Reviewed: February 20, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox

Publisher
Mythic Entertainment

Developer
Mythic Entertainment

Released: December 7, 2004
Genre: MMORPG
Players: Online
ESRB: Teen

9
8
9
10
9.0

System Requirements

Story: “As the war between Albion, Hibernia and Midgard rages on, a new threat is growing deep within the Earth. Powerful forces of evil have launched an attack upon the realms from below, revealing hordes of menacing creatures never before seen. New allies have emerged desperately seeking aid, for if their world falls, the surface will be next. Will you save your realm and venture down into the depths of the Catacombs?”

Features:

• Five New Classes to Choose From
• Three New Capital Cities
• Thirty New Static Zones
• All New Player Models
• New Mysteries to Solve
• Private Adventuring Dungeons
• Updated Graphics

Unlike Trials of Atlantis, Catacombs is suited for both casual and hardcore Camelot players. New features, such as leveling up more quickly benefit everyone.

Leveling up is faster and easier than ever before. This is because of Catacomb’s new “Instance Dungeon Zones.” These dungeon zones are located near major towns in each realm. They are randomly created dungeon levels that conform to you and/or your group’s specific character levels, allowing for quick battles without the potential high risk of death.

For example: If I went into it by myself, the zone would place enemies (specific to my level) inside. Furthermore, the level would be randomly generated. That way you never experience the same dungeon twice. The same is true if you enter with a group of friends. Except this time the zone places enemies inside based off of everyone’s character level.

The idea behind it was to create a more enjoyable and rewarding experience for the casual player. Not surprisingly, the idea worked and the dungeon zones allow for a more enjoyable gaming experience for all. Although these zones are great for solo players, playing with a group is still a more effective way to level up.

I found the dungeon zones to be invaluable and I spent nearly all my time in them leveling my characters when I wasn’t defending the realm. These zones are the most important aspect of Catacombs and the biggest gameplay improvement since the games inception.

Other new features in Catacombs include an expanded dungeon system. There is now an abandoned mine which connects all of the classic dungeons. It’s a neat idea and it allows for quick transportation between them when riding in the coal bucket. *Note: There are enemies throughout the narrow, rail lined mine. So watch out!

In addition, there are tons of new quests to conquer and areas to explore. The new Catacomb areas are unique to each realm and feature new enemies to face. I have to say, these enemies look awesome and some are even based off of player character classes. The new areas are a sight to behold and play in. There are also several new races to play as and stories to unravel. With all the new features and enemies don’t forget that your main objective is to solve the mystery of who or what is turning the denizens of the underworld into mindless evil slaves.

Players can now customize their new and old characters. Everything from your hair color/style, facial distinctions, eye color, and height are available to choose from. It’s nice to finally have more personal distinction in Camelot and allowing players to create their own characters is a very nice feature. I found character creation/customization to be very user friendly and easy to do. It should be a quick and easy process for anyone.

The biggest areas of graphical upgrades are inside the actual Catacomb levels. It’s here that you realize how far Camelot has come over the years. (*Note: Screenshots that aren’t outside are new Catacomb areas.)

Dark Age of Camelot doesn’t look quite as good as EQII or W of W, but that in no way implies that it doesn’t look marvelous. The new areas are especially astounding. Everything from the new character models to the real-time lighting effects look very detailed. The real-time shadows are another cool aspect that most people will glance over. Every building and character in the game has a real-time shadow that’s based on the position of the sun (which rises and sets in real time). You can actually watch a building’s shadow grow as time passes.

Camelot’s character animation is still limited in battles and isn’t as detailed as other games in this genre, but you have to keep in mind that it’s been out for nearly 4 years. At any rate, this expansion truly moves Dark Age of Camelot into the next era along side games like Everquest II and World of Warcraft.

The background music is professionally done and it fits the feel/atmosphere of the game perfectly. It has different music for each environment and a unique tune plays each time you enter a town. On top of that, it’s the type of music that will never get old.

Would you pay that much for a three and a half year old game? What if it had the best gameplay of any online RPG on the market? What if I told you it had the best and most passionate development team still backing it and adding new content in like water flowing from a faucet? Would you consider buying it then?

Dark Age of Camelot has the most value of any game I have ever played. This game is massive and it will take you years to do everything. This expansion only adds more value to this great game by adding in more dungeons and unique areas to explore.

If all the quests, crafting, and leveling don’t keep you busy enough you can turn to the spectacular realm battles. This is what makes Dark Age of Camelot what it is and it’s also the main draw for gamers. No other game has captures the sense of alliance or allowed gamers to forge massive battles against each other. It’s the coolest part of Dark Age and is why I am playing Catacombs more than Everquest II or World of Warcraft. I absolutely love this game and have clocked more than 850 hours of gameplay (I added it up).