Champions of Norrath confirms that developer Snowblind Studios has its finger on the pulse of the console dungeon hack genre - no matter what universe it takes place in. In this case, Norrath, the fabled land popularized in Sony Online Entertainment's online role-playing game EverQuest, serves as a great backdrop for Snowblind's creativity, delivering a nice multiplayer experience that can be played on the couch or across the world. Other companies have tried to break into the niche that Snowblind revitalized with Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance but have failed miserably. Black Isle Studios sequel, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2 didn't go far enough as the first game and lacked a cohesive design and Atari's D&D Heroes didn't offer as much depth as BGDA. Champions of Norrath is the only game that is worthy of taking the throne from BGDA, offering four player multiplayer cooperative play at home and online play via the PS2 Network Adapter and SOE.net. Champions of Norrath may not be perfect (it's pretty darn close) but it it's the best bet to date on the console for pure unadulterated hack 'n slash fun.
Besides offering multiplayer (which is a pretty big deal in and of itself), CoN offers six playable classes, a bright and colorful world comprised of numerous environments (forests, plains, dungeons, crypts, lava fields, ocean depths, beaches, deserts, temples, etc) customizable characters (name, appearance), customizable weapons, an easy-to-understand interface and truckloads of random items, weapons and armor.
The game offers Five racially-slanted classes to choose from including the Barbarian (pure unadulterated melee fighting power), the Wood Elf Ranger (a highly skilled ranged fighter who will occasionally take on enemies in close quarters - if necessary), the Erudite Wizard (powerful spell casters who rely on a variety of spells to do battle from a distance), the High Elf Cleric (Powerful and blessed professionals who use buff, healing and holy powers to take on evil) and Dark Elf Shadow Knight ( warrior mages who use powers that might be considered evil in some circles). Each class offers a male and female version to choose from. Depending on which class is chosen, players will want to add points to attributes that matter. For magic user types that would be intelligence and Stamina, for Rangers dexterity, and for Barbarians the key attribute would be strength. Stamina is important for players that like to have hit points - an in turn prolong their lives in most combat situations. As players kills things they gain experience which can in turn give them access to more attribute points, skill points (used for special class abilities and spells) and additional health and mana points. It should be noted that mana isn't just used for magic in champions of Norrath - even Barbarians need mana to pull off powerful battle skills. That's pretty much the what Champions of Norrath is all about in the character development department - killing things, gaining experience, and improving your character with additional skills and spells.
Throughout your journey in the world of Norrath you'll collect a lot of loot and you'll either haul it back to the local shop to sell or drop it on the ground. One particular set of items that players will find useful are item enhancement objects. These objects can be added to weapons and armor to offer extra resistance and bonuses, as well as special damage bonuses. Most weapons and armor have four slots that allow for players to add objects.
As players journey through the world of Norrath they'll run into orcs, goblins, gnomes, undead, wizards, and a menagerie of min-bosses and bosses to battle as they try to unravel the intricacies of the storyline. The storyline for CoN isn't overly complex but it is entertaining and will certainly give players the motivation they'll need to move forward. Speaking of moving forward the key mode of transportation in the game, save a few unique situations, is via transporters and gate scrolls. No dungeon hack post-Diablo can be without portals and gate scrolls. Players activate portals simply by coming in contact with them, giving them access to the location whenever needed. Most portals only let you travel within the story chapter, but it's a convenient way to go to specific locale quickly. Gate scrolls are more specific in that they take you (depending on where you are on the map) back to the civilized area (wherever the store is). There's not a lot of sites to see in the civilized areas of the game (there's no temples or pubs or any of the usual trappings of RPG games) - just places to unload your unwanted treasure.
CoN also uses a checkpoint save system - these devices serve as a quick save point should you die, and can also save your progress on a memory card. Luckily save points are usually close to the proximity of danger, so it's not too much of a pain if you bite the bullet in an uncivilized area. The placement of these save points is well done - sometimes it's okay not to be able to save anywhere at anytime.
And that's the pretty much what CoN is all about: exploration, treasure hunting, light NPC interaction, combat, character growth, combat, tactics and more combat. Did I mention combat?
One of the cool things about CoN is that the class you choose offers a different perspective on gameplay in terms of how you engage the enemy. Players with no melee skills will have to be more tactical, while melee heavy types can usually rush right in and plow through the enemy with less effort. Boss battles are particularly satisfying too because you really have to figure out the best way to kill them - and the solution you find may not be the only way to be victorious. I'm proud to say that on many of the bosses I died a lot - because when victory finally came it felt like i really had accomplished something great. There were even a few situations where I thought I wasn't going to get by, but careful examination, experimentation and patience helped me squeak by. Of course playing some characters will make certain situations easier or more difficult, but that's part of the charm of the game.
From a presentation standpoint CoN is a great looking game with a lot of atmosphere and a cool musical score to boot. The music is top notch and fits in with the general fantasy atmosphere of the game. The game's environments, textures and locations are varied, bright, dark and beautiful but are put together in a way that keeps the game flowing forward like it all belongs together. The voice acting in the game is pretty good and the characters (including player characters) are relatively interesting during those sparse moments when you'll have to talk.
In closing I have no qualms about recommending this game - Champions of Norrath is a must buy for PS2 dungeon hack fans looking for something that builds upon the concepts and gameplay mechanics of Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance - at least in spirit, if not in name. It's a fun game that you can play with your friends, your spouse, your kids, etc. The learning curve is small, the action is plentiful and gameplay is awesome. Do yourself a favor and buy this game.
