As per usual, this post contains all of our exclusive features for the past week, as well as all of our noteworthy news stories. Perhaps the most exciting news for us here at ZAM is the launch of our new Free Realms site to coincide with the release of Sonly Online Entertainment's kid-friendly game. Keep reading below and after the jump for all of the links.

ZAM Features

ZAM Launches Free Realms Site: We are happy to announce that our newest game portal is dedicted to SOE's ground-breaking new MMORPG, which just launched on April 28.

Free Realms: A Fresh New Direction for MMORPGs: If you're on the fence about whether you'd like to try out Free Realms, check out Christopher "Pwyff" Tom's review.

Total Customization: Craig Zinkievich, executive producer of Star Trek Online, has written an exclusive letter to the ZAM community about how ship customization will function within the game.

Five Years of Heroes: We spoke with C.W. Bennett, a senior engineer at Paragon Studios, about how it feels to have City of Heroes reach the fifth-anniversary mark.

There's all sorts of stuff going on in the world of Lineage II right now. As we've reported, the Gracia Final expansion has launched and the game's fifth anniversary event is under way. But wait, there's more! Until May 18, if you subscribe to the game for six months, you'll get one month free. If you subscribe for a year, you'll get two months free. You can even take advantage of the savings if you're already a subscriber.

Also, all former players' accounts that were in good standing have been reactivated. So if you'd like to take a peek at your old character and see what's going on for the game's fifth anniversary, you have until May 11 to sign in for free.

Lastly, the NCsoft West dev team has written a short diary entry about clan updates in Gracia Final. The clan level cap has been raised to 11; clans can now control their own airships of they meet the prerequisites; and the Rim Pailaka Rune dungeon has been released. You can read the full diary entry after the jump.

As we reported earlier this week, the latest free expansion for Lineage II, "Gracia Final", launches today. The expansion includes a whole new continent for players to explore, which is only accessible by airship. The game's 5-year anniversary event is also due to start, with rewards available to those who manage to collect certain sets of items.

More details on the update's contents can be found in our earlier news story.

It's an exciting time to be a Lineage II player. It has been announced that Gracia Final, the newest free expansion and the final part of the Gracia series, will go live on Tuesday, April 28. But that's not the only thing happening that day. Once maintenance is complete at approximately 2 p.m. central time, the 5th anniversary event will begin!

Once the anniversary event starts, you'll have until May 5 to collect the letters A, C, E, G, I, L, N, R, S, Y, 5, and II from monsters to spell out the words LINEAGE II, GRACIA and 5YEARS. Turn these letters in to the Event Manager in villages to earn prizes!

And while you're enjoying the anniversary event, you'll be able to explore all Gracia Final has to offer. We've already reported on the upcoming combat changes, but there will also be changes to all castle seige times due to the addition of territory battles. You can find the new times for your server after the jump. Also, all Clan Rights will be reset with the launch of Gracia Final.

Looks like NCsoft is releasing more tidbits of information about their upcoming free expansion for Lineage II: Gracia Final. In this final part of the Gracia series, the devs released some new screenshots of the new combat system implementations, including a new aerial PvP combat arena, and additions to the Olympiad tournament! Check out the screenshots here, or read about the changes after the jump.

Lineage II is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, and players will soon be able to explore the continent of Gracia when it's released as part of the free Gracia Final expansion. The expansion is actually available to play on the public test server, and the client can be downloaded here if you'd like to try it out before it goes live.

While the continent of Gracia is major addition with the expansion, there's all sorts of other features players will be able to enjoy. Refined PvP and arenas will allow gamers to show their competitive side; expanded clan features will kick in as you level your clan up to 11; and territory battles will provide a experience that is similar to capture the flag.

For more information on Gracia Final, visit the official Web site or read the full press release below.

Spring's right around the corner, and the residents of Fantasy Ise are ready to celebrate the occasion in Lineage II. From March 10 to March 17, you can expect to find Treasure Sack Pieces on monsters. Once you've collected 50, turn them in to an event manager and retrieve your prize of one of six Treasure Sacks, which hold all sorts of armor and items.

In addition, look for Fantasy Isle residents in every city to offer you free transports to their home. Buy a Rabbit Transformation Scroll to turn yourself into a bunny and while on Fantasy Isle you'll be able to see hidden treasure boxes and break them open. Rabbit form lasts for 10 minutes and the scroll may be purchased once every 12 hours.

Event Manager Snow will remain in the game until March 24, which is when Treasure Sack Pieces and Rabbit Transformation Scrolls will be removed. You can read more about the event here.

Can you bake? Well, whether you can or not, get ready to put your virtual skills to the test and make some Valentine cakes during Lineage II's holiday event from Feb. 10-17.

Help spread the Love! The Goddess Aphrodite has sent her faithful servant, Valentine Messenger Queen of Hearts, to foster love, loyalty and affection across the world of Aden. But Alas! As love and generosity are abhorred by them, some greedy monsters are bent on thwarting the spread of this infectious and debilitating disease. Having raided the warehouses where the ingredients were kept, the Queen of Hearts is now unable to create the Valentine Cakes she'd planned to make for everyone. Without the cakes, she fears that she will fail Aphrodite.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to track down the ingredients and make those cakes. The better the cake, the better the reward. You can find a list of cakes and rewards here.

We have a ton of links to share with you in this week's recap of our exclusive content and noteworthy news items (which can be found after the jump). With the holiday season upon us, most MMOs are celebrating with numerous events. Some, such as World of Warcraft's Feast of Winter Veil, are listed below. Whichever game you play, take some time to enjoy the festivities. Also, feel free to browse our news archive to check out everything that couldn't fit in this weekly recap.

Allakhazam Features

Dangers of Sanrio Town : Hello Kitty Online features an in-depth social network. While it's a good tool for meeting other players, it could be dangerous for the game's younger fans.

Ten Years of Lineage II : Sam Han, Lineage II Producer for NCsoft West, and Young Park, the original Lineage Production Assistant for NCsoft West, talk with us about the Lineage franchise.

Jumpgate Evolution Media #3 : These exclusive screenshots showcase fighters class ships and factories that are used in crafting.

Swordsman Screenshots : We take an in-depth look at this class from IGG's free-to-play Zu Online.

Station Crap : Allakhazam Editor-in-Chief Andrew "Tamat" Beegle has a less than favorable personal opinion on SOE's new Station Cash microtransaction service. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments section.

The holiday event has begun in Lineage II, and the mission is of the utmost importance: Save Santa Claus !

It seems that Santa Claus has been imprisoned by the jealous and fanatical Thomas D. Turkey. Outraged by the treatment that he and his brethren have endured over the centuries, Thomas is holding Santa hostage in an undisclosed location to show the world that turkeys mean business. It is up to the citizens of this fair land to help free Santa. The fate of this and all future holidays depend on you.

Every time a single player receives four consecutive wins against Thomas D. Turkey, who spawns every four hours, Santa will be free to give gifts to random players throughout the world. You can find out more about the event, which runs until Dec. 30, here or below.