A mediocre follow-up to the original Champions of Norrath. Good, but not $50 worth of good.

Champions of Norrath was a game that I, admittedly, thought was doomed from the start. I had played the original EverQuest for several years and I was quite bitter about the whole thing by the time I quit.

However, I gave the game a shot. It actually turned out pretty good, for a dungeon crawler. However, this supposed sequel to the original is not up to the standards that the first game set. I suppose it should be called a sequel, though it felt far more along the lines of an expansion pack than an actual sequel.

First off, the gameplay is utterly the same as the original. I did not notice any particular tweaks to the controls or camera or anything, though they did improve the interface a bit, especially in multiplayer. The way the map now moves into a non-intrusive area is a much needed improvement. Being how similar the gameplay is to the original, and by similar I mean exactly the same, there is not much I can say about it.

Everything controls very well, the control set is perfect for what needs to be done. It is one of the more well thought out things about this game. For those that have not played the original, then think of this game as essentially a console based Diablo style dungeon crawler. You walk around in the various Planes of Power, slaughtering creatures that take to those planes.

You cast spells, slash with your sword and shoot things with your bow, killing monsters so you can level up, buy new weapons and do the same thing to stronger enemies. Sounds monotonous, yes? Well, to a point it is, but for some reason there is an odd appeal in it.

The story in this one occurs shortly after the first, with you choosing whether to serve the forces of good or evil. Will you work to gather the shards of the defeated Prince of Hate, or will you work to destroy them and forever condemn him to nothingness? The choice is yours. However, beyond this one facet, the entirety of the story is entirely cliché and not up to par with the storyline behind the world of EverQuest. This is one of the most disappointed things in the game, though expecting a stellar story after the somewhat lackluster one of the first game is a bit much.

The sound effects, for the most part, are well done. The music is suitable for the environment, neither a detriment nor an epic score that makes you feel more immersed. It has its share of the generic sound effects of the dungeon crawler genre, the sound of gold and weapons dropping, the skeletal sounds and a few other small things. Then again, there are not many games which do not use these same sounds, so I don’t see why this should truly count against them. Overall, the score is nothing to remember and not one you would purchase the soundtrack to.

The replay options in this game seem to be a bit on the low side, besides the few difficulty levels and the somewhat interesting Medal Missions that you can pursue after you complete a Plane. Completing them all nets you a unique item, which I will not reveal here. Beyond those, and the Insatiable lust for leveling that seems prevalent in the people that play these games (me included, sometimes) there is nothing else to do.

The graphics of the game are nothing to be amazed about, though they portray the world well enough. I wouldn’t call them subpar for this generation, but they are most certainly not exceptional by any means.

Slowdown is common in some situations, especially when wielding specific weapons with two or more graphical effects tagged onto them. Using a barbarian wielding two sword with Ice and Fire attack on them with Godlike speed created slowdown merely from me swinging them normally. Beyond the slowdown, the graphics are just fine.

Honestly, I can only recommend buying this game to those who truly love this genre, don’t mind a few mean bugs or those who love EverQuest. The few bugs that I personally encountered, especially the one that makes Mana and Health bonuses not work, make me wonder if they tested this game at all before releasing it.

There are some that you just can’t miss, though most are not something most people would notice. However, this game is worth a rental at least. Just don’t expect Diablo 3 and you will not be disappointed.


Review by Chris Williams.