Everquest II

Way back when, I tried out the then-big time Everquest. Yes, the original Everquest that made it big- the same game that's caused numerous deaths, seizures, and crapping-in-pants-because-they're-too-lazy-to-go-to-the-bathroom. Everquest was designed by Sony way back when and was the first major, big-time Online RPG to hit the PC. Realistically speaking, it did for RPGs what Counter-Strike did for Shooters.

So, enter in Everquest II. Apparnetly, Sony FINALLY realized that numerous expansion packs, PS2 game ripoffs, and extra versions would not hold off the populace forever, and they decided to make an actual new game with a whole new engine, area, and just generally a whole remake. Genius, actually.



Let me get this straight. I hated the original Everquest. I thought it to be clunky, boring, geeky, and just full of freaking crap that made the game a game just for fags who wanted to pretend they were "Elgarth The Grey". Now, it's a lot different- Everquest has grown up in it's second expansion.

First off, the game looks and plays very nicely. The graphics are absolutely hands down some of the best on an MMORPG, and makes games like Everquest, Asheron's Call, and other games look like pure crap. Lighting effects, water effects, particle effects- it's all there to make the game absolutely beautiful to look like. With the right computer system, you will NEVER be bored with the environment's looks. Honestly, I think this game is up there with Half Life 2 and Doom 3 as in the most taxing, prettiest game you can have.

Okay, let me describe the two-faced coin of Gameplay. The game itself, numbers and all, is very easy to use and intuitive. I've never really been a D&D fan, so all the numbers in games like this pisses me off. Even a hardcore Final Fantasy fan like me can understand such things as the "Mitgation" and the wear and tear system, so I never really felt lost in that respect. As well, each little piece of armor changes your character drastically, so I NEVER felt lke I was getting bored of the old "Upgrade-n-switch" kinda stuff that kills so many RPGs like this.



Now for the issue with this. The battle system absolutely freaking sucks ass. I understand they're trying to keep with the same system that the original Everquest had, but they needed to reform the part where the battle felt detached and USELESS. So here's what essentially goes on in the "Battle":

THING hits YOU for 3 points of damage
YOU hit THING for 4 points of damage
THING misses YOU
YOU hit THING for 3 points of damage
THING hits YOU for 10 points of damage
YOU miss THING
THING hits YOU for 1 point of damage
YOU hit THING for 3 points of damage
THING is dead

Now, let's look at what you see in 3D:

YOU hit THING
THING hits YOU
Stuttering
YOU hit THING
THING hits YOU
Nothing
THING falls over dead.

See the problem? The 3D matches up with NOTHING you see on the actual text of the game. Its like Sony just purposefully decided to screw with the system so you're more likely to watch the chat window with the information than you are to watch the prettyful 3D. Sad, very sad, and VERY FRUSTRATING. Did I mention the game's system, as it stands, is still unrealistic? I ran as fast as possible from an enemy, and he still managed to hit me from a mile away- with a sword technique. The "Lock On" system in the game really needs work in that respect.

Also, as a side note, when you get gangraped, you get GANGRAPED. The game gives you the ability to "Scope Out" an enemy to tell if he or she is too high of a level to fight... but that doesnt take into account the fact that all the enemies will attack you at once, requiring feats of superhuman strength to even get the heck out of the area. While this really couldn't be fixed in a easy, simplistic manner, it still is a frustration.



Another small problem. I'm absolutely sick of the death system in it. While I've only died 3 times so far, it's still frustrating as hell. When you die, not only do you have to go back to a spawn point, but if you don't want to lose a s***load of experience and add a ton of wear to your items, you have to go hunt down your body where it died. Problem? What if the enemies are still around? Very problematic. So basically you have to go, run in, touch your body, and run the hell out as fast as possible before an enemy starts killing you.

Okay, let's get off the bad part of it. The quests, while stereotypically "Go kill these things or go get this many items", are very fun to do. They never really are TOO hard, so you're never absolutely swamped, and they're even nice enough to give you a "Reccomended Level" as to what level you should be when you do the quest. Great, easy, and a very fun way to kill time other than killing enemies and running around like a fag.

There really isnt much else to talk about this game. The music is nice, but nothing absolutely amazing. The controls are very well designed and spot on, and I was even guessing stuff and being correct- it's that simplistic.

The verdict? Everquest II is one hell of a lot better than the original. When you play it, you really feel like the character, and you really get zoned out. I know this because I spent 4 hours playing it last night till 3 in the morning. Naturally, today, I'm a "Little Tired", but it was worth it. While the game has some major battle flaws, don't let this pass up you if you're looking for a huge game with a lot of replayability.

4 star(s) out of 5

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