• Enter the fantastic world of Norrath, 500 years before the start of the first EverQuest adventures, for a slightly different adventuring experience in the olden times

• Travel from the land of Tunaria, and explore Norrath as you complete quests and explore a 500-mile continent

• As you complete quests, you'll make friends and forge alliances with other players online

• Work your way up to bigger and better quests, as well as deadlier dangers. Make sure you have the right people at your side!

• Work with a new magical system that combines the old Skills and Spells into a new Ability category, for easier management

While this game is created with the interaction between players in mind, it isn't impossible to travel and play solo. Eventually, though, you will want to group up and make friends with people as you get used to the game and the areas in it. This way you can travel farther and for longer periods of time, and trust me, the world is large enough (with area expansions on the way after release) that you won't get bored with exploring it for a long while, if ever.

To add to the social aspect of the game, you can create guilds with other players, which would help you keep in touch with great players and mates. There's also a 'buddy list' option similar to an online messenger service, which allows you to add other players (if they allow it) to your list, which will let you see when they are on- and offline.

This game is designed very well for the first-time EQ player. The character creation process is simple, and once in the game it gives you short tutorials and beginner quests to get you used to the playstyle right off the bat.

Since this is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG), you will run into a lot of people you might want to exchange words with... This can be easily done with either the on-screen controlpad-controlled keyboard, or by using any basic USB keyboard. There are pre-set statements programmed into button shortcuts for those who have no keyboard or can't type fast to give people quick answers, which is a handy feature, and one that you can customize yourself to say almost anything you want. Though people have said that it is nearly impossible to interact with others without a keyboard, I found that it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be once I learned the locations of all the keys and commands. For most, though, a keyboard would be a wise investment if you plan on getting this game for any length of time. Some players are impatient, and it is impossible to run and chat at the same time unless you have one.

This game is, like its PC counterpart, going to cost you money. Unless you have $10 US (tentative pricing) a month to waste on it, not including the cost of getting the PS2 Network Adapter (worth getting in itself, for the many online games that are actually free) and the game, then it isn't worth buying. As well if you don't plan on spending quite a few hours with it, then don't even consider it. This game is something that will take up a lot of your time, but if you are sociable and enjoy interacting with other people, then it is worth it.

I was just a beta tester in phase 2, and goodness knows I was planted in front of my PS2 for hours on end, and it wasn't even a completed game :) Think what it'll be when it's released.

9 of 10 found the following review helpful:


Great PS2 Online Only Game...  Jan 12, 2003 By Baer Bradford "Smile the Future Is Now"
...despite what the specs listed above state this game does not feature ANY one player offline mode. But, the multiplayer online is wonderful. I was in beta two and three and my wife and I went out and bought a keyboard just so we could play this game better.

The only thing wrong with this game is it could be a bit pricey. You'll need a PS2 Network Adaptor and some form of internet access, and to be honest I don't think you'll get much out of it if you don't have broadband. Also, the game is VERY HARD to play if you don't have a USB Keyboard (the PS2 pretty much supports any USB Keyboard, just plug it in before you turn on the game), this is because one of the best features of the game is the interaction you have with your fellow EQ'ers.

So a recap:
1) Only online, but very fun if you like level building and human interaction.
2) You need a PS2 Network Adaptor and preferably broadband access.
3) The game is hard to play without a USB Keyboard.

So if you have the goods get the game, my wife and I loved it.

