It’s not difficult to acknowledge the impact that Everquest has had on gaming since its arrival in 1999. The lands of Norrath have been shaped and molded by the millions of online players, whose actions and deeds have added to the game’s mythology. However, leaping into Everquest can be daunting to some players that have never braved the massively multiplayer waters. Well, Sony Online Entertainment and Snowblind Studios are ease these fears with their latest title, which walks away from the keyboard and onto the gamepad. Get ready to become a hero with Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest. If Snowblind Studios sounds familiar, it’s because they were the developers behind the wildly popular Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance title. It’s no surprise that Champions of Norrath shares similar gameplay elements as that game. Most players of Everquest have become used to the history of Norrath itself, even relating legends to current events. Well, time to disregard these stories, because of when Champions is set. Taking place more than six hundred years before the start of the first Everquest game, Champions’ plot revolves around the elven city of Faydwer and a growing threat from goblin and orcish forces. Summoned to the city to investigate the reasons behind this newly organized threat, players are soon dispatched into the wilderness of Norrath itself. Unlike Dark Alliance, players get the option to choose from five separate character classes. These include the typical fighting characters (barbarians) and magic wielders (wizards), although there are clever combinations of the two (shadow elves). This isn’t to imply that fighters can’t use magic or that magicians are weak in combat; there are a number of spells or abilities that compensate for each character’s limitations. Once a character’s sex and appearance has been chosen, it’s time to enter the fray. Spread over 5 massive chapters, each one split into numerous sub-levels, Champions hosts a number of side quests in addition to the main adventure. Each once of these, typically taking place in a cave or dungeon, is completely different thanks to a random level generator. Of course, like most dungeon crawling RPG’s, you’ll amass a load of money and equipment. There are literally hundreds of items that are scattered through the game, many of which feature stat bonuses or added damage. This extends to the numerous pieces of armor that you’ll equip, including gloves, boots and breastplates. While single player games will typically involve selling extra items and equipping better weapons, multiplayer games will often involve trading gear between fellow adventurers. That’s right, thanks to a multitap, up to four players can jump into Norrath and shred the forces of darkness. There will also be online support for multiplayer games over both dialup and broadband, so friends from far away can still trek through the wilderness. While the build we had was still an early version, Champions looks like it will be a beautiful title that grows upon the strengths of Dark Alliance. Characters are large and extremely well detailed: models visibly change depending on the gear you put on, and the animation for each weapon moves smoothly. Of course, the slickest graphics of Champions are in its particle effects for its spells and the incredibly fluid water effects found all throughout the game. Sound is nicely done as well, with a flowing Celtic feel for much of the music. Don’t expect to play a quiet game devoid of commentary either; your characters will chime in about what they think of new areas or different situations. Coming out next month, Champions of Norrath: Realms of Everquest looks like it will easily have the action and gameplay to satisfy both Everquest fans and RPG aficionados. With plenty of depth, hours of gameplay and the ability to play with up to four gamers either via multitap or online, Champions could be one of the best Action-RPG titles of the year. Check back soon for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest for the PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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