OK, I know that a ton of gamers and GZ readers are avid Dark Age of Camelot fans. That’s cool, and I’m a hardcore player myself so I can see where the attraction and enjoyment are. Personally I’ve played Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC from here on out) ever since one of my fellow reviewers, Aceinet, got me into it a few months ago … so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard about the Trials of Atlantis expansion getting ready to hit store shelves soon. Well, I got to not only play it, but also get a virtual tour of all of the areas, etc. and I can honestly tell you that I was not only impressed with what Mythic has done … I was pretty amazed.

Trials of Atlantis (ToA) takes place in whatever realm you care to play in (or have a saved character in), and the story revolves around the discovery of the Atlantean culture. The Atlanteans were highly developed and held great powers to share with the world, but they also knew that the majority of mankind was not ready to handle that kind of power. Well, in one great cataclysm Atlantis and its people were wiped out and buried beneath the ocean … but the nine trials to obtain the secrets remained intact. Now, they have been unearthed and are ready for any adventurer who dares to venture on the quest for ultimate power.

ToA includes four new areas for you to go adventuring in. Volcanus - a city with active volcanoes and flowing lava, Stygia – A desert region inhabited by such powerful creatures as Djinns and Harpys, Oceanus – an underwater area that spans four zones and comes with lots of nifty places to explore like caverns and shipwrecks, and Aerus – a floating city found way above the clouds. In addition, each realm includes a new race to play with, so Midgard players can use the Frostalf – a blue skinned elven race, Hibernerian players get to select a Shar – an inherently evil and golden skinned people, and Albion players can use a Half – Ogre for size and strength.

There is a new mode of transportation in ToA, since much of Atlantis can only be reached by boat. The way to get to the Hall of Heroes (the starting point for any Atlantean adventure) is by jumping aboard a ship that will be circling to various docks throughout the realms. Players can also buy and control their own ships in ToA as well, from smaller “one party” vessels to larger guild ships that can hold up to 30 explorers on the way out to the Trials.

Since ToA is based on missions that have to be completed in order to unlock the new Atlantean powers, one really big change that Mythic has done is make them a little more “player intelligence” friendly. Rather than the typical “kill this creature and bring me whatever”, now players have to use their collective minds in order to figure out some of the tasks. For example, you may need to cross the River Styx in order to get to The Necropolis … but the boatman will only allow undead to pass to the other side. How do you get there? Well, I won’t spoil it … but that’s the kind of puzzles that you will need to solve. In addition, each trial is made of a number of sub steps, so forget doing one or two quick things. Some contain more than nine and each one gets increasingly difficult as you progress.

Another neat feature along those same lines is the aspect of teamwork that Mythic incorporated into the Trials. While a group of 5 or more level 40 players may not have too much of a challenge getting through a dungeon, it’s going to take every bit of teamwork that they can muster in order to get through the tasks. In order to compensate for the long and challenging road, each group member who participates will reap the benefits of completing the challenges rather than the usual “so and so dropped the magic vest and only one person gets it” that we’ve seen in the past. One of the trials will even require five or more groups of adventurers to complete. 

It’s important to state that the new realms of ToA are accessible to anyone who wants to head in that direction, but the trials themselves can only be performed by characters who are level 40 or above.  While lower level players can group up and accompany higher level players on their journeys for experience or to see the new realms, they will not get the benefit of the new found powers like everyone else will. Once I saw the monsters and what lies in some of those areas though, I don’t think I want to go in there for a while anyways. In addition, some areas like Oceanus make you go underwater most of the time which causes you to lose oxygen. Higher level players will be able to hold their breaths longer, but unless you have a potion or item to allow you to breathe while submerged while at a lower level I wouldn’t recommend attempting it.

Graphically, ToA really stands out by not only performing a visual upgrade to the already gorgeous graphics of the original title and Shrouded Isles expansions, but also added some of the neatest looking effects that I’ve seen in a game in a while. In Oceanus, one building had a glass dome at the top that was absolutely amazing as realistic light shafts shone through, and some of the underwater structures also had similar windows or domes that allow you to see sea life swimming by them as you adventure. Dark dungeons were dotted by crumbling statues, gently blowing cobwebs, and even painted arched ceilings, and looking over the edge of Aerus showed wrecks of airships tumbling by and the tops of the clouds that cover the areas of the realms below. Stygia even had a massive temple that sat in the desert which was unbelievably huge, detailed, and even contained actual hieroglyphics that will give information if you care to go to the website, get clues, and translate.

Overall, not every DAoC player will be able to go on the trials just yet if at a lower level, but seeing the new zones and knowing what can be obtained will surely be reason enough to keep playing and look to get to that point. Mythic not only added some cool new visual upgrades with ToA, but also added a great looking and deep expansion that adds hours and hours of gameplay to one of the most addictive MMORPG’s to begin with. If you are a DAoC player … go pick this up as soon as possible.    

Gameplay: 9.1
While the overall gameplay doesn’t really change by adding the ToA expansion, the new trials offer in some new ways of playing by making puzzles a little more challenging and having players use their minds rather than their swords all the time to figure them out. In addition, the new expansion also emphasizes teamwork, and allows all players to benefit that participate vs. just one getting the big prize. The option to not only use boats but to buy your own was also a really neat idea … and who knows. Maybe one day you could even take to piracy on the high sea?

Graphics: 9.0
I was always impressed with DAoC to begin with, and the graphic upgrades make it look even better. The new zones are absolutely amazing, and contain details like cobwebs, light reflections, and even rays of sun filtering through the water in a realistic manner. The detail on some of the creatures (tattoos, jewelry) and NPC’s is amazingly detailed, and each new area is teeming with new aggressive and neutral wildlife and mythical creatures to battle with.

Sound: 8.9
I’ve always thought that the music to DAoC was really well written and relaxing, and you’ll find the same in ToA. There are some new tracks that have been added in, but if you’ve played the original you’ll know what to expect.

Difficulty: Hard
The trials themselves contain multiple steps and will be very challenging to complete, even for a group of seasoned veterans. The payoff at the end will be worth the journey though.

Concept: 9.1
This is a great expansion, and DAoC players should really feel like they are getting their money’s worth from it. Mythic also did a great job in incorporating some good ideas like teamwork and group rewards into the game as well so everyone feels like they got their share of the loot at the end of the adventure.

Multiplayer: 9.4

DAoC (for anyone who may not have played it) is an MMORPG, and can only be played online. The addition of quest goals that really support and encourage not only team play, but also the cooperation of different teams is a really good idea and will probably cause more online camaraderie and enjoyment.

Overall: 9.4

While lower level players may be a bit disappointed that they cannot immediately access the trials themselves, they can still venture to the realms. Long time players who have put the time and effort into their characters will feel greatly rewarded and challenged going through the trials, and this expansion will add hours of fun to an already great game. If you play DAoC, pick this up … no matter what level you may be. This should motivate lower level players (like myself … level 16) to level up as quickly as possible and obtain the forbidden powers of Atlantis.