Champions Return to Arms

by Sony

Product Features

• The original Champions of Norrath game is not needed to play Champions - Return to Arms
• Seven fully customizable Playable Characters. Select from Barbarian Warrior, Wood Elf Ranger, Dark Elf Shadowknight, High Elf Cleric, Erudite Wizard, and two new race/class combinations - the Vah Shir Berserker and Iksar Shaman.
• New skills, abilities, weapons and armor for every character type
• More than 10,000 items and the ability to create your own item
• Dynamic story with alternate good and evil paths featuring many of your favorite characters from the original game.

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0007CGBDG
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.8 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: June 15, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,991 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #14 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Role-Playing
  • #81 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > All Games
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

If you're not familiar with Snowblind Studios' delightful game engine (first seen in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance), you are missing out. It has received much critical acclaim, and for good reason – this core technology has made some of the best action/RPGs of the last several years. While other developers have licensed this engine for use in their own games, Snowblind has taken them all to school on how to squeeze the most juice out of it. Return to Arms is a visually stunning game in every way, and a lot of my issues with the first Champions of Norrath have been addressed. It's a pity that there isn't really anything in RtA that moves the genre forward or breaks from convention in any way.

All of the standard action/RPG elements are present and accounted for, and for the most part are done with a level of polish and flair rarely seen. Leveling up each character can be done in a nigh-infinite number of ways, since each one has a multitude of skills to develop or ignore at your choice. Bosses drop fatty loot to collect and power up your avatar with, and completing challenges (which become unlocked after finishing a stage) unlocks new online maps as well as hooking you up with bonus stat and skill points. These challenge rounds are easily the most interesting new element of RtA, with nonstandard objectives or restrictions that make you use your gaming skills or solve puzzles to emerge triumphant.

Every single change from the original Champions of Norrath is a positive one, as far as I can tell. The removal of random maps sounds like a bummer, but the result is that each level is designed much more tightly and flows better than before. Skills have been rebalanced and seem to be a bit more even, and the two new classes offer unique and fun styles of play. And, as has been mentioned, the latest revision of the Snowblind engine is amazing. Textures give a startling illusion of depth to surfaces, lighting changes give each area a different feel, and the excellent particle effects really bring the flashy spell animations to life. Plus, even though I've been seeing it for the last few years, I still have to stop and marvel at the water this engine can render out.

The icing on this cake of fantasy hack n' slash goodness is the amount of content available. Between the four difficulty modes (which are designed like Diablo II's, where you can start the next mode with your powered-up hero after clearing the one before), co-op and competitive online multiplayer, and the seven playable classes, there is an awful lot of game here to adventure through. Whether or not you'll be sick of cleaving orc heads before you finish it is another matter entirely, but rest assured that this is no weaksauce 10-hour quest with little replay value.

All of this high-heaped praise begs the question of why isn't RtA the must-have fantasy epic of 2005. The answer to that is simple: Though everything is very well-done, it's difficult to shake the feeling that I've been playing this same game since Diablo came out on PC in 1997. The core concept of bashing skulls and gaining levels and loot is still strong as can be, and I had a lot of fun with RtA, but the foreshadowings of a Dynasty Warriors-like rut are clearly visible. It's rare to see a sequel that does this little to shake up the gameplay formula of the original, but with that being said, anyone who enjoyed the first Champions title or either of the Dark Alliance games will find a lot to love here.

Concept:
Tighten up, refine, and expand everything that you know about console dungeon crawlers

Graphics:
Nobody can rock the Snowblind engine like Snowblind – gorgeous visuals abound

Sound:
Easily the low point. The only thing worth noting is the delightful thumping noise maces make as they bash heads

Playability:
The new evade move makes all the difference in nasty boss fights

Entertainment:
What's not to like about crushing waves of enemies and leveling up to godlike status?

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Adam Biessener
Issue: March 2005

2nd Opinion:
I can't help it. I just love experience grinders. Throw in co-op play, some solid graphics, online play for extra value, and, quite frankly, I'm sold. I loved every moment I put into this game. That's not to say it doesn't have its share of problems. First of all, the story is pretty much non-existent. Be good or be evil, fight through some planes of power…blah, blah, blah…get me to my next cool weapon or skill. That's about all I care about. And to this end, Return to Arms delivers. The boss battles are epic, the game is longer than most, and it's certainly worth multiple play-throughs just to try out the other classes. It's not gnome rocket science, but it sure is fun.

Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Andy McNamara


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Product Description

Champions: Return to Arms brings all the action packed hack n' slash fun from Champions of Norrath(tm) back to the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system. The sequel offers more than 100 hours of gameplay per character unlimited battles deadly missions and the ability to import characters from the original game. Champions: Return to Arms enhances all the groundbreaking features that made the original the must-have action RPG of 2004 and brings in a host of advancements to take multiplayer gaming to the next level.Features: All-new multiplayer and online gameplay options A continuation of the engrossing fantasy storyline of Champions of Norrath with exciting twists and turns that require the player to choose his or her fate Two new playable races Thousands of new items and magical artifacts to acquire All-new and beautifully detailed environments A host of new monsters to battle and non-player characters to encounter Innovative medal system which unlocks secret gameplay modes The ability to import characters from the original game More than 50 levels along with a mission menu containing non-linear side quests Four-player multiplayer on a single PlayStation 2 with a Multitap (sold separately) Superior online multiplayer options for up to 4 players with a Network Adaptor (Online play requires internet connection Network Adaptor (for PlayStation2) and Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately) - no additional subscription fees required(players must provide their own internet connection for online gameplay modes)Format: PS2 Genre: RPG (VG)/ Rating: T - Teen UPC: 814582405821 Manufacturer No: 40582

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but not exceptional, July 5, 2005

By 

CreepyT "CreepyTendencies" (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Champions Return to Arms (Video Game)

I've been enjoying good old hack-and-slash computer and video games since the days of the original Diablo. Therefore, when I read the reviews of Champions: Return to Arms, and saw that previous reviewers had noted on the redundancy of this game, I figured that after a while, any hack-and-slash saga could get old. There's only so much killing and looting one can do before the plot gets boring. Therefore, I went out and bought the game anyway under the impression that Return to Arms would at least elaborate on the plot in Champions of Norrath. I was wrong.

This game is extremely redundant. Aside from the two new player classes, the player characters are all the same. Exactly the same. No elaboration from the previous game whatsoever. I suppose this makes it easier to import your characters from Champions of Norrath, but it would have been nice to see some kind of elaboration in this department. Furthermore, many of the "bad guys" you fight are the same as in the previous game. Many of the characters you met in Champions of Norrath return. For example, Babik Nurn makes an appearance. Many of the locales are the same. You will again visit the gothic vampire castle, as well as the Pit of Ill Omen. Some of the quests are even familiar. Once again, the mermaid has lost her conch shell and would like you to find it for her. After you do this, you again are granted the ability to breathe underwater so you can fight some undead pirate skeletons. What does all of this add up to? The feeling that you just paid a bunch of money to play the Champions of Norrath all over again.

In addition, as with Champions of Norrath, the game seems to have several bugs. I've had the game freeze on me, and the screen seems to bounce around every time you're looking through your character's inventory. These are some minor technicalities that one might think would have been worked out after the several complaints that arose regarding the original game, however, that doesn't seem to be the case.

However, this isn't to say that the game is all bad. As I stated previously, I'm one to enjoy a decent hack-and-slash game, so I pushed onward and completed it in it's entirety. Any fan of the Dungeons and Dragons type RPG should find some decent entertainment value in Return to Arms, regardless of the aforementioned pitfalls. In addition, as with Champions of Norrath and both Baldur's Gate games, the graphics are incredible. I have yet to see video games as visually stunning as the stuff Snowblind puts out. It feels as though your characters are walking around in a diorama rather than on your television screen.

I've never tried the online play, in this or in any other game for that matter, so I can't comment on that. However, the rest of the game makes for hours of good fun if you don't mind a little bit of repetition. It's still worth buying, just don't expect anything too terribly ground-breaking.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Champions of Norrath competes with itself, March 28, 2006

By 

Michael J. Tresca "Talien" (Fairfield, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Champions Return to Arms (Video Game)

If you've played any of the Baldur's Gate series (I've beaten them all) or the previous installment of the EverQuest game for PS2, then you're now familiar with Snowblind Studios' game engine. So familiar, in fact, that you probably can't tell you're playing a different game.

