15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
All Around Improvement To Dark Age of Camelot
Date of Review: Jan 12, 2003
The Bottom Line: A good expansion, but unless you've exhausted Dark Age of Camelot, you'd be better off waiting. The graphics improvements are almost enough to justify the price, but not quite.
Mythic released The Shrouded Isles to build on the success of Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC), arguably the most successful Massively Multi-Player On line Game (MMPOG). If you are not familiar with Dark Age of Camelot, feel free to check my Epinion at
http://www.epinions.com/content_86467448452 ---Overview---
This is an add-on, which mean you need a copy of DAoC to play. Dark Age of Camelot is a subscription based game, costing $13 US a month to play; adding Shrouded Isles does not increase the subscription fee.
Shrouded Isles adds several things to the existing game. The first is an overhaul to the graphics engine. The whole game looks better (especially the water; reflective properties have been added), improving the visual appeal of the game. In addition, the new engine is more efficient, and should reduce the slow-downs associated with huge Realm vs. Realm battles.
Next, each realm got a new race (Inconnu for Albion, Sylvan for Hibernia, and Valkyn for Midgard) and two new classes.
The realm of Albion got a Necromancer and Reaver, Hibernia got an Animist and Valewalker, and Midgard got the Savage and Bonedancer.
The new races and classes are interesting, and definitely a departure from what was available in DAoC alone.
More importantly, a large new land-mass was added that gives players more area to explore, and more quests to complete.
People who do not purchase Shrouded Isles will see the new races and classes, but will not be able to create a character based on them, nor will they be able to go through the portal to the new continent.
---Complaints---
This is all well and good; I'm sure it's lured a few people back to the game, and increased interest in the game for long-time players. Overall, however, it hasn't added a huge amount to the game. Mythic added a large amount of content to Dark Age of Camelot; this just seems like more of the same, but it's not free this time.
The new classes are a little strange, and don't seem to fit the feel of the game. Moreover, the maximum level a character could attain in DAoC was fifty; it wasn't raised with Shrouded Isle. Most of the characters I play with are already at level fifty; there is no additional challenge for these players.
Moreover, the expansion includes no free play time; the original gave you one month free to try it out. I suppose that most Dark Age of Camelot players do not need a "test", as they've been playing the game all this time.
---Is It Worth It?---
That's a good question. It really depends on where you are coming from. If you love the game, but have explored every nook and cranny, and exhausted the content of the first, then this is probably just what you need.
If you want a better visual environment, then it might be worth it.
If there is still lots to explore in the original, hang off. The price will drop quite a bit.
I like the expansion. I haven't explored the new continents much, but I appreciate the graphics upgrade. The new races and classes are somewhat intriguing, but they feel a bit forced. Content had been added to Dark Age of Camelot over the last year or two, and that content feels like it was had more value that what Shrouded Isles had to offer, and it was free.
I'm going to rank it as Above Average, as it was not bad, it just wasn't enough for the amount charged.
