Gala-Net Inc., the online publisher of Tales Runner, announced today that it has entered its open beta phase in North America. Beginning October 16th, players can visit the gaming portal, gpotato.com, to sign up and download the game client.

Tales Runner, inspired by Nintendo’s Mario Kart, is a free to play MMO game that has many distinctive attributes from any other racing game.

Among those distinctive features are:

• The Item Alchemy: This crafting system allows players to collect special cards at the end of each race. Combining these cards creates the most powerful and unique weapons in the game.
• The Tales Runner Leveling System: Tales Runner features a unique, rewarding leveling system. Each time a player reaches a new level they are rewarded with in-game currency as well as access to new racing rooms.
• Customization: With 4 starting characters to choose from, 4 more to be released, and hundreds of different items, accessories and outfits
• Tales Land Park: A central “Town” where players can hang out, show off their gear, and exchange tips with each other. There are also mini games within the park that rewards players with items and in-game currency.
• Unique Racing Modes: There are several race modes available to players; 8 Player Mode, Team Mode, Relay Race, 30 Player Mode, and the crowd favorite, Survival Mode, where players must race toward their screen rather than away. Each Survival Mode course features a Boss Monster that eliminates players from the race with the slightest touch.

The community aspect of Tales Runner is the driving force separating this racing MMO from many others currently in the market. Events are built on a foundation of community interaction, often  placing players in teams and encouraging good sportsmanship and cooperation. In addition, there will be the continuous addition of new content to the game in ‘Chapters’ throughout the year. Each release will come with a plethora of new maps, items and features.

With its unique mixture of fast paced racing and involved community, Tales Runner’s appeal will reach many different types of gamers. For additional info, the official website is TalesRunner.gpotato.com.