We had already beaten Champions of Norrath and, hungry to use all the neat new powers and weapons we gained in the first game, purchased its sequel, Call to Arms. This time I played Quintus, a cleric, while my wife played Ilmare, an archer. We were back at it again, hacking and slashing our way to fame and fortune. But it all seemed so familiar...

That's because this is the same friggin' game! I'm not talking "inspired by the original Champions of Norrath." I don't mean, "it looks similar." I mean: the maps are the same, the dialogue is the same, the NPCs are the same. Yes, the same mermaid wants you to find her conch. And she grants the same ability to breathe underwater. Where you once again get to fight underwater pirates.

All these boards have been cleverly reshuffled to be "planes." So instead of any actual cohesive plot, it's all about traveling planes...the Plane of Islands. The Plane of Violence. The Plane of Why Did I Buy This Game Again?

Don't get me wrong; playing through Call to Arms gave us a reason to use our higher-level characters from the first game. The problem is that any dungeon hack worth his sword is a thorough sweep-and-loot kind of adventurer, which means he can pick a level clean. We get all the exp and cash and we don't stop until it's so cleaned out you can eat your iron rations off of the floor.

What that means is that our characters leveled. A lot. By the time we fought the idiot who I suppose qualifies as the "Avatar of Fear," we wasted him with little effort. The various minions up to that point fell just as easily.

And that's the problem with Call to Arms. Yes, it's got two new races (lizard people and tiger people). Sure, it has some new spells and powers. And there are a few new monsters. But fundamentally, this is the same game repackaged with the vain hope that you either didn't play the first game or won't notice that the repetition.

In a market chock full of online games, the Champions of Norrath line ends up competing with itself.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing sequel to an addictive game, September 24, 2005

By 

Tso Haven Hei Wan "Havenough Dupont Randall-B... (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Champions Return to Arms (Video Game)

Champions: Returns To Arms had the advantage of the success of the first game Champions of Norrath using a hugely improved gameplay and mechanism of Baulder's Gate. However, Returns to Arms itself is a very disappointing instalment for the series...if there is going to be another one.

Basic gameplay wise it is very similar to the first game. However, the twick and twist that was put into the sequel completely removed a lot of the fun factors offered by the original title. You can import your old characters from the first one into the new one, but then the abilities you earned from the first one was toned down. For example you will find the same skill now takes up more mana and if it is a summon e.g. the Hammer of Wrath for the Cleric class, it stays around much shorter than before. There are new skills to be learnt but then since they require higher level to unlock, it is a test of patience if you start a new character for the game.

The portal map approach didn't really do much good to the game apart from making some very taxing "side quests" available for players. But some of them are so difficult that you will just find them more like a frustration than fun. Even random enemies in the main story e.g. archers in the last dungeon could kill you with two hits. If this is the way that Snowblind thinks could prolong the game it is a bad move. Also the worst nightware is the inclusion of stealth unnecessarily inside the game. Especially all enemies in the stealth level is one hit kill on you disregard your level. Stealth works in action rpgs like Zelda and Beyond Good and Evil because it goes natural with the game, but in Champions, it looks awkward and at the same time frustrating. Just think if someone just like hack'n slash why would they want to play a very difficult stealth level in the middle of the game?

The game also has some very difficult bosses that can cause you to throw your controller, so get a sturdy controller before start playing it. Prices for stuff are as steep as they used to be and most of the time you can only get budget items from enemies, even in the courageous and champion modes. Also the fact that you can't repeat the same level again and again like the last game, and you can't import characters into a game once you started it made the whole gameplay very inflexible and annoying. For example you are in the middle of an adventure a friend came over and want to join. That could not be done unless you start a new game. This lack of flexibility compared with the first one is a HUGE put off factor for the fans of the series.

In all fans of the first game will still play this game but it certainly does discourage people to get the third one if there is any at all. The first Champions game got every aspect right but the sequel just ruined everything. But one thing is consistent between both games - you could not believe how many bugs are there in the game. Certainly more serious QC is needed for Snowblind in the future. Or maybe QCs there are all snow blinded?