Everquest II

Reviewed by Jeff Jacoby
April 2005

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment Website: Click Here Platform(s): PC ESRB Rating: T for Teen Review Rating: 6 out of 10

Everquest 2 is the long anticipated successor to the original Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), Everquest.

SOE has created a new storyline for its fan base. In short, the Everquest world has changed dramatically. The moon of Luclin has exploded and effected cataclysmic changes on the planet below. The world is full of perilous adventures and fearsome creatures. A player can face them alone, with a small group, or in a raid. The survivors are further faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their once vibrant world, but with a magnificent graphics engine.

Everquest 2 is a beautiful game. One would be hard pressed to find another game with similar personality. Characters, spell effects, and landscape are extremely detailed. If I had to choose one word to describe this new world… Lifelike.

Each player has a broad selection of lifelike characters and classes to choose from. Everquest 2 boasts 16 character races (my personal favorite-Ratonga) that can be played to the current maximum level cap of 50. The Everquest2 class system is a bit more involved than that found in its predecessor or any contemporary peer.

At level 3, a player selects one of four archetypes: fighter, priest, mage, or scout. Once reaching level 10, the player can branch into one of three classes (per archetype). Reaching level 20 earns the player the final selection of one of two subclasses.

It is easy to see the customization and individuality potentials fostered by such broad based character and class systems. At this point in time, no other game can tout so many dimensions in this department.

Positive Features:

Everquest 2 can be played in first or third person, but with the environmental components and this new combat system, players find it easier and more efficient to play in third person.

The cities are large and many quests can be found in almost every area as the player explores the new surroundings.

This game employs a zoning system that minimizes game slow down and server-wide failures. Generally speaking, players don't find themselves inadvertently running into a creature that suddenly appeared because of a slow server response.

The guild system in this game is very involved and dynamic. In an effort to bring a substantive element and further entertainment to the game, the developers require players to perform guild duties (quests) to gain positive reputation for a guild.

The game patching system is efficient and reliable. Players typically do not encounter any problems downloading content through firewalls. It appears one does not have to forward data through router access ports. Simply put, any seasoned SOE customer will find it as consumer oriented and friendly as other SOE patch systems (Everquest, Star War Galaxies, Planetside, etc).

Negative Features:

Only four characters per account are permitted. This is very limited, especially when compared to other games in the marketplace.

Another problem is the cumbersome and inefficient trade-skill system. Certain products don't have a very apparent use. Descriptors to assist the player with an item's potential and practical use are missing (e.g. alchemy). In addition, many of the raw components needed for trades are found near creatures that are difficult to defeat alone.

Several NPCs (non-player characters) in the game have realistic voices added to them. At first, one might feel it adds considerably to the immersion and realism, but eventually one notices that too many NPCs have the same voice actor. Ultimately, such redundancy detracts from the immersion process, and therefore, is less entertaining than intended.

Finding quests is not easy. In fact, looking for quests is cumbersome and eventually very frustrating. None of the quest givers have an obvious indication that a quest is available. One has to run around and right click on an NPC, filter through the conversation programmed in it, then rinse and repeat the process with every other NPC.

The combat system is a bit awkward at times, but not unreasonably so. Certain spells and abilities are only usable against certain type of creatures or in certain circumstances. In order to be effective, the player must also be cognizant of the combo system. Once alerted to the start of a combo cycle, the player has a limited amount of time to execute another spell or ability (within a particular family of spells or abilities) to continue the process in order to receive the combo reward.

Players tend to find creatures a bit overpowering when fighting alone. Considering how effective one can solo fight is a fundamental measurement of the entertainment value of a game, one would generally find this extremely detracting. Group dynamics fare a little better, but not by much. Once in the teen levels, one finds more of a need to group. Players tend to look for ideal groups that have the strongest characters and races so anyone that selects relatively weak classes or races seem to be disenfranchised.

Summing It Up:

Everquest 2 has many positive attributes, but regrettably, it has more negative ones. Essentially, all interactions inherent to a MMORPG are cumbersome and time consuming. Awkward, wasteful, or generally uncomfortable games do not succeed in the MMORPG environment. The consumer would rather redirect the monthly fee to something that at the very least meets the entertaining criteria. This is a very common sense approach.

Everquest 2 needs a simplification of its utilization mechanisms within a dynamic and evolving world to succeed on the level the original version realized.

$49.99 purchase price for the game plus $14.99 a month service fee for continuing play is simply untenable for this experience. I would only consider playing this game again if a dramatic retooling occurs. There are other more enjoyable MMO games in the marketplace that provide a better entertainment return for the time and financial investment.

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