Champions: Return to Arms

"Champions of Norrath returns, even better"

Champions of Norrath Video Game Review

Overview

This game is considerably better than the first one for many reasons. It is longer, it has more characters, it has better sound and music, it has a better battle system, and it is generally a better, better-rounded game.

Game Play

Game play itself as it where, did not get stepped up any from the previous, exact same controls, control layout, battle idea, and nothing as far as game play itself really changed.

Story Line

Not too much better than the first, but definitely carries it has own. It follows where the first one left off, and definitely does a great job associating the two worlds.

Graphics

The graphics this time around were heavily upgraded. There areas, monsters, character models all look a lot better this time around. That is close up, and farther way, they did a great job pulling over the old graphics engine, and rebuilding parts of it, very good work.

Engine
* Good battle system, very good list of skill setup, and setup structure
* Very good acts system, integrated in better than in the previous to make things flow a little more fluidly
* Character help system, sometimes allows you to have someone on you team with you during a few of the missions, they had that in the old one but it's pulled off a lot better in this one.

Sound and Music

The sound, music, and voices were all upgraded heavily this time around as compared to the first one, and the first one was very good. They did a good job of pulling this together, in a good manner.

Replay Value

The game has as much replay value, if not more than the first. You also have to consider the additional characters, additional skills, and many other things that make this game, overall, bigger, and longer than the first one.

Overall Positives
* Good battle system
* Good length
* Good character models, enemies, and areas
* Good music, sound, and effects, especially when compared with the first one, and other games in the same Genre

Overall Negatives

* It seems they could not fix that error this time around, except this time around it can get even worse. Especially if you lose something yellow in this game, which wasn't as much of a factor in the first one, because it didn't just happen, but it happens more often in the second one. It is not a big deal, just a minor annoyance.

Closing Remarks

Very good game, it has many good points, and the only complaint is that one the second out of the series they should have had plenty of time to fix that glitch.

* Everything in this review is from the perspective of a programmer; I do a lot of programming, so some of it comes from a technical point of view. I have been playing game's as well for a very, very long time, so when I do a review I do it with a lot of comparison's in between other game's and based on the game's engine (and comprised systems).

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/18/06