A fair update to a second rate MMO...one that makes the game feel more complete but doesn't save it in the end.

User Rating: 7 | Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer PC
Where Age of Conan is concerned, there are two groups of people:

Those who still play and love the game (and/or have invested so much time getting to level 80 that they couldn't imagine playing anything else)...and those who were drawn in early by all the hype only to be greeted by significant bugs, lag, zoning and an overall lack of content.

So, does AoC Rise of the Godslayer fix all these issues? No, but it does address most to varying degrees.

The game is rarely laggy anymore....I wish I could attribute this to Funcom's efforts; but honestly, the game's player population (subs) has fallen below 100k and a server consolidation effort was put in place (lowering Funcom's support costs while ensuring better populations on the still-operational servers). Regardless of the pretext, the lagginess experienced so often in 2008 is no longer a daily reality (and is only seen when everyone logs in after a big patch and/or downtime).

Technical bugs still exist (bugged mobs that ignore you and are unattackable and empty loot bags that won't vanish remain almost omni-present) but the major hurdles experienced in early to mid-2008 are now resolved. Yes, you will, at times, find a quest boss that won't respawn or the location of a quest (on the map) will be incorrect....but most of the technical issues are annoyances rather than gameplay hindrances.

Zoning hasn't changed. Nor will it ever. You will either learn to live with this fact...or, if you're serious about only playing games with zone-free pervasive worlds, head to Lotro or Darkfall. I'm not a big fan at all of the load screens but load times (on repeat visits) has improved markedly.

Content is vastly improved from where it was at launch....it's far easier to level now due to the abundance of areas with quest givers; but it still has two negatives to contend with: the wonderful voice acting remains tremendously limited after level 20 (though somewhat improving - most NPC's outside of Tortage are still only text, however) AND there is an undertone of grindy-ness to many of the quests in the mid-levels (many MMO's share this issue). The single biggest drawback of the quest system is the lack of replayability....your alts will likely do the exact same quests you did with your primary character. AoC simply doesn't have enough diverse content for you to have multiple characters level in different ways. Anyone who says it does is being intellectually dishonest. If you want content, WoW and Lotro are your games....AoC has enough to get you to 80 - but it won't change the path to 80 on your second (and third) try.

The look of the game is still tops...assuming you have a PC (and video card) capable of running this game at its highest settings. It looks amazing using DX10.

The ambient sound and soundtrack are top notch and much more stirring than most MMO's.

The hype about the 'gore and nudity' remains just that: hype. This game is not the 'X-rated' affair some have led you to believe. Yes, heads get chopped off and boobs are often on display; but that remains the hardest elements of an otherwise pretty standard MMO.

As for Rise of the Godslayer, the new zones are great (and the inclusion of a new area for 20-40 is well needed). The design is excellent and the towns have a very 'Japanese' feel to them matching the descriptions of the mystical land of Kitai. There are some new creatures...and some you've seen before; but AoC tends to offer a good wide variety of interesting mobs to kill (which is the single largest issue with Lotro...you just keep killing higher level versions of the same 10 mobs with exception of raid instances). AoC has been strong in that department since 2009...and 'Godslayer' holds true to that trend.

The addition of several new features (most notably Faction and Alternate Advancement) are truly smart additions to the game. The one thing all MMMO's strive for is character customization and uniqueness...but most fall short. AoC now allows you to really customize your character's stats and abilities (using AA) and even gear (through Factions) which will help create better diversity among the player population (AoC has historically had a huge number of a couple of classes....this is a big step in a positive direction as is their overhaul of lesser-played classes).

Will Rise of the Godslayer save the flagging MMO enterprise that is AoC? On it's own merit, doubtful..but perhaps Funcom's new trial that allows free access to level 20 (and the island of Tortage) may help...that's certainly their best hope.

Will this game become relevant in the future? Honestly, no...it will never become a 'top' MMO....that ship has sailed (and with SW:TOR on the horizon, there is little hope for a burgeoning subscription base). But, Funcom may finally lure enough players to sustain the server costs and keep a reasonably fun game trucking along for some time.