''Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest'' is a 2004
action role-playing
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing game genres.
Definition
Action role-playing games emphasize real-time combat wh ...
video game for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
, set in the ''
EverQuest
''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North America, ...
'' universe. The game is playable with one single player or cooperative for up to four players, but with a
Network Adapter
A network interface controller (NIC, also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter and physical network interface) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.
Early network interface ...
, players can take the game online with others and kill others or join to form groups of adventurers. It uses a re-worked and expanded ''
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance''
game engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...
. A sequel called ''
Champions: Return to Arms'' was released in 2005.
Plot
''Champions of Norrath'' features a traditional
role-playing video game
Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
storyline, in which the player acts as a hero who must save the world via a series of quests and battles. Divided into five acts, the game begins with a quest to assist the
elves
An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda''.
In medieval Germanic-speakin ...
in their war against the
orc
An orc (sometimes spelt ork; ), in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy fiction, is a race of humanoid monsters, which he also calls "goblin".
In Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', orcs appear as a brutish, aggressive, ugly, and malevol ...
s, who have formed an alliance with goblins (which is strange to the citizens of Norrath). In later acts, the player must eventually travel to the underworld and beyond thanks to the antics created by the strange orc leader and his contacts. The game takes place in the focal world of the ''
EverQuest
''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North America, ...
'' universe known as Norrath, prior to the events of the first ''EverQuest'' online RPG, which was itself prior to "The Shattering" of the moon Luclin. The game applies many elements of the ''
EverQuest
''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North America, ...
'' universe. There are three main antagonists in the storyline: Pelys, leader of the
orcs
An orc (sometimes spelt ork; ), in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy fiction, is a race of humanoid monsters, which he also calls "goblin".
In Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', orcs appear as a brutish, aggressive, ugly, and malevol ...
, Vanarhost, a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
in the
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
who also narrates the entire game and Innoruuk, the God of Hatred.
Gameplay
The
gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
is a traditional
hack and slash
Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay (H&S or HnS) or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons (such as swords or blades). They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well (such as ...
with several additional elements. During the opening sequence, the player selects a
race, appearance, and skills. From there, the game continues to follow classic RPG standards, as the player fights monsters, explores forests, towns, godly domains and dungeons, obtains gold to purchase weapons, and so on. As the player gains experience, he or she will
level up and increase character statistics and abilities.
All characters have a series of spells and skills, which can be enhanced via the Ability Tree. The Ability Tree allows the player flexibility in choosing skills, chiefly because points may be invested in several choices at once. These abilities can increase damage, add new spells, etc. These choices are limited by several factors, including the character's level, the skill's prerequisites, and the total number of ability points in the character's reserve. The points cannot be regained once used.
Equipment is often dropped by enemies, though there is a shop to buy items. Sometimes, the items dropped by enemies are much better than anything for sale in the shop. Each item has a weight and each character has a weight limit (which is increased by strength). Together, this allows for a limited amount of equipment to be carried at any given time, but items known as "Gate Scrolls" allow players to warp back to the nearest shop and sell excess inventory. Moreover, the armor and weapons are customizable through rare items, which allows players to fuse a weapon with statistical bonuses, elemental attack, and increased weapon attack speed.
Dungeons in the game cover many forms of terrain. As with most RPGs, many dungeons in ''Champions of Norrath'' feature a
boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, ...
or large group of enemies that must be defeated to advance or obtain a special item. Traps and secret passages are also common in dungeons (for instance, destructible walls). Furthermore, the game offers two advanced bonus dungeon levels upon completion of the game.
It is possible to import and export characters, which allows the player to save or load a character anywhere in the game while keeping the statistics and items of that character. This is important for scenarios which require a transfer of characters, such as online play (now defunct), multiplayer games, and the sequel, ''
Champions: Return to Arms''.
Savepoints and portals play a key role in the gameplay. First, savepoints also double as checkpoints, which may be accessed if a character dies. The Portals are activated when the player walks near the Portal. They allow the player to jump to key locations in each region.
Before the servers shutdown on April 2, 2013, players were able import their character(s) for online play, which could be accessed from a
save point
Save, SAVE, or Saved may refer to:
Places
* Save (Garonne), a river in southern France
* Save River (Africa), a river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
* Sava, a river in Eastern Europe also known as Save
* Savè, Benin, a commune and city
* Save, Rwan ...
. This mode of play allowed for players to join parties or quests. Players could join anywhere in the game, despite completion in the one player mode. Up to four players could join in the same game. It was a cooperative type multiplayer game that disabled damage a player can inflict upon a fellow player.
Characters
There are five types of playable characters that can be used throughout the game: Barbarian Warriors, Wood Elf Rangers, High Elf Clerics, Erudite Wizards, and Dark Elf Shadowknights. Each come in male and female varieties, which have no impact on gameplay other than appearance. This choice cannot be changed after the character is made.
Reception
''Champions of Norrath'' received "favorable" reviews according to video game
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
.
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References
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Champions Of Norrath
2004 video games
Action role-playing video games
Cooperative video games
EverQuest
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Multiplayer online games
Orcs in popular culture
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 2-only games
Role-playing video games
Snowblind Studios games
Ubisoft games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Geoff Zanelli
Video games scored by Inon Zur
Video games with gender-selectable protagonists