Everquest 2 Review
Everquest 2
NOW WITH SCARS OF AWAKENED! |
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Free to play MMORPGIt seems strange to be reviewing Everquest II, a massive eight years after it was originally released. Unleashed on the world around the same time as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the gaming landscape was massively different then than it is today and, of course, the MMO world was even more different. Released a fortnight before World of Warcraft in the states, I imagine the Everquest folks – after the huge success they’d had with their original Everquest game – probably didn’t think for a second how quickly things were going to change for them. Despite the huge competition, Everquest II remains a fan favourite and is now available to download and play free of charge. With the latest Scars of Awakened update, a whole new storyline, new quests, several class updates and rewards have been introduced!
Does it hold up after all these years or are there better games out there worthy of your time and effort? We journeyed back into Norrath to find out.
Everquest II Review - With GamePlay Video
As Good as it’s Going to Get – When a game has been out as long as Everquest II has, you know for a fact that it isn’t due for patches to fix game-breaking glitches or annoying problems. Those sort of things will have been sorted out years ago. While I suppose there might still be minor balancing updates and the like, the worst of the work is done. This is a game to play if you’re looking for a game that’s a little more complete than new releases tend to be.
A World At Your Fingertips – Not only does Everquest II offer a rich world to explore and countless enemies to destroy, but I’ve also read today that it has over 6000 quests to complete. Just think about that for a moment – 6000 quests. That’s days’ worth of materiel to hunt out, experience and enjoy. I wonder if anybody has actually managed to do it all? Could you be the first? If you’re willing to put in the time, you’ll still manage to make a splash in the Everquest world even eight years after II’s initial release.
The Sounds of Norrath – The music in Everquest II is absolutely stunning and is exactly how an MMO soundtrack should sound. Far too often you end up with something dull and lifeless - like it’s been composed on paper in somebody’s garage – and it really can make or break a game. In Everquest’s case, I think it’s fair to say that it makes it.
Graphics – An eight year old game is unlikely to look spectacular, let’s face it. And although I’m sure there have been updates and polishing made to things like textures and resolution sizes available, they still don’t look fantastic. Even on extreme, the graphics don’t look great. Adding insult to injury, my computer can run Metro 2033 on its highest settings, but apparently not Everquest II without the framerate dancing around like crazy. Now that’s one to ponder.
Dated – This one, I suppose, could go without saying, but there you are. Everquest II plays like a game from 2004, and while it must have been updated several times, not least when it went free-to-play, it still plays like a game from 2004. If you came to the MMO genre with World of Warcraft or thanks to something from Aeria or Perfect World, much of what you’ll see in Everquest II will be unsurprising and familiar.
Free-to-Play? – While Everquest II is now deemed free-to-play, don’t expect to have access to absolutely everything available in the game. Huge sections are blocked off, including the majority of the races (all of the good and evil races, in fact, leaving only a handful of neutral races available). It’s disappointing, but I suppose so long as there are people buying there’s not a lot that can be done.
Conclusion
Everquest II isn’t World of Warcraft, it hasn’t evolved along with the genre and it isn’t exactly what I’d call relevant in the modern MMO world. That doesn’t matter. So long as you go in with your eyes wide open, well aware of the fact you’re playing a game that began production over a decade ago, there’s not an awful lot to complain about. It’s not a history lesson, but it’s getting there, and for the average player there’s a lot here to enjoy. You’ll enjoy it even more if you bring your credit card, but for starters I think it’s fair to say that the free-to-play system will keep you going for a while. Ultimately, Everquest II seems to have been replaced by a whole new breed of MMORPG, many of which are fully open to players without the need to spend a penny.
For those of you who want to turn back time a little bit, who want to enjoy something a little less modern, try out Everquest II.
Similar Games
Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, Everquest, Perfect World