PS: It's really cool if you get a friend or loved one to type while you battle, adds another whole level to the game.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:


Saved my Playstation  Mar 23, 2003
I was about to sell my Playstation 2 'cuz I was getting bored with the thing, but I got EQOA for my birthday, I fired it up, and havn't looked back since. This became the best game I've ever played in the span of about six hours. This has the role-playing elements of Final Fantasy, the free roam of Grand Theft Auto, and the community of the worst crack-addict cult worshippers ever assembled. The people, for the most part, have been great, and there's always something going on in-game to keep the interest level up. I recommend visiting their website and becoming part of the community posting on the bords there. Makes the game even better. Met more people on the boards than in-game, and it's really saved [me.]
There has been minimal problems with the server going down, but sometimes ya just have to [toughen] up and grind away for the xp. The occasional jerk also shows up in the game, but they guarentee themselves a short life in this game. The whole community is very supportive, and will help you do everything from finishing a quest to gaining that extra level. Feels good to have three people yell DING at the same time around you.
Sony is constantly putting something new in about once a week, whether it's new quests or items, as well as a new server, and soon there will be skills (fishing?!!), as well as features that makes the game a little more user-friendly. If you want to meet people all over the world (there's a french guy on my server; cool guy), and you want a new and unique experience on a console game, this is the game for you.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:


Everquest - The Future of Gaming  Mar 19, 2003
There's been a lot of buzz lately about the new online experience coming to all gaming consoles, but so far that experience has been overall lacking. With Everquest however, the good folks at Sony bring us a step closer to that gaming ecstasy we've been looking for.
In Everquest Online Adventures, you start out by building a character by choosing from 9 races and then assigning them a specific 'class'(of the 12 available) which is basically the job they will take, ranging from healer to warrior. After selecting your character's look, you're thrown straight into the world of Tunaria.
Basically your goal is too level up your character while seeing all the expansive 400+ digital square miles of land the game has to offer. The game is comprised of (currently) five servers (you can have up to eight characters on each one) which are all the same world - you just won't meet the same people on each one. You can buy yourself weapon, armor, and magic upgrades (which are different depending on the class you select, of course). Battles are turn based, which can seem a bit awkward - you walk up to an enemy, hold down a button, and watch your charater hit them, then they hit you, you hit them, etc.
However, the game does not base itself around the single player experience. It was built around the premise of getting to know the people around you and it shows - you can get into temporary four person groups to hunt down a threat to a town, start your own guild for long term friendships, and hunt specific enemies of your home town to raise your faction points (each town has its own faction points which are how much the townsfolk like you - too low and they'll attack you if you get close - high enough, and they'll do things such as buy and sell things to you). All this provides for a very good experience that everyone should try out.
But that's one of the main problems - not everyone will be able to try it. You have to have a network adapter, 3000 kb of memory on your memory card (although your characters are saved automatically to the individual servers), connection to the internet (of course), and after paying the hefty sum for the game, you're forced into paying a $10 monthly fee. That's probably the biggest problem which will leave people asking if it's really worth it. I thought it was, but this is truly a different kind of game that not everyone is going to love. I'd have to recommend renting or witnessing it at a friend's house, if you can, to see if you'd be into it. Other than those major flaws, I couldn't help but notice how the character selection, as far as their appearance goes, was too simple (there's hundreds of characters that look just like you), the camera gets downright annoying, especially when running up hills and going in houses, and once you hit about level 11 it gets seriously hard to level up and finding groups that are good enough to help you out can be pretty tough. Chatting is kinda tough without a keyboard, but not so much that you don't get used to it (I've found that several magazines have given the game a lower rating simply because of this, which simply isn't right).
In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this game as it IS the future of gaming. However, be warned! Not everyone will be ready for it...

10 of 13 found the following review helpful:


A quick caveat:  Jan 15, 2003
I am truly looking forward to this game. I haven't played EQ before but I *have* played several MUDs. If you haven't seen a MUD before, it is essentially a text-based online dungeon crawl. Everquest and most of the other MMORPGs are, in essence, MUDs with graphics.

One quick caveat, though: Amazon.com's product description says that EQOA is "one player offline, massively multiplayer online". That is NOT CORRECT. There is NO offline play whatsoever with this game. You *must* have an internet connection (dialup or broadband) in order to play the game.

I'll see you there :)

See all 53 customer reviews on Amazon.com