Homemademech - Playstation 2 Champions of Norrath reviews

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Champions of Norrath

Ever wanted to play an MMORPG, but just didn’t want to get addicted to an MMORPG on your PC that’ll keep you away from your work doing reviews and writing fictions? Really? So it’s just me then… OK.
So for me or (heaven forbid) people like me, or people who just like their PS2 more than their PC (since it seems you often need to make $200+ dollar upgrades every year or two just to play the latest hot games), we have the Champions series for your consideration. Champions of Norrath (this review) and Champions : Return to Arms (coming soon reviewwise), a lovely taste of the MMORPG without the online MMO part… except maybe if you play online though which both Champions does offer, but since I don’t play online even on the PS2, then I wouldn’t know anything about that.

The Champion series, set in the world of Everquest (yes, as in Everquest II for the PC, that Everquest), welcomes you as you are thrown into a world of action and adventure. Picking between a male or female character of a handful of races and types, you are set out to save the lands of Norrath from destruction.
As the game starts you are meeting with a big head elf guy in an elven village set into the trees of a forest, who sets you out to stop evil orcs and so forth rampaging through the forest burning and putting innocent elf people to the sword. However as you play you soon leave the surface and head downside, into the Underworld where you’ll find a new world of little people, vampires, and sun-soaked beaches and a place where you’ll feel the damnable urge to strip your female barbarian down to her little two piece bikini set and set out to find a volleyball game to join in on… or maybe just the “other” stuff found in DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball… then again that’s probably just me… though it is still freaky that this so called “Underworld” is such a bright sunny place for being so underground and all. Go figure.

The game is so simple it shouldn’t take you long to master it.
Set you gear, run around, hack hack hack hack. Simple and yet so addictive at the same time.
You do the standard things that someone like me would think would probably be in an MMORPGs (though I have never played an MMORPG before) in this game, I.e. pick up and buy new gear and weapons, either bludgeon or shoot enemies to death, engage in “side quests” along the way to complete main storylines (though not to the Grand Theft Auto style of freeform missions however), and so forth.
I know, other times I have been rather down on games for having a one button pushing menality towards combat, but this game pulls it off nicely and it’s not boring (unlike Digimon World 4 which is beyond all descriptions of the word “boring”)! The game is the art of fun in simple execution. It’s easy to get into this game, it’s easy to master and get the hang of, and yet challenging enough to keep you playing for hours and hours and hours (and hours). Not to mention it provides levels of experience (three) that’ll give you some reason to go back and replay it (until you become a Level 99 Female Barbariain warrior or whatever).

There are a few downers, but nothing much to disuade you from picking this one up. Just little things that don’t really come to mind as being too important to skip over. There is the occasional hiccup or downer, that and the fact you can only carry x amount of stuff which means you often run out of space (and often have to hear your character complain about not being able to hold anymore… I can’t hold anymore…).
Otherwise that and my few other complaints are nothing to be overtly concerned about, so think about how much fun this game is, and push aside the little disagreeable things. Anyway considering that you should be able to buy this for a $20 by now (what with Champions : Return to Arms being the big game on campus now) I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to take a shot with this. Ok, nuff said, breakdown time.

Champions Breakdown the 1st
What’s Hot?
It’s a solid little RPGer that’ll keep you up for hours hacking away to get to the next save point, working hard to see where the game goes next. With it’s solid gameplay, nicely done voice acting and fair enough story, not to mention the little quirks here and there the story throws at you, this is a little hack and slash that demands a place in your collection. And it also doesn’t hurt that you can go online and play the online version of this game as well… though at this stage of the game I’m bettin’ you’ll find the online version to be a rather lonely place since people have probably moved on to play Return to Arms… oh, well.

What’s Not?
I’m going to pretty much just say that if you have doubts about the game here, despite the fact there’s few things to hate about it (actually nothing to hate perse) then go for a rental. Rent it out, see what you think about it, and I’m sure you’ll probably find it as solid as I think it is. Yeah, yeah, it’s no World of Warcraft, but that doesn’t make it a bad game by any stretch of the imagination (oh no). While it won’t have the depth of a major MMORPG world on the PC, it is still a playable bit of fun that is recommendable.

Moments to Remember?
You don’t want me to go there, do you… no you don’t. Nuff said.

What to Ignore?
Hmmm… why are the gnomes down in the middle of this world so darn technologically saavy?
Why is there a bright shiny “sun” that makes the beaches of this certain area in the underworld so tropical and exotic, while it makes the desert so hot? In fact why is there something that seems to shine like a sun down in the underworld in the first place! Ugh… ignore it.
Then there’s that female barbarian I play as. She sports a thick accent… Irish? And then she says the darndest things at times -- I mean where are half of these thoughts coming from?!? Sheesh!
And I know this is a game for Teens so no nudity… but still, why is it I can strip down my female barbarian warrior to her little 2-piece bathing suit and she ends up having the appropriate attire for a sun soaked beach scene which this game just so happens to provide at one point of the game! How … ugh… ignore me.

Overall?
It’s not going to make the people who made World of Warcraft lose sleep anytime soon, but it is still a worthy addition to your PS2 that’ll give you an MMORPG fix without the MMO part… unless you play online, though I guess you’ll still be missing the MMO part since I bet the Champions of Norrath server is a little lonely with people playing Champions : Return to Arms or the newly released Resident Evil 4 for the PS2. But for a hack and slash RPG with bite this is one well worth checking out. A game that’s easy to master, yet challenging. Focused yet capable of lots. A little slice of RPG that gives you a taste for more.
Pick this up, then keep an eye out for Champions : Return to Arms to drop it’s purchase price abit for buying, since if you loved one you’ll love the second one (or something like that).

Playstation 2 - Champions of Norrath

Playstation 2 Champions of Norrath Reviews

Champions of Norrath

Playstation 2 Champions of Norrath Images