Customer Reviews

EverQuest Online Adventures

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

You'll definitely want a keyboard for this one, but it isn't unplayable without one. The world is immense, and, unlike the PC version, there are no loading times whatsoever between areas, and no fear about your hardware not being up to snuff ;)

While this game is created with the interaction between players in mind, it isn't impossible to travel and play solo. Eventually, though, you will want to group up and make friends with people as you get used to the game and the areas in it. This way you can travel farther and for longer periods of time, and trust me, the world is large enough (with area expansions on the way after release) that you won't get bored with exploring it for a long while, if ever.

To add to the social aspect of the game, you can create guilds with other players, which would help you keep in touch with great players and mates. There's also a 'buddy list' option similar to an online messenger service, which allows you to add other players (if they allow it) to your list, which will let you see when they are on- and offline.

This game is designed very well for the first-time EQ player. The character creation process is simple, and once in the game it gives you short tutorials and beginner quests to get you used to the playstyle right off the bat.

Since this is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG), you will run into a lot of people you might want to exchange words with... This can be easily done with either the on-screen controlpad-controlled keyboard, or by using any basic USB keyboard. There are pre-set statements programmed into button shortcuts for those who have no keyboard or can't type fast to give people quick answers, which is a handy feature, and one that you can customize yourself to say almost anything you want. Though people have said that it is nearly impossible to interact with others without a keyboard, I found that it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be once I learned the locations of all the keys and commands. For most, though, a keyboard would be a wise investment if you plan on getting this game for any length of time. Some players are impatient, and it is impossible to run and chat at the same time unless you have one.

This game is, like its PC counterpart, going to cost you money. Unless you have $10 US (tentative pricing) a month to waste on it, not including the cost of getting the PS2 Network Adapter (worth getting in itself, for the many online games that are actually free) and the game, then it isn't worth buying. As well if you don't plan on spending quite a few hours with it, then don't even consider it. This game is something that will take up a lot of your time, but if you are sociable and enjoy interacting with other people, then it is worth it.

I was just a beta tester in phase 2, and goodness knows I was planted in front of my PS2 for hours on end, and it wasn't even a completed game :) Think what it'll be when it's released.

...despite what the specs listed above state this game does not feature ANY one player offline mode. But, the multiplayer online is wonderful. I was in beta two and three and my wife and I went out and bought a keyboard just so we could play this game better.

The only thing wrong with this game is it could be a bit pricey. You'll need a PS2 Network Adaptor and some form of internet access, and to be honest I don't think you'll get much out of it if you don't have broadband. Also, the game is VERY HARD to play if you don't have a USB Keyboard (the PS2 pretty much supports any USB Keyboard, just plug it in before you turn on the game), this is because one of the best features of the game is the interaction you have with your fellow EQ'ers.

So a recap:
1) Only online, but very fun if you like level building and human interaction.
2) You need a PS2 Network Adaptor and preferably broadband access.
3) The game is hard to play without a USB Keyboard.

So if you have the goods get the game, my wife and I loved it.

PS: It's really cool if you get a friend or loved one to type while you battle, adds another whole level to the game.

I was about to sell my Playstation 2 'cuz I was getting bored with the thing, but I got EQOA for my birthday, I fired it up, and havn't looked back since. This became the best game I've ever played in the span of about six hours. This has the role-playing elements of Final Fantasy, the free roam of Grand Theft Auto, and the community of the worst crack-addict cult worshippers ever assembled. The people, for the most part, have been great, and there's always something going on in-game to keep the interest level up. I recommend visiting their website and becoming part of the community posting on the bords there. Makes the game even better. Met more people on the boards than in-game, and it's really saved [me.]
There has been minimal problems with the server going down, but sometimes ya just have to [toughen] up and grind away for the xp. The occasional jerk also shows up in the game, but they guarentee themselves a short life in this game. The whole community is very supportive, and will help you do everything from finishing a quest to gaining that extra level. Feels good to have three people yell DING at the same time around you.
Sony is constantly putting something new in about once a week, whether it's new quests or items, as well as a new server, and soon there will be skills (fishing?!!), as well as features that makes the game a little more user-friendly. If you want to meet people all over the world (there's a french guy on my server; cool guy), and you want a new and unique experience on a console game, this is the game for you.

