RuneScape gets dinosaurs in a prehistoric update

Stalwart RuneScape has been around for a long time, but today it delves into a piece of Gielinor's history that's apparently gone unexplored, introducing dinosaurs into the MMO in the process. Land Out of Time adds a new area to the game, one that doesn't seem to have caught up with the rest of the world, and you can put on your pith helmet and start exploring it now. 

The launch trailer, above, gives us a quick look at the ruin-peppered lost land, as well as its scaly denizens and ferocious flora. Not a particularly friendly place, it seems. You'll be travelling there hot on the heels of the dragonkin scientist Kerapec, and developer Jagex promises lots of rare treasurers for adventurers who hop on a boat and venture off into the unknown. Also loads of stuff to fight. 

Hunting has been overhauled for everyone, and there's also a new training method that involves finding nine big, pissed off dinos and defeating them, which won't be possible just by fighting them conventionally. You'll need traps and additional resources if you're going to knock the scales off them. 

"The intention of the developers was to look at some of the more varied mechanics you'd normally see in boss fights and introduce them into non-boss encounters," says Jagex. And like a boss fight, you'll get boss quality loot if you're victorious, as well as skins that can be used to craft new gear.  

As for other skills, you'll want to work on your Agility to master the Agility Course that circles the island and you can level up Slayer by taking on eight new Slayer creatures, including dinosaurs and plant monsters. Unusually, you'll be able to harvest your fallen plant foes to grow your own, literally farming Slayer mobs. 

The Land Out of Time is available for RuneScape members now, and you can visit the new island by grabbing a boat at the Digsite or by hitting up the Royal Messengers near the lodestones. 

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.