EverQuest Online Adventures

"Never ending adventures on PS2"

Let me preface this review by saying that I'm a long time EQ player on PC, and I was a beta tester for EQOA. EQ is a perfect package for anyone new to MMORPGs or looking for something vastly different from 99% of the other games on consoles right now.

Graphics: 7

Graphics don't make a game. Gameplay makes a game. While EQOA isn't the ugliest game on PS2, it's sure isn't the prettiest either. HOWEVER, anyone who has played EQ on the PC can tell you that there will be times where you have anywhere from 30 to upwards of 70 people on your screen at once. If Sony had made the visuals on par with FFX, this game would be an all out lag-fest. I for one am glad they swallowed their pride and made the graphics decent and focused on the gameplay. At no time have the graphics hindered my enjoyment of EQOA. On a side note, Tunaria is absolutely huge. I can honestly say that 70% of the players will still be finding new areas (large areas at that) 5 months from now. It's amazing, running through a zone and seeing how long it takes you and then realizing that there are about 40 more of them and they are all equally as large. I have to give Sony kudos for the sunsets and the clouds though, they are very well done. The spell effects are also really nice.

Gameplay: 10

If you want to blow stuff up or you don't play well with others, I recommend either playing a Wizard solo for 50 levels, or logging another 90 hours on GTA:VC. This game is all about community, meeting people and sharing adventures. When you see a newbie enchanter getting beaten up by rabid badger and help him out with a well placed static punch to save his life, you will know how great it is to be in a living, breathing world. There is no game on any other console that can immerse you in it's world the way that EQOA does. You pick a character, hopefully learn the role of your chosen class, and then contribute your part to every group that you join. It's sometimes amazing to think that you're still alive and fighting because the cleric in your group is doing his job, or the warrior was taunting properly and keeping the gnolls of your magician's behind. And what's not to love about being able to ask a question in game and actually have a person answer you back?

Sound: 8

I see a lot of people complaining about the lack of music in this game. I'll be honest with you, when I'm running through Kithicor Woods in the middle of the night, I WANT to be able to hear that heart spider or darkbone skeleton walking near me so I can watch out for it. The melee sounds can get a little repetitive, but it's not too bad. The spell effects have some decent sound effects too. Being that you're assuming the role of your character, I think it's more immersive to not have music playing as you run to town to sell your loot, it's just more realistic that way. Besides, there are a few different battle songs you can choose in the menu that I think many people aren't aware of.

Community: 10

This is going to vary from server to server (I personally play on Diren Hold) but I've found the majority of the people I've met are very likable. People are slowly but surely learning their roles in groups and most people are pretty talkative. Sure there is the occassional loot hog or kill stealer, but that's to be expected with a brand new game and so many first time MMORPG players. This game will only continue to get better as people realize the community involved and the fact that sooner or later, they WILL need help killing a certain monster. If I've learned one thing playing EQ on the PC, it's that a bad reputation always precedes you. If you are a loot hog, you will soon find it very difficult to find a group. This is even more true as people begin to get more experienced and join guilds. It's not very difficult to ask in guild chat if anyone has ever grouped with ''Uberwarrior'' before, and when you're asking the 100 people in your guild, you're bound to get someone who has. If Uberwarrior happened to loot all the rat claws during his raid into the rat tomb with a guild mate, my money goes on Uberwarrior being left out of that group next time.

Overall: 10

I give this game a 10 because you can litterally play it for 500 hours straight and be nowhere near completing it because there really is no end. There is no final boss. Instead there are dragons and gods to fight. And you can continue to fight them without fear of seeing the ending credits and having to start over. I give this game a 10 because last night as I started playing a newbie gnome necromance, I needed help finding snake meat to take to my guild master, and I shouted for help and someone told me where to find snake meat. I give this game a 10 because tonight when I log on, my friends will be there, and there will be new friends to meet, and even if we don't kill a single monster, we will have a good time either adventuring into dangerous, unchartered territory or finding side quests in the cities we've been to. I give this game a 10 because I spent 30 minutes running from Qeynos to Forkwatch and I was scared the entire time that some powerful monster would be wandering too close to the path and end my trip prematurely. But more than anything else, I give this game a 10 because it is 100% fun and there is nothing else like it anywhere outside the PC. It will NEVER be the same game twice, and for that, it is my favorite game on my PS2.

Is this game worth $10 a month? I beat FFX in 10 days and I paid $50 for it. I had logged 70 hours into it, and then it was over. 70 hours of EQOA gets you to about level 20 in EQOA. And even when you max your level at 50, there are still many, many zones to visit specifically for high level character, with high level monsters to fight. You can even go and face off with the dragons and deities of Tunaria. Have a level 100 Tidus is nothing compared to a level 50 Human Monk because people acutally see you and know that you're powerful and probably ask where you got that great tunic or weapon. I haven't even touched on the underwater zones to fight in, the great coach system to travel the huge world, the variety of classes and races and factions(hint, do NOT take a dark elf shadownight into Qeynos, the guards won't hesitate to beat you down and send you back to your bind point), the quests and variety of weapons and armors (which DO look much different after level 20 or so, contrary to popular belief), the trade skills that Sony is developing for the game (can't find armor you like? Blacksmith your own!) or the fact that Sony can change or add anything in Tunaria at the drop of a hat, even have a live person hosting new and different quests at any time.

This game is not for everyone, but I'm sure that a huge number of people will play it and enjoy it. If you like RPGs, I really can't think of a reason to pass on this. But buy a keyboard before you log in the first time! Trust me, you'll need it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/19/03, Updated 02/19/03