can send them on expeditions and initiate combat. During combat, you do not directly control your troops, but you can use quick skills to aid them and have an impact on the battle. Your troops will pick up better skills as you continue playing, which gives you all the incentive you need to come back.

This game is a leisurely-paced one that is a lot of fun to play and can suck you in for hours if you let it. This game may not be for everyone, but I love it. For strategy buffs like me, these games will always have a place in our web browsers.

Many MMORPGs, or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, consist of a lot of exploration and real-time combat, where players end up pounding keys or clicking like mad to defeat enemies. In Wartune, a role playing game that you can play in your web browser, the combat is much more like a traditional Japanese role playing game, with more relaxing, turn-based battles.

While the graphics are not quite up to AAA standards, the environments are very attractive and feature lush trees, dirty roads and green grass everywhere. The character design is similarly impressive, with fierce warriors and intimidating monsters to face them.

Gameplay is presented with an isometric view, and you will use simple point-and-click controls to play the game, so there isn’t much to learn to get started. You will be able to level up characters and use different skills in order to succeed, along with a fun combo system that will help you to earn even more experience and level up more quickly.

Wartune also features plenty of quests, an interesting “rage” system for skill use that works much like mana does for spells in other games, and a pretty good storyline with lots of dialogue and interesting NPCs to converse with. As you level up, you can also play a farming game to generate resources to help you move forward in the game. There’s a lot of innovation here, and as a free game, the price is definitely right.

I’m always on the lookout for games that feature unique visual takes on their genres instead of the same old muddy, brown and gray graphics that we have all become accustomed to. Battlefield Heroes, which was developed by software giant EA, certainly fits the bill. The game catches your eye right away with its fun, cartoonish visuals.

When you sign up to play this browser-based 3D shooter, you immediately are asked to pick between two rival factions, the Royal Army and the National Army. You can then choose between different player types, such as soldiers, gunners (who seem to specialize in heavy weapons), and commandos (who are stealthier types).

Full customization helps you become immersed in your character’s role, with skin tone, hair color and style, and facial hair all able to be changed. You can also rank up your character as you play, which adds a persistent challenge and makes you really addicted to the game in no time flat.

Of course, all of the bells and whistles wouldn’t mean much if the gameplay wasn’t good. Fortunately, this game was obviously influenced largely by Team Fortress 2, which is definitely not a bad thing. The game plays very well, especially for a browser-based game.

This game has a lot of player support already and is a lot of fun to take part in. You’ll be surprised when you try it out at how quickly you become invested in the war between the two factions.

Okay, so every now and then you get tired of the same old types of games. There are MMORPGs where you run around healing your party members or spamming attacks to slay orcs and dragons. There are first person shooters where you sneak around maps and shoot people, or get blown up yourself, in the same old brown and gray environments.

If you feel that way too, you should try Earth Eternal. One thing you can’t accuse this MMORPG of being is unoriginal. No, that’s because in Earth Eternal, you can play as crazy looking creatures such as an upright walking cow-creature or a fox that walks on hind legs and carries a sword and shield, for example. This is reflective of the game’s story, in which the Age of Beasts has replaced the time of human beings.

The game was in open beta when I tried it, but it seemed pretty polished. The game has four different character classes: knight, rogue, mage, and druid. This means you end up in fairly standard MMORPG roles when you play, but the twist comes when you can blend character classes later in the game to really make your character unique.

In Earth Eternal, you engage in quests and interact with NPCs, as with other MMORPGs. However, the settings often resemble charming little towns and farm areas, which is certainly something new and different. Furthermore, boss monsters really add to the difficulty as you get a good challenge from taking them on.

If you like the gameplay and style of MMORPGs, but you’re tired of the same old visuals and character types, Earth Eternal is right up your alley.

OrangeFPS is a lesser-known online shooter right now that you can play right in your browser, although it is currently only available for Windows 7 or Windows Vista. It offers fast-paced game play similar to what you might find on popular shooters on a console system such as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, although the graphics and features obviously aren’t completely on that level.

Like just about all browser-based games, this game is free, which made trying it an easy decision since there are no strings attached. I got into a game pretty quickly and as someone who has played a lot of shooters on his PC, I had no trouble adjusting to the controls and getting into the action.

If you are new to the game and want to get accustomed to the game play and maps before you actually compete against other live players, you can practice with bots, which I did in order to get a handle on things without embarrassing myself too much first.  After a few practice games, I felt ready to jump in and I did pretty well. I particularly enjoyed the 50 caliber sniper rifle, although I was surprised that the pistols in the game are pretty useful, as well.

I occasionally heard from other players about technical issues, but I didn’t run into any myself, so I can’t personally vouch for their experiences. If you like your first person shooters playing at a fast pace, though, you need to give this game a try. It’s got a growing player base and best of all, doesn’t cost anything to try out.