More Quests for EverQuest
EverQuest, released in 1999, is a name famous for breaking new ground and propelling the MMORPG genre into the popular spotlight. It did also accrue its fair (or not so fair) share of infamy for its supposedly addictive qualities. Addictive or not, EverQuest has enjoyed immense success which has continued in its second instalment EverQuest 2.
The MMORPG arena has gotten more and more competitive in recent years. With the dominance of World of Warcraft alongside the rise of alternatives like The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online, EverQuest 2 has a lot of strong competition to keep up with. Developer Sony Online Entertainment isn't missing any tricks though and EverQuest 2 receives regular expansion packs. Sentinel's Fate is the most recent expansion, available both in a standard package and a collector's edition. So how does EverQuest 2, coupled with Sentinel's Fate, handle itself in the 2010 MMORPG arena?
If you're new to the EverQuest series then you'll be pleased to know that the core game has an excellent selection of character races and classes available after creating an account. There are 19 races divided into the categories of good, neutral and evil. Where you start playing in the game world is dependant on which of these three categories your character falls into. There are also a few class limitations based on which race you select but generally there are a lot of creative options here.
The actual races available vary; there are the sword and sorcery classics including High Elves, Dwarves and Trolls and then there is a weird and wonderful array of EverQuest 2 specific races. These include the scaly Sarnak, the fairy styled Fae, the feline Kerra and the Frogloks (I'll let you figure that one out). You aren't likely to struggle in your search for a character race to suit you.
The class selection is certainly wide enough to please most players with 24 available. The downside is that few of these classes are particularly innovative and it's all going to be a little too familiar for fantasy RPG players looking for something different. You can customise your character's appearance to a reasonable extent with a strong set of race specific options available.
The graphics in EverQuest 2 are of high quality but they don't quite hold up to some modern alternatives like The Lord of the Rings Online. Thankfully that doesn't stop Norrath from being a beautifully designed world. Kelethin, for example, is immediately pleasing to the eye, featuring a forest of massive trees, glowing mushrooms galore (some even walk) and a population of fairy people. If a high fantasy world is your thing then EverQuest 2 has exactly what you're looking for. The world of Norrath also has a tremendous amount of history established in both EverQuest games.
