EverQuest 2 - Filling Big Shoes
 EverQuest.
EverCrack. Six years is a long time in on-line gaming, but
there are still a lot of people around who can just, when
the medication kicks in, remember what it was like when
EverQuest first came out, back in 1999. Now, finally, we
have EverQuest 2, and the big question is, can Sony keep
EverQuest diehards happy, AND key into the improvements
made in MMORPGs by its competitors?
The answer is pretty much yes. While there will always
be problems, like lag and over-crowding, inherent in on-line
role-playing games, a few of the niggles with the original
EQ have been smoothed out. For a start, they've noticed
the 'Quest' part of their name. There's a lot more to do
in EverQuest 2 than just endless monster-slaying. Crafting
and questing are much more important than they were, and
there are Hallmark Quests which you must complete to go
past particular levels. So it's action with a purpose.
 The
game developers have dealt really well with the whole 'something
old, something new' problem. It's Norrath, but not as we
know it. The explosion of one of the moons has left the
world much devastated. Old EverQuest players will have a
ball spotting original features and landscape that have
been changed almost but not quite beyond recognition.
Graphics and sounds are excellent, though demanding on
your system. Every NPC is voiced, and voice talents include
Christopher Lee and Heather Graham. Some of the visual spell
effects are simply awesome. Sony's technical experience
also showed when the game shipped actually FINISHED, and
experienced no technical problems on launch.
 If
you're aiming to play with friends, the first thing you
should consider is alignment. That's going to affect your
race, too. Like most on-line role-playing games, EverQuest
2 is sharply divided into Good and Evil, to the point where
characters can't even enter the city of the opposing alignment.
The compulsive Dark Elf and Paladin players in your group
are going to have to come to some kind of compromise if
you want to see each other ever again. After that, there's
a skippable tutorial, and then the training ground of the
Isle of Refuge before players head out into the big bad
(or good) world.
One thing that may put some players off is that there's
no PvP in EverQuest 2. This is clean wholesome Sony Entertainment
(albeit with slaughter and skimpy costumes), and there's
no griefing, ganking, or corpse-camping here. The closest
you come is guild competition, which isn't going to satisfy
the moron factor. EQII is an on-line RPG more geared to
genuine role-playing than the instincts of a first-person-shooter
fan.
 Combat
is a bit juicier with the inclusion of the Heroic Opportunity
- rather like those deadly combo moves in arcade fighters,
but they can be carried out by a group, working together
to produce the right moves in the right sequence. It just
adds an element of finesse to the slog-fest for those who
want to use it, and gives a bit of an advantage to well-functioning
groups.
Whether you prefer an EverQuest style on-line RPG, or
World of Warcraft or whatever, is pretty much a matter of
taste. If EverQuest's style suits you, then this is a really
excellent, engaging game.
Overall Rating: 8.2/10
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