Recent Game Reviews

Final Score: 4/5

I'm satisfied with Star Trek Online, but it suffers the stigma of being licensed material handled by an outside company. I've seen what that can do to a game, and so I warily approach any game that is not expressly the brainchild of its creators.

Final Score: 4/5

This is the part where I start gushing. EVE is a stunning game now. A couple years ago I found the learning curve impossible to overcome. However, with help from Tantel and the new tutorial, I was able to acclimate to the game's universe and really carve out a place for myself.

Final Score: 3/5

This game is average in just about every way. There is nothing extremely bad about it, nor is there anything extremely good. I played the 10 day trial both solo and with friends. The solo play is much like any other MMO, but the quests come fast and there is always something to do.

Final Score: 4/5

I've never been a fan of Conan.

I'm not into the "I'm so buff I can't hardly move" style barbarian. The one thing that did pull me into Age of Conan, was the Assassin... this character intrigued me. So I gave it a try. Age of Conan was hyped up long before it's launch little more than 6 months ago, many don't believe the game lived up to the hype. I had the benefit of not buying into the hype to begin with, so it had nothing to live up to, I suppose that always helps.

Final Score: 3/5

Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) was the first MMORPG that I ever tried. The one benefit that I immediate appreciated was the fact that you did not have to be a combat class. I chose an entertainer as my primary profession, with artisan being a second choice. Over time, and many different changes and updates, the class system became similar to most MMOs-one class and you build up points within that class for different abilities. Unfortunately, in the entertainer class, this means a lot of grinding, going from song to song and dance to dance to try and level up.

Final Score: 2/5

I rate this game BWB--Better With Beer. At least with enough alcohol in my system I may not have remembered the game in the morning, and the beer goggles might have compensated for the sickening bobbing of the 1st person camera view when I moved. I would have tried playing in 3rd person more, except the animation made me wish for the time when I was merely being sickened by the 1st person view's wobbling.

Final Score: 4/5

EverQuest is a game franchise that has garnered a stigma, "EverCrack" has a few reputations of people becoming obsessed, staying online for days straight. So I was apprehensive about EverQuest 2 and was not expecting to like it. I was surprised to learn how fun EverQuest 2 really is. The game is easy to get started in, the tutorial is helpful and shows you exactly what you need to do.

Final Score: 3/5

Star Wars Galaxies is an excellent game. I played it for five years, serving twice as a correspondent (Entertainer and Musician) as well as my time in the Galactic Senate v1.0 and v2.0. I won't waste time explaining how extraordinary the game was in its first several months or the downfalls it took during its two major "do-overs." Though I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention them. This review is about the game as it is today.

Final Score: 4/5

Dark Age of Camelot does a lot right. Its interface, graphics, and presentation are easy to see as building blocks in the most modern MMO. But this game itself, released in 2001 is aging fast. The graphics and animations, despite upgrades over the years are sub-par. They had some very nice polishing touches though, things that are just ignored in other games. I was impressed with the opening movie. It was well-executed, and the narration was compelling and appropriate.

Final Score: 3/5

Dark Age of Camelot is beginning to show it's age. While some features certainly were somewhat avant garde in it's heyday, these features have since become staples of the MMO market. My immediate impression is that the graphics have been upgraded at least once in the game's history, the animations however, have not, and thusly suffer greatly for it. I find though that I am often too picky when it comes to animations, so perhaps my perspective is tainted.