GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Dark Age of Camelot: The Trials of Atlantis Details

You'll have to hold your breath for the next Dark Age of Camelot expansion--most of it takes place underwater.

1 Comments

The next retail expansion for Mythic Entertainment's popular online RPG is Trials of Atlantis, which is scheduled for release this fall and is being designed primarily with high-level Dark Age of Camelot players in mind. We caught up with Mythic on the E3 show floor and got a demo of some of Trials' new features, new graphics, and new technology, and we came away convinced that this should be a substantial new addition to a game that's already got lots of content.

As the name suggests, Trials of Atlantis will let you explore the submerged remnants of the long-lost Atlantean civilization. The core of the content will be a series of nine trials leading up to the legendary capital of Atlantis itself. These will be each be challenging epic quests of some sort. For example, one will involve slaying one of the biggest creatures we've ever seen in Dark Age of Camelot, a huge leviathan of a thing, reminiscent of an eel, but much meaner looking. Solving trials will grant you a master level--one for each trial--and master levels all grant new skills and special abilities.

In an inspired touch, Mythic is designing the Atlantean architecture as though it's a precursor to both ancient Roman and Egyptian architecture--classical Greek arches and domes are adorned with intricate hieroglyphics. The underwater graphics look very good, too. Schools of fish can be seen swimming about, and rays of sunlight shine down from the surface of the water. It's a convincing effect, and it makes the new underwater regions look remarkably different from other parts of Dark Age of Camelot's world. Additionally, the expansion will revamp the terrain graphics all throughout the rest of the world of the game, both by enhancing the ground textures and by improving the look of the trees and vegetation throughout the world. The improvement is noticeable and should help Dark Age of Camelot retain a modern look about it.

Nearly half of the expansion's two-dozen-odd zones will take place entirely underwater. Magic will enable players to hold their breath as long as necessary, but that won't necessarily keep them out of harm's way, since the watery depths are filled with nice things like sharks and other less-familiar beasts. For example, tritons can be found lurking deep below the surface of the ocean, though these mermaidlike creatures won't necessarily be hostile.

A boat system will be added to the game, allowing you to reach the point from which you can enter the Atlantean regions. We also saw a player character riding atop a hammerhead shark, which apparently will be the equivalent of the horses that are used for rapid transit in the rest of the world. Not all of the new creatures are aquatic. We saw some ugly-looking harpies guarding a forbidding island, for example.

Trials of Atlantis will add one new race to each of Dark Age's three realms, though Mythic wouldn't reveal them to us. The developers are also actively working to make the zones of Trials more interactive and engaging than other zones in the game.

The expansion is expected to retail for approximately $30. Mythic will also be releasing a Gold Edition of Dark Age of Camelot, which will also cost about $30 and come bundled with the original game and the Shrouded Isles expansion--plus the two new free downloadable expansions that Mythic will be releasing in the months to come. One is called Foundations and will introduce player housing to the game. The other is as yet unnamed and will revamp the game's unique realm-vs.-realm gameplay, making it more strategic and engaging.

Dark Age of Camelot has about 225,000 active subscribers in North America, Europe, and Korea combined. The forthcoming Trials of Atlantis is slated for release this fall and should keep many of those players engaged in the world of the game for even longer.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 1 comments about this story