Reviewed: November 30, 2003
Reviewed by: John Carswell
Publisher
Funcom
Developer
Funcom
Released: September 9, 2003
Genre: Online/RPG
Players: Online
ESRB: Teen
8
9
8
9
8.5
System Requirements
Recommended System
To be fair, it should be mentioned that I’ve grown tired of MMORPG’s in general (I think it’s the “same-ish” combat engines). Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop me from knowing a good MMORPG when I play one. Such is the case with Anarchy Online: Shadowlands, a game where virtually every facet of the gleams with a polish that is rare from even the largest and most respected developers.
As many of you know, Anarchy Online did not get off to the best of starts. Complaints of buggy gameplay, balancing issues, and a general lack of content scared off many early adopters and potential costumers, myself included. However, the Anarchy Online that I once knew merely from angry Internet chatter is clearly gone. AO is now a remarkable game and I’d say that many will find Shadowlands to be the best MMORPG on the market currently.
Furthermore, while I would have like to explored it further, solo players will be thrilled to discover that the Anarchy Online Universe and Shadowlands bring with them a fleshed out history and a plot. Involving politics, “human” rights, civil war, and even moments where the player must make choices that will affect their experience in the AO universe, it is all a bit surprising since many single player RPG cannot seem to muster up a plot half as involving.
As is the case with virtually every RPG, the first order of business for new players is to create a character. Initially, your choices seem unremarkably; you only have four races to choose from (boiling down to the Jack-of-all-Trades, the Archers/Rogues, the Brutes, and the Mages) and then some of the ugliest heads this side of Morrowind from which to choose.
However, it’s when you move on to selecting your profession, the first hints at Shadowlands’s depth appears. AO’s 14 professions (two of which are exclusive to Shadowlands) decide which skills you will advance in best. While they do not impose any large restrictions, they make advancing in certain skills less expensive. In other words, there is still plenty of room for character customization (and you always have the option to create a new character). Of course, as with any good RPG, certain classes (professions) are harder to start with but pay off big should you stick with them. AO is very upfront about this so that you’ll not go jumping into the world as a “noob” only to find yourself being clawed to death by the proverbial MMORPG bunny.
With a character created, the player is plopped into a station where they can get a basic history of the AO universe and some information of their possibly planetary destinations. Naturally, I hopped onto the ship leaving for Jobe and my adventure began.
I’ll never forget my first MMOPRG moment. I had just started Ultima Online and ended up appearing on an almost empty street. The only other person in the area ran up to me and asked, “Are you a real person?”
Me: “Yes. Are you?”
Him: “Yeah. What are we supposed to do?”
Me: “No clue.”
No doubt, countless costumers are lost at this very moment and so in terms of “breaking you in”, Funcom has ensured that the “now what?” moment is almost nonexistent. Once you’ve embarked for Jobe, Shadowlands starts you off in a training grounds where the NPC’s are knowledgeable and the beasts are timid. In this area, you’ll be given a series of quests which not only give you a feel for Shadowlands’ combat system, but also give hints of SL’s plot which should have your Spidey Senses tingling soon enough.
Combat is largely what you would expect. You click on an enemy, attack, and let the dice roll. Should you be fighting alongside other players, there are also team-wide buffs and heals but for the most part, combat in Shadowlands is all about matching the right skills, levels, and teammates with the right enemy. As I alluded to in the intro, this is the area that has worn me out on MMORPG’s so I am likely not the best to judge it. Suffice it to say that the menu system is very intuitive and flexible while enemy design is second-to-none as far as MMORPG’s go.
What I can also say is that upgrade system that helps to fuel your fights is excellent. Based not only around the obvious “higher stats and bigger guns” system but an intricate, profession-based nano-upgrade system (mildly reminiscent of the Fallout’s PERK system), the whole setup is actually a tad daunting at first. The skills themselves are also quite numerous and leveling-up (you are able to reach level 220 in Shadowlands) is quite frequent so payoffs are there for those with an addictive personality. The result is that, over time, characters can become very personalized rather than being defined purely by the confines of their profession.
The world itself is astonishingly large. A virtual grid system allows you to navigate from one area to the next almost instantaneously. It takes some getting used to (and sent me to many an uncomfortable area while I was learning) but, once perfected, the system works quite well. Walking around green fields and thick forest littered with various creatures and thieves hungry my caloric on monetary possessions to the sleazy back alleys of a dieing city, Shadowlands and Anarchy Online in general provides nearly endless opportunities for those that just want to escape into an online world.
It’s hard to believe how amazingly well Anarchy Online has aged. While the game’s graphics—in particular its landscapes—have always made AO one of the most attractive MMORPG out there, Shadowlands takes the genre to a new level. Frankly, in terms of shear artistry, everything from AO: SL’s winterscapes, grassy meadows, bleak and burnt-out cities, to the gorgeous views from the floating city of Jobe stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best games from any genre.
As mentioned earlier, Shadowlands’ character models are not exactly breathtaking but this is a disappointment quickly forgotten as you begin to drape yourself is various garb and armor. Although I couldn’t approach their level, I witnessed a number of character wandering about the cities who where fully clad in some amazing armor that completely overshadowed the weak designs hidden inside.
Shadowlands’ plot is quite involving for an MMORPG so a healthy dose of voice acting would have been very welcome. Otherwise, the audio portion of AO: SL is above average. Considering the sound cards and speakers gamers have available to them, it’s always a disappointment to see so few games push the industry forward in this department and I feel like I keep saying the same things. Above average here means that the sound track is quite good and sound effects are strong enough to convey the intensity of battle and the atmospheric sounds one would expect are all here.
Considering the size of the world, the vast number of roles that one can play, and the inherent social aspect of MMORPG’s, fans of the genre should be very pleased. Since Funcom is currently offering a downloadable 7 Day trail which can then be converted into the full version it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot (aside from the 1.3 gig download).
If you’re an MMORPG fan who is on the market for a game based in Science Fiction but with a hefty does of fantasy, Anarchy Online: Shadowlands is a winner. For those new to the genre, Shadowlands friendly user interface, finely honed training period and involved plot make this game a great place to start.