There's been a lot of buzz lately about the new online experience coming to all gaming consoles, but so far that experience has been overall lacking. With Everquest however, the good folks at Sony bring us a step closer to that gaming ecstasy we've been looking for.
In Everquest Online Adventures, you start out by building a character by choosing from 9 races and then assigning them a specific 'class'(of the 12 available) which is basically the job they will take, ranging from healer to warrior. After selecting your character's look, you're thrown straight into the world of Tunaria.
Basically your goal is too level up your character while seeing all the expansive 400+ digital square miles of land the game has to offer. The game is comprised of (currently) five servers (you can have up to eight characters on each one) which are all the same world - you just won't meet the same people on each one. You can buy yourself weapon, armor, and magic upgrades (which are different depending on the class you select, of course). Battles are turn based, which can seem a bit awkward - you walk up to an enemy, hold down a button, and watch your charater hit them, then they hit you, you hit them, etc.
However, the game does not base itself around the single player experience. It was built around the premise of getting to know the people around you and it shows - you can get into temporary four person groups to hunt down a threat to a town, start your own guild for long term friendships, and hunt specific enemies of your home town to raise your faction points (each town has its own faction points which are how much the townsfolk like you - too low and they'll attack you if you get close - high enough, and they'll do things such as buy and sell things to you). All this provides for a very good experience that everyone should try out.
But that's one of the main problems - not everyone will be able to try it. You have to have a network adapter, 3000 kb of memory on your memory card (although your characters are saved automatically to the individual servers), connection to the internet (of course), and after paying the hefty sum for the game, you're forced into paying a $10 monthly fee. That's probably the biggest problem which will leave people asking if it's really worth it. I thought it was, but this is truly a different kind of game that not everyone is going to love. I'd have to recommend renting or witnessing it at a friend's house, if you can, to see if you'd be into it. Other than those major flaws, I couldn't help but notice how the character selection, as far as their appearance goes, was too simple (there's hundreds of characters that look just like you), the camera gets downright annoying, especially when running up hills and going in houses, and once you hit about level 11 it gets seriously hard to level up and finding groups that are good enough to help you out can be pretty tough. Chatting is kinda tough without a keyboard, but not so much that you don't get used to it (I've found that several magazines have given the game a lower rating simply because of this, which simply isn't right).
In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this game as it IS the future of gaming. However, be warned! Not everyone will be ready for it...

I am truly looking forward to this game. I haven't played EQ before but I *have* played several MUDs. If you haven't seen a MUD before, it is essentially a text-based online dungeon crawl. Everquest and most of the other MMORPGs are, in essence, MUDs with graphics.

One quick caveat, though: Amazon.com's product description says that EQOA is "one player offline, massively multiplayer online". That is NOT CORRECT. There is NO offline play whatsoever with this game. You *must* have an internet connection (dialup or broadband) in order to play the game.

I'll see you there :)

Please be aware if you intent to buy this game, there are many differences between the Everquest for the PC, and the Everquest for the PS2. Some of the differences include groups being limited to 4 people, the online World is a bit smaller, and the fighting is faster and more arcade-like. There are also less spells and quests, but that number will be increasing very soon, as patches are added to the game almost daily. Some of the great changes in this version of EQ, is there is basically no "zoning", as you can go from one end of the world to the other, without having to load anything... There is a coach system, whereas once you sign the coachman's ledger, you are free to travel to different location within seconds (this is where the only "loading" takes place)... I really like the fluid and arcade-like feel and style of the game, and there are definitely many things I like better in EQOA than in EQPC.

The online world is still HUGE though, and full of detail... Playing time is pretty much limit-less, as you can create dozens of different characters, choosing from many different races and classes (some good, some evil)... Bringing a character from level 1 to level 50 is pretty amazing, as you'll see him/her develop from pretty much a weakling, to an extremely powerful force to be reckoned with!!

The fights are great, and most of the spells still rock! The story line is really interesting as well, as you get to see Norrath (or Tunaria at this point) as it was 500 years before the original EQ.

It really IS a great game, and it's only true downside is it's addictiveness. Please know when to put down the controller, or you may wind up red-eyed with fatigue, and may even lose your job (or wife) -- HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T HAPPEN!!

Another great thing about this game is although it may take a "newbie" some time to get used to it, most of the EQ veterans are very nice and helpful, and will help you out, if you just ask them respectfully. EQ is very similar to the real world, such that you have your fair share of jerks, in which case, you just need to ignore them, and stick with the nice, mature players.

