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Champions Of Norrath PS2 Ubisoft/Snowblind  'Champions Of Norrath' is an RPG along the same vein as 'Baldur's Gate.' If you don't know what "RPG" means, then it's best to look away now, because you're probably the type of person that uses the word "nerd" in a derogatory fashion (for those who've kept reading, it's "role playing game"). So gather 'round, my fellow nerds, and I shall tell you of 'Champions Of Norrath.' The story is the same old, same old, with you, the player, assuming the role of 'Champion' to cut your bloody swathe through goblins, orcs, skeletons and ghouls to defeat a greater evil that is threatening the kingdom. Along the way, there are various worlds to explore: a treetop village, forests, underwater labyrinths and, of course, a lava pit. These worlds are not huge by any means, but this may be a boon, as the game tends to get a little 'samey' in certain aspects. The general aim is to hack and slash and there is very little to differentiate the gameplay. Players are able to choose from a small selection of classes and races: fighter, ranger, mage and cleric, which can add some spice to the gameplay. These characters are all bound by the usual rules and regulations of the RPG world (for example, clerics cannot use edged weapons). There is a huge range of weapons, armour and other artefacts available for the character to purchase throughout the game and these objects can also be found throughout the worlds. Various modifications can also be made to the player's equipment, creating some very nifty objects indeed. The game itself follows a standard controlling method that is very easy to use and the graphics are also fairly standard; nothing to write home about but nothing that is overly cringe-worthy (except for the female characters' bountiful breasts, which seems to be par for the course these days). There are, however, an amazing amount of bugs for what seems to be a fairly standard game. There is a very obvious lag in the speech of the characters, with the sound occurring long after it should've. I've been told that this only occurs with older PS2 models, such as mine, and I hope that this is also the case with the incredible read time errors that pop up throughout the game. Sometimes the game seems to have difficulty in reading the map before the character travels through it, causing some very ugly black spots and the occasional game freeze which can be incredibly frustrating if it has been a while since your last save point. As with many RPG titles available, 'Champions Of Norrath' can be played online, but my current situation means that I could not explore this further. The game also offers a two-player format, with both characters visible on a single screen, as opposed to an awkward split-screen format. In all, 'Champions...' is fairly stock standard gamer fare and enjoyable enough on repeat plays but will probably not stand up to the legacy of the likes of 'Everquest.'  |
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