by Jody - January 16, 2004

Stop complaining about buying the broadband adapter for the PS2, because what you were waiting for to surprise you has finally arrived. EverQuest Online Adventures is set five centuries before the original EverQuest for the PC. Return to a time in Norrath's past when the city of Freeport was a new coalition of merchants and the elves have yet to abandon their homeland completely. In the West, Antonius Bayle the second has been recently crowned ruler of Qeynos, the human port city. In the Eastern lands, the once great Eldarr Forest has all but disappeared, its trees withering away as the once rich ground beneath it turns into desert sands.

The PS2's first MMORPG. I guess it's not that bad.

creatures than any other class, overwhelming their target's mind and bending it to their will. With all of this going for them, there has to be a catch, right? A skilled Enchanter is very needed in groups, but if a train ever occurs, they can die faster than they can "/shout train".

Magician: The mighty Magician, or Mage as they have come to be known, is a powerful force in Norrath. These masters of summoning are truly never alone, for they can call upon the power of the elemental to help fight and defend them. With the wiggle of a finger, the Magician can also conjure an array of powerful weapons for her pet. The Magician also gets the best personal shields of any pure caster. When it comes to pure damage, the Mage is said to be only second to the Wizard, but with the Druid's nature magic lurking around, they are the third.

Monk: So, you wish to study the ways of the Monk? Imagine a tranquil garden, sounds of water bubbling over a rocky fountain. It is all calm and unassuming. Suddenly, an enemy breaks into the serene setting. As one, the quiet monks' spring into action faster than the eye can see. This is what a monk is based about - power and speed. Monks have enviable abilities, regardless of their race. Their drive to master their bodies allows them to practice useful skills.

Necromancer: Necromancers are the Death Magi of Norrath. They seek out darkness and evil and thrive when surround in pain and death. Necromancers are masters of the dead, reaching beyond the bounds of the grave to magically manipulate their dark minions. Necromancers are considered evil mainly because they choose to delve into arts and practices that many find repulsive. A very good thing about Necromancers is the ability to cast Fear anywhere. With a high level pet, a good DoT spell (damage over time), and fear casted, almost everything 10 levels higher will be under the total power of the darkness.

Paladin: The Paladins of Norrath are champions of their patron deity and heroes that are good and just. A Paladin's duty is to fight off darkness at all cost and defend the weak. Paladins are part Warrior and part Cleric. They possess the skills of both, but are masters of neither. I'd say that a Paladin was more Warrior than Cleric, for the sheer fact that they can take a lot more hits. They also have some of a Cleric's good spells, such as resurrect and great healing spells.

Wizard: Wizards are the undisputed masters of damage. This can easily be misunderstood. A Wizard is not a master of all forms of damage, but rather the master of Direct Damage. Wizards are the only class that possesses DD spells n all three categories: cold, heat, and magic. Wizards are also noted for their teleportation spells - but these spells are not very common in EQOA as they are in EQ.

Warrior: Warriors are the epitome of a tank class. They wield weapons in both hands, wear finely crafted armors, and are able to absorb massive amounts of damage. They have high HP and AC from just starting out. Despite these combat skills, Warriors are not a class with a lifelong ability to solo. Later on, once you get your health low enough, you're going to need a caster to heal you so that you don't have to sit forever to regain your health.

Shaman: Shamans are a strange class. They are one of the most versatile classes in EQOA and in EQ, because they can do a bit of everything from melee to casting. Spells are the accumulation of the trade of a Shaman. Spells that heal or buff stats and attributes are the Shaman's strong suit. In addiction to defense, Shamans receive a few offensive spells. They are also the only class in the game to have alchemy.

Shadow Knight: Only the blackest pits of hell can spew forth the soul that will become a Shadow Knight. Before birth, this character is modeled into an almost exact image of the God that it will worship. At a young age, fueled by the hatred and bitterness imbued by their God, they are brought into training to become a dark knight. One very difficult thing about this class, is that it is feared everywhere and is KoS (killed on sight) everywhere but it's own town and Grobb.

Rogue: You can look at the name "Rogue" in one of two ways: Rogue means "scoundrel" - someone who cannot be trusted, but it also means someone (or something) different. Exactly how you play a Rogue is up to you. In a party, a Rogue truly shines. She requires the assistant of other characters to realize her true combat potential, which is formidable. They also have the Pickpocket and Backstab ability, which can be used easily to gain some quick cash.

Pretty sad when a four year old game has better graphics than a week old one.

Now, I bet you're wondering about the graphics. Comparing EverQuest (1998) and EverQuest Online Adventures (2003), I would have to say that EQ still has EQOA beat. One thing that EQ didn't get when it jump-shifted to console was better graphics. Don't get me wrong --. The graphics are exceptionally great; it's just that they are not as good as they should have been. Especially since a game that was developed in 1998 has better graphics than it. This is another hit in the cons section for the game.

Same old same old...

The audio section of EQOA is actually rather good. I know what you're thinking. "Who actually turns the battle music on?" Here's an answer - I do. The first time that I entered Rivervale on EQ, the music just lit my heart. I loved it and I wanted to stay, but I was just passing through so I couldn't. When I entered Rivervale on EQOA, it was about the same feeling. The music blends in great with the levels and if turned on, is lovely to hear.

I had fun playing it, you probably will also.

In the course of moving around the world, you'll encounter other players. The game's communication system can't really shine until you have a USB keyboard. When you interact with a player, there is so much to do. You can simply chat with them, dance with them, wave at them, poke them, bite them, bow down to them, slap them, push them, pinch them, etc. You can also invite them to join your group so you can go kill mobs together. The main chat commands are: Shout, Auction, OOC (out of character), Say, Tell, Guild, and Group. Shout is basically what it sounds like. It reaches through most of the zone and is used to ask questions, shout for group invites, etc. Auction is used for selling or buying. Say is well, what it sounds like. You just say something but it can only be heard for a very short distance - you know, like real life. Tell is a private message between two players. Guild is a private message to your guild. Group is a message to your group. And OOC is when you have an Out of Character question or comment. Also, if you're looking for a group, /LFG On is a good thing to do. It signals that you're looking for a group.

Do you like RPGs? EverQuest? Give it a try.

EverQuest Online Adventures is an excellent game indeed. The continent of Tunaria is so large, making it so easy to get lost. Just making a run from Freeport to Qeynos can take all day (real life) if you don't really know where to go. A lot of zones that are in EQ are in this, and ones that are there have changed so much. Ak-Anon is called Klick-Anon, Kelethin (not in the trees anymore) is called Tethelin (It's where the Desert of Ro is), and some zones that have either been found and forgotten about or just lost are there - such as Highbourne, The Great Unknown, and Moradhim. If you have ever played EverQuest and enjoyed some of it, then you'll probably enjoy this game. The only thing you need is a Playstation 2, a $40 Broadband Adapter, an 8MB memory card, and an internet connection. For you MMORPG lovers who have never played EQ, this would be a good start, but I recommend playing it on the PC.