Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

It's kind of cute when a massively multiplayer game lets players create a new character by adjusting height, facial features, and the size of his or her "arse." It's a lot more interesting when a massively multiplayer game lets players build a huge town and defend it against an army in a massive, real-time strategy-like battle. But it's impossible to ignore a game that draws on the lore of author Robert E. Howard's Conan universe for brutal battles that involve goring enemies with lances while charging on a horse, or taking their heads clean off while swinging a sword.

STAGE SHOW DEMO

Watch this brutal online game in action on GameSpot's live stage show at E3.

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Aside from letting players savagely kill their enemies, Age of Conan apparently will have plenty of other intriguing features, like a substantial single-player game that will let players bring their first character from level 1 to 20. Players will also be able to ride a fully controllable horse who won't just act as rapid transportation--these mighty steeds can be riding into battle while players use mounted weapons to crush their pitiful pedestrian foes. Players can even join advanced character classes that can do things like lead armies into battle and take control of huge siege engines to bombard their enemies back into the Stone Age.

But let's face it--one of the game's main attractions is its brutality. Developer Funcom makes no bones at all about how the game will likely receive an M rating for its graphic violence. Rather than fear the dreaded descriptor, the studio has embraced the mature themes set down by Howard in his novels--stories of dark, lush jungles hiding armies of savage warriors, rather than impoverished beginners killing rats in the hopes of one day purchasing a rusty dagger. Age of Conan made an impressive showing at the show this year and based on what we saw, it's the most promising massively multiplayer game in development today.

Finalists

Huxley (X360, PC)
Tabula Rasa (PC)
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (PC)