Remember when EverQuest Online Adventures was released for the PS2 a while back? Well, after a few months of no one buying the game, SOE realized that gamers didn’t want to fork over full price for a game whose validity revolves around a monthly credit-card charge. So Sony lowered the price of EQOA and bundled it with their online starter kit. That got a few people interested and as the days grew long so did the number of subscribers. Now that a healthy user-base has been established, the game and its crack-like qualities are ripe for a big fat expansion pack adrenaline shot that will give gamers more of what they want while simultaneously lining the pockets of everyone involved with the development and maintenance of the behemoth EQ franchise. EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers is primed and ready to give hordes of online rat smackers an entirely new race to mess around with, a new character class to develop, and plenty of additional real estate to frolic around in. Debuting at a downright affordable street price of only twenty bucks, EQOA: Frontiers should be a no-brainer for those who have already sharpened their teeth on the original game. The slightly updated visuals and all-around polish that Frontiers has received from an aesthetic standpoint alone is worth the price of admission, but if you’ve already burnt yourself out on one of EQ’s many variations on the PC and lived to tell about it then frankly, Frontiers will be akin to kicking a dead horse. Nevertheless, the new alchemist character class is admittedly cool. Being able to mix an assortment of potions to varying effects definitely adds a newfound sense of experimentation to the proceedings. SOE has also taken a page from the PC version of the game with the introduction of trade skills. You now have the ability to create new items and weapons by grafting together different ingredients. For example, to make weapons you’ll need a mold, some metal material, and a special item such as a jewel or other rare item. Those who have exhausted their patience on the stock character races found in the first EQOA will be glad to know that Frontiers has added an ogre race. We should have seen this one coming, yet actually being able to play as a big, muscle-bound pounding-machine is a refreshing change of pace. The ogres tend to tackle threats head-on in a violent and furious way, so obviously those who love their ranged spell-casting and myriad buffs need not apply, but if smashing foes beneath an ogre’s over-sized, incongruently-textured limbs floats your boat then the brand spanking new Rathe Mountains territory that is the exclusive spawning ground of the ogres will certainly tickle your fancy. Newbie ogre recruits will get to pulverize hordes of low-level creatures that surround the Rathe Mountains and plenty of race-specific quests are said to be ready or in the works. But the ogres aren’t the only folks in town that can explore new zones. The freshly added continent of Odus, with its high and mid-level adventures, ensures that all experienced characters get a chance to see something new. Though for many, the new Lavastorm area may prove a treacherous and deadly excursion as it sets itself apart by being the single most labyrinthine maze in the game with its giant circumference and stone-laden passageways. What this all boils down to is a nearly 50% increase in overall explorable territory. Not too shabby for a measly twenty spot, eh? A slew of other additions will also be included in Frontiers - such as a bump in level cap from 50 to 60, a twofold increase in selectable abilities, and enough new items and rare booty to keep looters busy for months - but aside from the previously mentioned race, class, and territory trimmings, it’s pretty much business as usual. An evolutionary upgrade may be just what some casual EQOA players are looking for, and those people will definitely get their money’s worth come November. Questions or comments about the upcoming release of EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers for the PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Carlos McElfish ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

Copyright (c) 1998-2009 ~ Game Over Online Incorporated ~ All Rights Reserved
Game Over Online Privacy Policy