Desert of
Flames was a voyage for its aging player base, offering up adventure among sand
dunes and Arabian Nights-style environments. Then along came the Kingdom of Sky
– the second expansion to the EverQuest II worlds. This time the new territories
were above, floating islands that again catered to the older players, with
environmental themes that bordered on space fantasy while rooting players to the
world’s mythos with dragons and dragonkin called droags.
While EverQuest
II has had other downloadable content, Echoes of Faydwer is the third major
expansion for Sony’s massively multiplayer online game. This time the expansion
returns to the world below, opening up new zones with a new race available at
the character creation and quests available for players of all levels. The tree
city of Kelethin is a new starting city and the Fae, tiny winged folk (no, they
don’t really fly, they sort of hover and falling damage is negated through their
racial traits) offer a wealth of new color to the racial landscape.
Do not expect
new character slots. If you have yours all full, you will have to delete one if
you wish to create a Fae. This is, perhaps, one of the downfalls to this
expansion. Plus the fact that the Fae are aligned to the good side, it seems as
if Freeport has received a bit of the short end of the stick (hmm, perhaps
expansion four?) this time around.
Those who play
the original EverQuest, now called EverQuest Live, will immediately recognize
the zone, though it has received a stunning visual upgrade. The upgrade not only
applies to the environments, but to some of the mobs as well.
Ok, up front,
when you buy the latest box of EverQuest II, which includes the Echoes of
Faydwer expansion, you not only get the original game but both of the previous
expansions. Add to that more than 350 new quests, new mounts, special clan
cloaks, and new graphical upgrades and you have an expansion that really
advances the lore of the land and the gameplay elements.
As for the
Kelethin – dwarves, Fae, wood elves, high elves, half elves and gnomes can start
there. There are new armor sets as well. But the key here is whether you are at
the level cap (70) or starting the game anew, the Faydwer expansion offers
quests and adventure for everyone. Faydwer also brings the deity system into
play. Characters can worship a god of their choosing, perform quests that will
gain favor, and if so favored, you will gain special abilities.
The new quests
are not just fluff thrown in to occupy players for a time. There is, as
mentioned, lore attached here – some of it done with a bit of the tongue in the
cheek. You will find out where the gnomes come from, and along the way you will
discover new tradeskills – tinkering and transmuting.
The general
gameplay elements are the same, and the audio content is still remarkable and a
beast consuming hard drive space on your PC. But as EQII is one of the premiere
MMOs on the market, it is great to see expansions that are not only well-thought
out, but also bring more flavors into the mix.
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Gameplay:
8.6
Nothing has really
changed here. The interface is the same and veterans won’t see any changes to
the game’s mechanics.
Graphics:
9.1
While Kingdom of Sky
was rather stunning, Faydwer is more so. Breathtaking vistas, surprises around
each bend, monsters that will have you going “wow,” instead of running – it’s
all here and it’s all good.
Sound: 8.7
Still a solid
adjunct to the game, the audio is still top-drawer.
Difficulty:
Medium/Hard
Get ready for some
high adventure, and you had best bring friends for some of the epic encounters.
Don’t think of them as there to aid you in defeating monsters like Woushi –
think of them as speed bumps that might slow Woushi down a little while you are
running away, screaming in terror.
Concept: 8.8
This is a robust
package, bringing to life some of the old lands of EverQuest Live (the original
EQ), while incorporating more of the lore into the quests and environments.
Multiplayer:
8.4
The community is, on
the whole, helpful and friendly.
Overall: 8.7
A nice package with
solid upgrades and great new lands to explore. Echoes of Faydwer does what an
expansion should, right down the line. Yes, there should be new character slots
so players can explore from the start, but that aside, what Faydwer adds to the
EQII universe is rather wonderful.
