Review of EQOA at GameSpy

GameSpy is well known (at least in my mind) for having extensive and very well informed articles, and this one is no exception in the slightest. I've got the first page for you to read here:
EverQuest Online Adventures (PS2) Will thousands of PlayStation 2 owners gravitate to the MMORPG scene? First Out of the Gate SOE has successfully created a persistent-world massively multiplayer game for the PlayStation 2 based on the obscenely popular PC title EverQuest. That's a fact. EverQuest Online Adventures works -- and it works well. There are no server-side technical issues, little-to-no lag, and very few bottlenecks. In fact, SOE's tech powering this ever-growing beast seems to be right on the money. Additionally, EQOA boasts the title of "first true console MMO" in the U.S., too (Sega's PSO isn't really classified as a true MMO.) So how does EQOA stand up against its behemoth PC kin? The answer to that depends on what you're looking to get from the game, but after three years of my own EverQuest addiction, I truly feel as though EQOA provides a great, online fantasy-gaming experience, albeit one that's not quite as grueling, unforgiving, or complex over the long haul. Welcome to Tunaria! On a planet called Norrath, residing on a huge landmass known as Tunaria, hundreds of elves, trolls, dwarves, and humans exist together -- although not necessarily in harmony. Upon the landmass there are mountain ranges, deep dungeons, fair cities, and smelly swamps -- and thousands of aggressive native creatures and monsters. Using nothing more than a PlayStation 2, three megabytes of memory card space, and a Network Adaptor -- oh, don't forget the obligatory Internet connection -- players are able to login into a persistent fantasy world and adventure as one of nine different character races and thirteen unique classes. Tunaria spans somewhere in the region of 160 individual areas or "zones" and provides a near-limitless amount of terrain to explore and conquer. The technical aspects of EQOA are pretty amazing. Each game server -- there are currently four -- is capable of supporting around 3,000 players at once. The content is all handled server-side, so there's little worry of hacking or cheating affecting gameplay. The basic premise of EQOA -- and it is pretty basic -- is to nurture and develop a character of your choosing from level one to level 50 through repeated combat, adventuring, questing, and community play. Sounds simple? Well, it is, but it can also be very time-consuming as well -- a common trait of MMORPGs. Interface From start to finish, pretty much every aspect of the game has been tweaked to work effectively on the PlayStation 2. From the simple character creation to the combat and abilities used in game, EQOA is rarely difficult to propel forward. You'd think that using a PS2 controller would be far from ideal for a game of this nature -- and in some respects you'd be right. For the most part, however, movement, combat, and item manipulation works well, but for any kind of serious communication, a USB keyboard is essential. Wolf bait Other than that, the new tool belt interface allows items, abilities (OK, they're spells), and weapons to be accessed quickly and effectively. A standard health meter and power meter are employed onscreen as is an experience meter and compass for navigation. A simple menu system allows you to quickly ping players that are local to you, and via a cool buddy system, you can even IM or mail friends that are logged in or offline. The character screen is also simple to get to grips with. Tweaking your stats is done from here -- instead of the lengthy process offered by EverQuest on the PC -- as is quick access to your equipment, armor, and weapons. Clean and effective interfaces like this allow for smooth gameplay.

Many thanks to Bryn "hardcore_pawn" Williams for this great review! Check out the entire article HERE. -Kenti

Comments

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.