Sony really did another great job with this version of Everquest, and I would DEFINITELY reccommend it to any fan of the role-playing genre!!

Whew, what can I say? This is the first Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG), to be on any home console and I have to say it is one of the worst out there. As with any other MMORPG you create an account and pay your monthly fee. Next you create a character and log into the huge massive world. Perhaps the massive world is the only thing I liked about this game, as it was always a pure joy to just walk around and seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldy go where no other Everquest nerd has gone before! Honestly though I did find it fun and enjoyable to walk around the world. Anway, once you make your character you do missions or "quests" in which you complete tasks and are awarded Experience Points (XP). XP points get your character levles. Once each new level is obtained, it takes more XP to get to the next one. The advantage of getting to a higher level is that you can: 1. Wear new armor, get new weapons, kill bigger animals, and do new and repetitive quests. The max level you can obtain is 50, and to give you an idea of how long this will take to obtain Sony says the following: 500-600 hours! WOW! I can tell you for a fact that it will take around 1,000 hours for most people. In order to get that valuable XP you have to kill animals and fantasy monsters. You do so by endlessly typing into your USB Keyboard (NEEDED ITEM!) asking for a group. Once in your group, you walk to an area to kill go kill these monsters. You kill monsters by pressing the X button. Each monster takes about 20 button presses. It takes about 500 kills to level up. To most sane people this is just too much. To top it off, if you cannot find a group, you cannot kill these animals and so the game becomes usless if there isn't anyone else playing. This game becomes very, very, very, stressful in the later levels, which is why I canceled my account just days ago. As icing on the cake, the game graphics are very poor. I do not recomend this game at all.

Graphics: 1/10
Sound: 1/10 (Hardly any sound at all)
Replayibility: 10/10
Online: Yes (Only online)
Multiplayer: No

Ok here are several thumbs up for the game. First of all, the game on Playstation is much easier to navigate (i.e. controls) in comparison to the PC version. I found that using the regular PS2 controls made things a heck of a lot easier for me to move around and go places. Second of all, the game IS played on PS2 in comparison to the PC version, that means you do not have to take up a lot of space on harddrive, which would happen with all the expansion packs and info you get with EQ PC version (at least in my opinion, after playing both). Third, while there is a need to form a group, the PS2 game world is less crowded than the PC version. Thus you aren't stepping on anyone's toes when going out and trying to find XP points.

Draw backs: ok first of all you do need a group, and finding one can be a problem but if you look up on the internet you can find many guilds for EQ (along with going to the main Sony EQOA boards) and you can post a need to find ones suitable for your tastes. second of all, yes it might, and I say might, cost a lot of money in that youre buying internet hookups, keyboards, et al. for your PS2.

However...you can find an easier way to get the equipment for the game. You can look for ads in the paper, but you can also go to places like Ebay and purchase the products (like I did) relatively cheep...you dont have to spend hundreds of dollars, my whole set up cost maybe 60 dollars over all (w/o the sign up fee of course).

Another thought...yes there is mostly combat to this game, but if you play most games like XIII, BloodRayne, .hack you realize that the games ARE mostly combat. Yes there are storylines, guilds, and environments going on in the background, but really ... its mostly attack and defend ...

All in all this is a much better version than the PC one IMO and I think that if you enjoy fantasy worlds and epics, give it a try.

First thing - the price. You have to spend around $110-$130 on this game because you need the game which is about 20 dollars. You need the network adapter to play on the internet which is around $40. Then if you want to you can buy a keyboard for it for about $60-$70. You dont need the keyboard but if you didnt have it you rather couldnt talk to anyone or it would take you very long to type something.

Another thing - like most online rpgs. If you couldnt find someone to group with you, you could just go out killing by yourself. In this game its impossible to go killing monsters without a group. One person isnt gonna do either. It takes you about 30 mins to get a full group, all ready to go. Got their health up and potions with them and all. Thats the good thing. When you have a group boy is it fun to go out and attack monsters, but you have to press x around 10-100 times. (it depends how strong the monster is)

If you didnt have a group, and nobody was on to group, then you might as well log out because you will not have much fun.

Waste of money/waste of time. The only way this game would be fun is if they lowered the prices on all the items you need a bit and if there were people on constantly!

it was very good, like all their PC games. It had really cool graphics and it was a lot of fun playing with other kids from around the world. It is a must have game if you are into fantcy stuff.