Snowblind Studios takes us back hundreds of years before "Everquest" with this extraordinary, distant masterpiece.
Champions of Norrath is a prequel to "Everquest," which was also developed by Snowblind Studios. It is a Hack-N'-Slash Role-Playing Game. The plot is Norrath being overrun by hordes of monsters, all under the rule of Innoruuk, who you must destroy to save Norrath. The setting varies, depending on where you are. You, as the future Champion of Norrath, will do alot of traveling. So make sure to wear sturdy boots! Continuing on to traveling. Traveling can be frustrating. Along your journey, there'll be a large number of quests that await you. These must be completed in order to fulfill your ultimate task. Most quests require back-tracking, so be prepared to do so.
How can you accomplish your goal without a hero? The solution is simple. Champions of Norrath provides a well-organized and fashionable class-choosing system. There are five (5) races and five (5) classes to choose from. You have the ability to fully customize your character in terms of naming your character, selecting hair style and color, selecting skin color, and shaping up face. Another contributor to character customization is equipment. This is one of the most important things you'll need to survive the path to victory. Suit your Champion with a helmet, body armor, sturdy leg padding, pair of boots, jewelry, and a weapon to slay your demonic enemies. Sounds easy doesn't it? Not really. The equipment that is available to your character have certain standards which need to be met. Some examples may include Warrior Only Level 50, 105 strength required, and other similars. With respect to these requirements, the player's character must be a Warrior and level 50, or obtaining 105 strength. This situation makes the regular difficulty of the game rise just a tad bit. At least you have magic and abundant apprehensible skills by your side.
Each character has their own capabilities and skills at the ready. I'm going to use the Barbarian as a model. Typically, the Barbarian is known to be as strong and fierce as an Ox. This concept is applied to in-game strategies, with the exception of an essential addition. The Barbarian is also known to have alot of health and consume massive damage, like a tank. So, to tune up your Barbarian into a tank, you'd want to put your attribute points (strength, dexterity, stamina, and mana) primarily into Strength and Stamina. Strength will predict the amount of damage your Barbarian can take and the amount of weight (items) he can put over his shoulders. Stamina will predict the amount of hit points your Barbarian has and the regeneration rate of health. The only down-side in choosing a Barbarian is it's lack of mana. But you won't have a problem with that because the Barbarian can regenerate mana as well by easily hitting a creature. For skills, they play a crucial role in assisting you. One of the skills that the Barbarian can learn is "Ancestral Recall," the best skill a Barbarian can obtain. What it does is it generates a force field, surrounding your Barbarian. That's just a graphic effect. The major effects are ample increases in attack speed and damage. Be wary of this skill though.
Like every skill of each character, except for the passive ones, they contain a duration. A passive skill is a skill which takes effect automatically, without having the player to perform an activation. A perfect example of a passive skill would be critical hit, a skill that has a chance of you inflicting twice the damage to your enemy. When the duration expires, just activate the skill again with one touch of a button and go on a killing spree! Remember to keep in mind that each character has their own capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages.
To add to the equipment sub-category, there are items that possess great rewards such as +15 to stamina bonus or +20 to strength bonus. Your character will benefit from considering these precious items. Keep in mind that any item's power, from head gear to footwear, has the eligibility to stack onto your character. Stacking is a term for overriding the same item over its' original. With that said, if you're to insert a topaz in one of your weapon's sockets and insert another topaz in another one of your weapon's sockets, then you've just stacked your weapon. The properties of your weapon will remain the same. However, the effect(s) will double. Same concept applies towards head gear or any other type of body armor. One more item that hasn't been stated is gems. Gems can be used for exchange in gold or socketing into your armor and/or weapons. These valuable items are enclosed with great power.
Graphics are absolutely astonishing. The character, levels, and water textures are so smooth that it looks realistic! Not to mention the gore reaction. When you attack a monster, blood will spurt out and fall on the floor, leaving a stain. After you slay a monster, blood will continue to flow out of your enemy's body. The shadow texture is acceptable, though it's too light and can be darker. Overall, the graphics are again, amazing.
Sound is wondrous and suits the various extensive game environments perfectly. If you're in a battlefield, then you'll hear strong, high-pitched orchestral music. If you're in a deserted ice cave, then you'd hear slow harmonious music. As you can observe and conclude, the music varies depending on the area you're in. Being familiar with any part of the Everquest series may give you unexpectations. Disregarding the fact, the music is fantastic, exciting, and enjoyable.
Hence that the gameplay, graphics, and sound are the major components which make up for Champions of Norrath's fine reputation, Champions of Norrath is a brilliant work of art. The best part of this game is you don't have to play any part of the "Everquest" series to comprehend Champions of Norrath. Champions of Norrath has a clear and solid storyline. I highly recommend this game to fans of Role-Playing Games, but that doesn't mean others can play too! So sharpen your sword and prepare for an epic adventure. Oh yes, also prepare for the ultimate gaming experience.
/~ Arkmon, Gamespot Basic Member ~\