Champions of Norrath

"Boring, tedious, dull.."

Champions of Norrath is a game based on the world of Everquest. However, there is a huge difference between Everquest and Champions of Norrath.

CoN (Champions of Norrath) has a generally boring game. It's very repetitive, but the main thing is that it has little energy to it. RPGs should give you the feeling of going on an awesome quest-- CoN fails to do this. The main reason it fails to entertain is because the game is very repetitive, however, the graphics and music/sound also take away points from the game. Recently, a sequel has come out, but I don't know if that's any better or not (I haven't played it).

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GAMEPLAY : 6/10
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The gameplay can be summed up easily: a basic hack-and-slash action-RPG. The dungeons (I believe) are randomly generated, as with many similar RPGs. Also, you can learn skills and spells in a system similar to that of Diablo II. The general gameplay revolves around you taking quests from various NPCs. However, the downfall is that these quests are all pretty boring.

There are several classes to choose from: Human, Dark Elf, etc. Different classes have different skills, which is cool. There are around 6 classes, I think (I haven't played it in a while so I can't give an exact number).

The game also has multiplayer features: both online and offline. This is the only major upside of the game. You can play online with other players and fight your way through the game together, or you can play offline together (on one screen-- not split-screen). The offline multiplayer mode can cause a few annoyances: you will have to stop often if you or your friend constantly are checking the items/equipment you pick up. This can slow down the pace of the game a little, since both players have to be "un-paused" for either player to play.

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Graphics : 4/10
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The graphics are lacking to keep up with today's games. They are also too dark (ever play Everquest: Online Adventures as a Dark Elf? It's pretty very similar to that). All in all, the graphics are too mediocre to be mentioned.

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Sound : 2/10
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The sound effects are mediocre, and the music sucks. The music often goes silent for a while, then comes back up. This game could have been a lot better if the music had given you some energy.

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Story: 5/10
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A basic, original story. Nothing incredible, though. It starts out with goblins attacking your in-the-trees city, and you'll have to eliminate the goblins. After that, you travel down an elevator into the forest where you'll embark on several other quests.

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Overall: 4/10
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This game could have been better. Sony Online Entertainment has also developed the new PSP game Untold Legends, which is based on the same system, but UL hsa better graphics/sound/gameplay/story. Save your money and get the similar-but-better game, Untold Legends, instead. On the other hand, if you don't have a PSP yet, check out reviews of the sequel (Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms) and pick that up if it's any good, or just rent this one. CoN1 is one game that you will play for some hours and then stash it away.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/05