Everquest 2
Developer: (Sony Online Entertainment) Publisher: (Ubisoft)
Reviewed by Weapon X on 29th Dec 2004

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Terminology used:

MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
MMOG - Massive Multiplayer Online Game
SOE - Sony Online Entertainment
Newbie - New Player. Particularly to the Genre.

First Impressions:

Ahh.. Everquest….

This is an attempt to "review" a MMORPG. Especially one that has its own special "rabid" fan base. Usually, these games are either bugged to high heaven upon release - ala Star Wars Galaxies - or they're so massively hyped that everyone already knows everything there is to know. World of Warcraft, perhaps.

Everquest 2 is different. It's MMOG gaming almost specifically for newbies. About time too.

Graphics:

Quite frankly, the graphics are astonishing. The "Starter" zone; The Isle of Refuge is a stunningly rendered island, surrounded by the most beautiful pixel shaded water I've ever seen. Water that's full of sharks, turtles, fish and other marine life. Once you've finished on the Isle, a short boat trip takes you to your city, either Freeport or Qeynos. Evil and good cities, each with their own unique medieval graphical style.

This graphical style comes at a price, though. And that price is very high system requirements. The box quotes 512MB RAM and 1GHz processor as minimum, whereas I'd go so far as to say a 1GB RAM and 2GHz processor should be considered respectable minimum requirements. The thing to remember is EverQuest 2 simply isn't meant to run on max details on today's hardware. It's designed to be fully scaleable across its expected five year lifespan.

Even still, with a PC capable of running Doom 3 - it's simply breathtakingly beautiful. Even now. My own system; Athlon 3.2GHz 1GB RAM GeForce 6800GT runs the game in high detail at 1280x1024 at a steady 35-40fps with 2x anti-aliasing and 4x anisotropic-filtering.

Sound/Music:

Almost all in game conversation is lovingly portrayed using actual spoken dialogue. Even barring a few "dodgy" accents - the hilariously gravel voiced female Barbarian Shopkeeper "Moyna" in Graystone Yard for example - the spoken dialogue is exemplary. You can get a sense that SOE were really trying to push the next generation feel of EverQuest 2.

Incidental music is frequent, constant and suitably atmospheric. As is the "Background" noise of general sounds, such as squeaks, chirps and crackling fires. Very effective audio all round.

Game Play:

The basic "meat and potatoes" gameplay is now fully quest-based. No longer are you required to "level grind" (A process of having to repeatedly kill the same rote creatures, simply to "level up" your character.)

Quests can be gotten anywhere, and anyhow. Simply talking to somebody can trigger an optional quest, as can merely examining an object. The starter zone alone is filled with such quests, and the process of finding them is even part of the fun.

Combat in MMOGS is usually "click once and paint your fingernails." I.e.: as non-interactive as you can get. In EverQuest 2, SOE have tried for something different. Each character has special abilities and skills, all of which can be used in any order. The real genius comes when you discover your "chainable" abilities. Basically, you can invoke special attacks by clicking certain skills in order, thus triggering hidden special attacks. This even extends to groups too, as you all get to partake in massive chains of special abilities. If you press the wrong ability, it's possible to "break" the chain, and as annoying as this sounds - it's highly funny when it does happen. Such is the unpredictability of real human interaction. "Arghh!! You broke my Divine Retribution!!! :D:D:D"

The crafting system is almost a game in itself. There is no macroing here. (A process whereby you can automate production while you're not logged in.) Participation is required, not optional. It's possible to make mistakes as you craft items - again, anyone can make anything - so interaction is necessary. Special abilities also exist to overcome any defects in recipes, preventing them being wasted.

Crafters also need to venture out into the world, as some components are only available to those prepared to seek them out. EverQuest 2 isn't a game for those who like to sit down, endlessly churning out sellable items, for instance. As everybody can craft, everybody gets to chose whether they want to. It's entirely possible to spend hours crafting items, simply because you can.

Enjoyment:

The quest-based nature of EverQuest 2, coupled with its emphasis on "handholding" tutorials makes it highly enjoyable. There's never a sense of just being left to your own devices. Lost? Just click on your "waypoint" button and it'll handily light a sparkly yellow trail to where you want to go. SOE clearly want to make this game enjoyable for everyone. Hardcore and occasional gamer.

The bank also has "shared" slots, available to all your characters. (Except those of an opposing city - Qeynos citizens can't share Freeport items, for instance.) Thus, it's possible to transfer items from one character to another, if you don't like the feel of your chosen avatar. Not all items can be shared. Special, quest and lore items are usually excluded. It's good to know that your test characters hunting won't go to waste, but can be given to your "alt" (or alternative character) if you decide to change.

Multiplayer:

A lot has been said regarding the fact that EverQuest 2 forces gamers to group. This is both correct and incorrect. Whilst some of the quests are simply too difficult to complete solo (and why should all quests be solo-able anyway?) it's very easy to find somebody willing to group with you. Even for the 5 minutes it takes to complete the quest. Then you can carry on soloing to your hearts content. Only very few quests require completion. Most are entirely optional.

MMORPGS are Massively Multiplayer for a reason; they encourage interaction. If you only have half an hour to spare, it's entirely possible to drop in, complete a quest or two, and then log out again. Although anybody who has played MMOGS before knows how much of a time sink they can really be! Get into a team for the night, and the hours can just fly by.

Overall Impression:

SOE have really tried with the release of EverQuest 2. After the debacle of Star Wars Galaxies, Sony has seemingly learned their lesson. EverQuest 2 is very newbie friendly, and very absorbing. The ability to be any combination of any race and class (with no real "Dud" combinations) states its intentions plainly. Character creation even excludes the ability to see your stats - something that is frankly long overdue. If you want to be a troll cleric, you can be with no badly conceived penalties for doing so. About time too.

Marketing Efforts Towards Women:

There are an enormous amount of female MMOG players, some of whom play EverQuest 2. There's no overtly sexualized imagery here, ala Lineage 2, just pure gaming goodness. None of the clothing appears to be slinky and exploitative. Even the Mage class - one traditionally known for thong wearing character design - is notable by its absence. Women aren't scared of revealing themselves as female in game, which goes some way to dispelling the myth that MMOGS are populated by horny teenage male social misfits. Neither do women seem to find any cyber-bullying taking place. This comment is purely based on my own observations, and asking questions in game.

Roleplaying servers, and a name filter, also cuts down on unnecessary intrusions of reality. No more "BubbaGump Shrimpboatcaptain" names, finally.