It PWNS EverQuest and you don't have to pay monthly
Okay so this game has its ups and downs, but overall it is a great game. If your parents won't get you WOW, then this is the game for you. WAY BETTER THAN EVER-QUEST!!! You are charged monthly to be miserable in that game.
Prologue: OK so there is this guy named Shiro that murders some people. Some other people kill him and his spirit comes back and brings a disease and inflicts people and makes them all deformed. (It is a lot cooler when you watch the beginning video.)
Graphics [8/10]
The graphics are colorful, lush, and buetiful. Except when you get in big enviroments, it looks a bit dull. It kinda gets sloppy. The character design doesn't have as much style as WOW, but are good all the same. You can customize your character to almost anything you want. Gothic Necromancer anyone? How about a "blond" elementalist? The only real problem I have is in the centimatics, when they talk, their mouths don't move. It's not a big problem yet, sometimes you get a little annoyed. Everything is very detailed. Your own character seems to be more detailed than the others you play with. Like with guild-emblemed-capes, you own is very shiny, while if you were looking at the same emblem on another person, it's a bit pixely. The enviroments make the game all the better. You can go from the desert, to blizzards, to crystal oceans. Yes that's right crystal oceans.
The graphics are very flashy. If you were to hit someone with your sword then it seems like there is a big explosion on the character. Almost like comicbook "bangs" and "cabaams." Yet leaves an exotic Asian-like twist.
Sound [9/10]
This game's sound has been very well done. The soundtrack that comes with the game makes the atmosphere of GW: Factions all the better. Very happy, to gloomy music sets an example of what is happening to the enviroment, and characters. Each blow you take or give sounds perfect. Unlike the graphics, the sound has much style that is unique to most games. Executing skill sounds almost perfect. Everything from walking up a set of sets, to sending a barrage of arrows at the enemy sounds superb.
Controls [9/10]
Controlling your character on GW is a bit complicated at first, but when you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. "l" for missions and quests, "I" for inventory, etc. You can use the mouse or the keyboard to move. Actually, you don't really need the mouse if you are good with the keyboard. You can target your enemies with [ and ], and attack by space. The controls are fluent and not awkward unlike many PC games. I think a lot of the controls are uneeded though. Like if you press "o" then the score chart comes up. Who wants to look at a graph of your life when there is a hp bar below?
Game-play [9/10]
This obviously is the most important part of the game. The game-play focuses a lot on just fighting. There are many other things to do like crafting, farming (killing monsters for items), and running (taking people from 1 point in the world to another part where they havn't been for gold.) Yet the game isn't satisfying unless you're out there doing quests and missions, and just killing some baddies. Yet, another great part of the game is PvP, GvG, and AB. PvP stands for player vs. player. You may create a PvP character which maxes out your character and lets you play against other PvP characters. GvG is guild vs. guild. Kind of self explanatory. Your guild vs. some other guild. You can be whatever lvl in that. Last is AB, which stands for Alliance Battles. It is kind of like GvG except with a much greater number. You use about 4 teams of 4 fighting the same amount. Depnding what the alliance of your guild is (Luxon or Kurzick) you will fight against the other. When you fight you gain faction and may donate it to your guild so they can raise in rank. Yet the only problem I have with the gameplay is that you can only get to level 20. Granted this game isn't a lot about leveling up as much as customizing your character and fighting in numbers. But I just want to get up some levels and feel powerful. If you were to go out of a city by yourself even if your level 20 you will most likely die within 10 minutes. (Not by fighting for 10 minutes, but running.)
+ PROS:
Great detail your own character
Good customization
Very good sound
- Cons:
Only can get up to level 20
When getting into big environments objects in the distance look sloppy