Dark Age of Camelot was predicted to be the EverQuest killer when it came out. Though its popularity hasn't surpassed EverQuest, it comes very close to it, and is one of the better MMORPG's on the market. Put out by Mythic Entertainment, this game is extremely immersive, but don't bother with it unless you plan to put a lot of hours in. It's a solid game that requires a good portion of your gaming time.
The game's storyline is pretty a medieval fantasy, taking place after the death of King Arthur. The nation calls for people to fight in its nation's defense by foes from afar trying to take over their land; epic till the end, and very interesting at that. The game gives very solid and well-organized teamwork. Guilds are easy to join, and people get together well socially to accomplish the mission of defeating foes. Like any RPG, you will want to gain experience as fast as possible in order to get strong enough to go to the front lines. It's a medieval hack-and-slash game, that's what people are paying money for! Whether you're killing evil creatures or one another, you'll be having fun doing it.
You'll find that people will be very helpful during the game, and helping you along with your progress, and if you get tired of the simple hack-and-slash monster gameplay, the multiple servers Mythic has setup allows you to battle people from other servers. They just simply name it "Conflict among the realms." It's innovative, creative, and good excuse to fight friends who are playing on different servers. Best part about that? There are no penalties for losing to another player, so it really is just good old fashioned sparring in the end.
Intensely story driven, you'll be roaming through three large separate realms. Though they don't look too different, you'll find that each area offers something unique, and you'll have fun going through them, progressing more in the storyline and acquiring new items and challenges. The high flying fantasy world you're strolling around in can get pretty interesting, and offers a lot of subtle details that you can't find in a lot of online RPG's.
Character creation is done well with lots of great customizations, job and class selections. You'll have several different races to pick from, male, female, basic classes, up to more specific specialties. There are countless possibilities on who and what you can be, and it's easy to start off because you'll be invited to guilds almost immediately. Though you probably won't learn all the game's complexities right away, you will figure things out quickly enough. If your die hard about these kind of games, you'll definitely be putting in the hours to learn this game inside out. The game emphasizes organized group fighting, because it's not easy to go out and solo, especially since the death penalties strongly discourage it. The game won't be winning an award for being original, since many aspects are obviously borrowed from other MMORPG's, but Dark Age of Camelot is still a strong game in its own right. It didn't come out killing EverQuest, but instead became a very good alternative.
You'll see that the game offers a lot of obstacles and challenges that keep the game from getting mundane. Monsters will call for help; you'll get bonuses for fighting more than one monster at a time; variant combat styles will determine how well you do in your fights, and a slew of other options can keep you sucked in the game forever. Dark Age of Camelot can be said to be the best MMORPG to have come out since EverQuest. It's more updated, adds more in depth with the universe your in, and for 10 dollar a month, it's a steal. It may not have done everything it was supposed to in drawing away fans from other big MMOG's, but it's a game that a lot of people will have fun playing.
The Score:
+ Great variation in characters
+ Almost non-existent lag and load times
+ Very immersive world
+ Smart AI and well made gameplay
- Funds and leveling can get very tight
- Can get repetitive at times
- Not for casual gamers
Bottom Line:
Dark Age of Camelot is a great game. It's solid and does a great deal right. No, it's not a replacement for all the other big name games out there, but it's one of the best choices. It's a vast world, with so much in it, it will consume your life and spit you out, and say, want more? I have more. It's not a kiddy game you can play casually. You've got to put in the time for your money, but it's well worth it. Sure, it can get redundant at times, but what game doesn't? There's a whole lot to do, and a whole slew of characters to play, with tons of variants. It's a good environment, excellent team play, and difficult enough to keep you on your toes. If your tired of all those big names you keep hearing about day in and day out (EverQuest, Ultima Online, etc.) and your looking for something else, Dark Age of Camelot is the way to go.
Reviewed by Thomas Wong