Lords of EverQuest

"Everquest, RTS-style"

My friend got this for me for the purpose of playing online together. I bothered looking for reviews and all I see are low scores from people who were expecting this to be like any other RTS game. This is EverQuest, not Warcraft, so why compare it to a completely different game? It's like comparing apples and oranges!...sorry for the cliche line.

There is no reason to compare this game to Warcraft. They are two separate games, and let it be at that. Now, for my review. The numbers after each section title is the score out of 10.

Story (5)

While the storyline itself isn't as intricate as one might expect, it still covers enough so that you'll know what you're doing. The reason for an average rating is that the story isn't as important to the game as the actual gameplay itself. Still, it helps to pay attention to the story as it unfolds, as it might contain helpful hints.

Graphics (8)

As always from Sony, they come through very well with graphics in many, if not all, of their games. The graphics in Lords of EverQuest are very well drawn, with very fine detail to everything, from the units to the environment.

Sound (6)

The music heard during each scenario is, for the most part, appropriate to the setting. The sound effects are realistic to a high extent, and fit the environments very well, for that matter. Granted hearing the same lines over and over again when you move your units or click on then can get annoying at times, but other than that, the music and sounds of the game are pretty good.

Gameplay (8)

In my opinion, this is what an RTS is all about. In those later levels, when you have more than 24 units, keeping watch on ALL of them is quite a challenge, to make sure they survive their battles and you ultimately don't succumb to an early defeat. Choosing what units to send in any given brigade is also key. Are you fighting air units or ground units? Melee or casters? Making the proper balance of units in a group can be tough, depending on the situation. That is what makes this such a great RTS.

Replayability (10)

There are many, MANY ways to play. Each faction has several Lords to choose from, and each one has their own set of missions to do. Even after completing them all, there may be other strategies you'd like to try, so you can play through again and try out different ideas and see how effective they are.

Online play (8)

Through the internet, you can play with or against other players. Many different maps, and endless combinations of alliances and Lords to choose make it so no two online battles will be alike. Play a free for all against a few others, or team up against one another, or against the computer, whatever tickles your fancy. It's all another way to try out your strategies against other players, or with them, to see how compatible or effective they are.

This game is worth the $40 to buy, unless of course you are expecting something like Warcraft, in which case you should NOT buy it. If you're not biased towards Warcraft and are looking for a unique RTS game, then Lords of EverQuest is the one you're looking for.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/05